2026 CENLA Baseball Season Previews

by Marshall Loeffler

ALEXANDRIA – The Marksville Tigers embraced a youth movement and a “dog mentality” as they prepped for the 2026 high school baseball season, with third-year head coach Tucker Dauzat counting on new leadership, speed across the lineup, and a relentless focus on both physical and mental toughness to take the next step toward a playoff run. “Last year we took some bumps and bruises… we were extremely young,” Dauzat said. The team hosted a home playoff game in his first year—for the first time in 16 or 17 years—but lost six seniors afterward, leading to a step back in 2025. This spring, however, the program is planning to be in a place where underclassmen know what to do now that they are everyday players, and the standard for what Marksville baseball wants to be is present every day. “These guys have been with us since eighth grade. They’re older, they’ve seen the highs and lows, and they’re putting it together now.” The roster leans heavily on sophomores, with six starting on Opening Day. Key returners and leaders include:

• Dylan Brouilette – speedy player who “flies around the outfield” and controls center field defensively
• Auston Lachney – The tone-setter—”the team goes as he goes”— at the plate, expected to lead off and set the offensive tone.
• Bryce Juneau: “really hot bat,” high on-base percentage guy with quick hands and aggressive approach.
• JP Gremillion – A returning starter relied upon in the middle of the diamond and on the mound.

Speaking of his pitching staff, Coach Dauzat said: “Our pitchers have to set the tone… stay around the zone, throw strikes, make it competitive.” The staff did a solid job throwing strikes at the Avoyelles Jamboree but will need to steadily improve this season. Offensively, the Tigers blend small ball with some occasional power; Dauzat wants hard contact up the middle, hard ground balls instead of swinging for the fences too much, and continuing that approach in two-strike counts—no easy outs. “In Class 3A, lazy fly balls are outs 90% of the time, so we want to put it on the ground hard.” Defensively, the focus has been good communication and no mental mistakes: “Physical errors happen, but mental errors are up. to us—we can’t beat ourselves.” Returning leaders in center field, mound, and middle infield provide a strong core for that defense. Dauzat’s mottos—Control the controllables, constant communication, no mental errors—define the culture. Expectations have risen: “We want the playoffs every year, and by now we are ready to suit up and go take care of business.”