STRIKE ZONESTRIKE ZONE

In this edition of The Strike Zone, staff writers Rodrick Anderson and Warren Arceneaux discuss the upcoming weekend in high school sports.

What is the best baseball game on the schedule?

WA: Barbe at Sulphur, Sunday. Every game in District 3-5A seems like a monumental one. Sulphur owns a one-game lead in the district, due in large part to a 1-0 win at Barbe. The Bucs are in the title chase and are led by a deep pitching staff and dynamic leadoff man Antonio Gauthier.

RA: Iowa at South Beauregard. Iowa is ranked in the top eight in Class 3A but has lost three straight since starting District 4-3A with three consecutive wins. A win over No. 3 South Beauregard would be a great way to reboot the Yellow Jackets’ season. The Golden Knights have won five straight since getting swept by St. Louis in their first two district games and must win out to have a chance at the district title.

What is the most interesting softball game?

WA: Sam Houston at Barbe, today. Sam Houston has rolled through district play unbeaten. The Bucs have been inconsistent but feature a dangerous lineup, led by Kylie Bergeron, Jennifer Perkins and Ka’le Guillory. They will face an all-state caliber pitcher in Jenny Griggers.

RA: Kinder at Notre Dame. In its first matchup against Notre Dame, the Yellow Jackets struggled to push runs across the plate, leaving seven runners stranded in a 6-2 loss. Kinder is ranked second in Class 2A and 0.1649 points behind Many. A win over Division III Notre Dame could give Kinder the No. 1 seed with the end of the regular season less than a week away and clinch a share of the District 6-2A champion.

Who is your player to watch?

WA: Sam Houston’s Kyle Bartley is a quarterback on the gridiron and two-way star on the baseball diamond. Bartley is dangerous on the mound and at the plate, hitting in the middle of the Broncos’ order. Sam Houston is looking to stay in touch of the 3-5A leaders with games against LaGrange and Lafayette.

RA: Sulphur trio of Abbi Massey, Chrislyn Ryan and Chesni Jones. The trio have combined for nine home runs in Sulphur’s last four games, including four Tuesday in a 13-2 win over Comeaux. Jones hit a pair of three-run blasts, Ryan hit a solo shot and Massey, a freshman, hit a three-run home run. Sulphur needs to continue its power-hitting trend to improve its playoff seeding, which stands at No. 23 in Class 5A.