National champions, Maxpreps.com declares Barbe its winner

Rodrick Anderson

Obstacles on and off the field did little to slow down the Barbe Bucs this baseball season.

The Bus went 39-2, won their 11th Class 5A state championship, and on Tuesday were honored with their second national championship.

The Bucs were declared national champions by Maxpreps.com , a website that specializes in coverage of high school athletics.

While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic affected teams throughout the nation, the Bucs also had to deal with the aftermath of two hurricanes and a rare ice storm.

“Considering we overcame two hurricanes and an ice storm, it is just amazing to accomplish that under tough circumstances,” Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini said. “It is a true testament to everyone involved.

“We are so excited about that. It is just amazing for everyone associated with the program — the players, coaches, and administration. Just think about what we overcame as a community and all the state championships in the area.”

It’s the Bucs’ first national championship since sweeping four national polls — Maxpreps.com, Baseball America, Perfect Game, and the National High School Coaches Association — in 2014.

Comparing this year’s team to the 2014 team, Cecchini wouldn’t give an edge to either.

“To do it would be like asking which of my two sons I love the most,” Cecchini said. “I love them the same.

“They are great. Each one of these teams is great.”

The Bucs won 39 games for the time in program history.

The Bucs set single-season team records for hit by pitch (104) and stolen bases (262), but the key, Cecchini said, was the pitching staff had a program-best 1.04 earned run average and 14 shutouts, led by Mr. Baseball senior Mississippi State signee Jack Walker and junior Gavin Guidry, an LSU commitment.

The duo pitched every inning during the postseason for the Bucs, including a combined shutout of District 3-5A rival Sam Houston in a 1-0 11 inning semifinal win and Guidry’s complete-game shutout in the final over West Monroe.

The other national polls have yet to release their final rankings. Perfect Game. As of June 23, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper had the Bucs at No. 2, as did the National High School Baseball Coaches Association while Perfect Game had the Bucs at No. 1 on June 9.

””

The celebrated Barbe High School baseball program added a second national championship to its résumé on Tuesday when the website MaxPreps declared the Bucs its winner. The Bucs won the Class 5A state championship, their 11th state title, with a school-record 39 victories.

Rick Hickman / American Press

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