JOHNSTOWN —
As AAABA Tournament managerial debuts go, New Orleans Boosters’ Billy Babin couldn’t have asked for better.
New Orleans rolled through the loser’s bracket with six consecutive victories and claimed the franchise’s 13th AAABA national championship in 2009, Babin’s first season as manager.
How about an encore?
“To come to Johnstown my first year and win it all, I never expected this at all,” Babin said after the Boosters won.
Expectations, as always, are high for New Orleans, which returns seven players from the title-winning team, including last year’s batting champion Scott Fabre (.481) and co-RBI leader Beau Boudreaux (10).
“Anytime you can return seven guys during any year, let alone from a year when you win a national championship, you’ve got to be happy with that,” said AAABA Hall of Famer and former New Orleans manager Joe Scheuermann, who still travels to Johnstown with the team even though he’s stepped into the background due to college rules that forced him to quit managing.
Babin’s New Orleans baseball roots run deep. He hopes to lead the franchise to its first repeat championship in Johnstown since 1954-55.
“We have a great mix of New Orleans baseball players,” Babin said. “A number of the kids have played on championship teams like those from Northshore (high school state championship team in 2009) and those from a Babe Ruth World Series championship team.”
Other returnees from the 2009 AAABA Tournament championship team are left-handed pitcher Stone Speer, right-handed pitcher/infielder Nathan Fury, left-handed pitcher/outfielder Mike Wisecarver, outfielder Tyler Johns and left-handed pitcher/outfielder Ryan Pursell.
Fury struck out 13 batters in the 5-0 shutout over New Brunswick in the title-clinching game at Point Stadium. The Delgado Community College freshman won two games in last year’s tournament.
Fury had a 1.20 ERA while striking out 18 and walking four in the tournament. At the plate, he had two hits in three at-bats, with three RBIs.
“He’s one of the most popular players on the team, and he’s such a competitor,” Babin said.
Fabre and Boudreaux each scored eight runs in the tourney.
Fabre tied for first with 13 hits and had a .667 slugging percentage and .548 on-base percentage, both ranking second. Boudreaux batted .360 (9-for-25). Pursell was an alternate on last year’s team but didn’t play.
New Orleans’ pitching staff will be anchored by Matthew Pittari, a redshirt freshman at Southeastern University, Sean Kennel, Wisecarver and LSU freshman Joe Broussard.
Babin is assisted by Barry Butera, a former Boosters manager. Butera’s son, Blake, is an 18-year-old senior at Mandeville (La.) High School who plays second base.
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Nate Fury helped pitch New Orleans to the championship last season. Dave Lloyd
Discussion
Seven returnees give New Orleans chance to repeat
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