Grace coach says he has school's 'best team ever'

"I feel good about this team, top to bottom," says Brown, who returns six starters from last year's team that finished 28-6-1 and advanced to the second round of the Class B playoffs. "We got to Bringhurst (state tournament) in '07 with mostly sophomores and freshmen. I feel ... this is the best team we've ever had."

Brown could eventually have seven returning starters if junior Jeremy Fontenot recovers from a collapsed lung, as expected, after the first two weeks of the season.

The Warriors' pitching, says Brown, is the deepest it has ever been, led by the trio of senior James Slater, junior Daniel Margheim and senior closer Sean Smith.

Slater was 11-1 last year with a 1.81 earned run average, Margheim was 7-4 with a 2.67 ERA and Smith, and Smith sported a 2.23 ERA and 16 strikeouts in six games.

"We have the depth, pitching-wise, to do it," Brown says about notching a state title.

Six first-team all-district players are back for the Warriors, including seniors Slater and Gabe Curtis, who led the team in hitting last year with a .552 batting average.

Slater has two younger brothers worth watching, too, in Timmy, a promising pitcher, and David, a potential long-ball hitter.

Junior Austin Waters, a transfer from Alexandria Senior High, and Fontenot could be joined in the outfield by ether Margheim or Smith, and senior Alex Hanna is a solid returning starter at third base.

"We started last season 18-0," says Brown, "and we finished 10-6-1. I think we peaked a little early. We didn't hit the ball at the end of the year, but I've got a new coach doing well with the hitters in David McGhee.

"I think the key for us is playing defense behind our pitchers," says Brown, "and getting the two-out hits we didn't get late last year."