Catholic’s Jack Ruckert slides in safely at third as Brad Chaisson awaits the throw from the outfield during the LHSAA Division I select baseball championship game at McMurry Park in Sulphur, La. on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Rick Hickman) Brad Bass said it is the best wake-up call he ever received.
At 4:30 a.m., the Catholic High baseball coach got a text from his father.
The text included a screenshot of MaxPreps' final national high school poll with Catholic sitting in first place. “I don’t think my feet have touched the ground yet,” Bass said. “I thought it was going to happen, but I was not 100% because people in other states just finished playing last week.
” It is the first No. 1 national finish for Catholic in any sport. The Bears were 38-2 this spring and ended their season with a 20-game winning streak that included a 5-0 victory over John Curtis in the LHSAA Division I select title game last month.
“I have an attitude of gratitude today ...
what a school, what a team,” Bass said. “It is lightning in a bottle ..
. the players are the lightning and Catholic as a school is the bottle. “I’ve always said players make coaches, and this group has given us an experience we will cherish for the rest of our lives.
” Bass credits 12 seniors for their leadership, along with the support and buy-in of players, their families and the school. The roster included eight players set to play on the Division I level in college..
