Tom Dodge
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of a 12 story series celebrating LSUE’s baseball and softball national championships.
The Bengals finished third at their first trip to NJCAA Division II world series in 2004 and then grabbed its first title in 2006, but LSU Eunice head coach Jeff Willis said his first team was the one who helped get the successes started.
“The groundwork and framework of everything was set by the team from 2003,” the coach said. “Their hard work helped build the foundation for the future.”
The 2003 team finished 38-14 and went 3-2 in the NJCAA district playoffs.
The Bengals defeated North Lake College 8-5 before falling to Richland College, 13-2.
LSUE stayed in the playoffs that season with wins over North Arkansas College (9-1) and Richland College (5-3).
Richland College pushed LSUE out of the Dallas, Texas district playoffs with a 4-1 win over the Bengals.
In 2004, LSUE had to fight its way through both Region 23 and district playoffs before reaching the world series.
The Bengals swept Itawamba Community College (4-3, 7-3) to win the Region 23 championship series.
LSUE lost to St. Louis College-Forest Park 7-1 to open the district championship series in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Bengals regrouped to advance to the world series with 9-2, 8-7 wins over the Highlanders.
LSUE opened the 2004 national tournament in Millington, Tennessee with a 3-0 win over UConn-Avery Point before falling 6-3 to Grand Rapids Community College.
“We had a lead on Grand Rapids that would have gotten us to the championship game but we blew the lead, “Willis said.
LSUE battled in the loser’s bracket with wins over Elgin Community College (6-3) and Iowa Community College (8-3).
The Bengals were pushed out of the playoffs with a 12-inning, 7-6 heartbreaker to Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.
“In 2004 when we got close, we knew that we could do it,” Willis said of the Bengals who finished 51-13. “We knew we could compete there.”
The 2005 team did not advance out of the Region 23 tournament, going 1-2 and ending the season with a 37-16 record.
“I thought the 2005 team got very arrogant and over confident in their approach and it was over very quickly for them in the regional tournament,” the coach said.
“But the players who came back off that 2005 team were extremely motivated.
“We had a group that included Kyle Suire, Nate Duhe, Matt Berard, Brandon Richey, Rickey Noland, Corey Chapman, Brett Durand, John Long, Mace Hebert, Bryan Jaeger and others,” Willis said. “That team had a tremendous fight and want to go with a strong desire to accomplish something very special.”
Willis said one of the turning points of the season was when Suire had an opportunity to move to LSU at semester break and he decided to stay with the Bengals.
“I don’t know how many 19-year old kids would turn down their life-long dream and come back to LSUE,” Willis said. “He would have been LSU’s starting second baseman and played at Alex Box Stadium for the Tigers.
“But he promised me and his teammates he wasn’t going to leave us,” the coach said. “I knew right then we were going to win it all.”
LSUE rolled through the Region 23 tournament with wins over Southwest Mississippi Community College (8-0) and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (9-3) before a two game sweep over Itawamba Community College (10-0, 6-5).
The Bengals started off their run at the world series with a 17-0 five inning run-rule win of St. Louis CC-Forest Park.
LSU Eunice used a powerful nine-run third inning and six-run fourth frame to cruise in the opening round.
After plating two runs in the first inning, the Bengals exploded for nine runs off five hits and two errors in the third.
Leonard Porche started the big frame with a RBI double down the left field line. In all, six players drove a run in during the inning highlighted by Berard’s 2-RBI single.
An inning later, Porche’s 2-RBI single and Dustin Guidry’s two-run home run helped spark a six-run outburst.
Duhe improved to 12-1 on the season after tossing four shutout innings. He allowed just two hits while striking out a pair.
Josh Istre pitched the final inning of relief, striking out two of the three batters faced.
Critical late-game plays helped LSU Eunice advance past Elgin Community College, 5-1, to move on to the winner’s bracket semifinal.
After both teams were deadlocked through six innings, LSUE’s four-run seventh inning was the difference.
It was an early pitching duel with the two sides combining for just five hits through five innings.
Both LSUE and Elgin crossed a run in the sixth with the Bengals using a Suire RBI single to plate Richey.
An inning later, LSU Eunice got the big break it needed.
With the bases loaded, Jaeger was hit by a pitch, two more runs scored on a failed pick-off attempt and another run was plated off a wild pitch.
Durand held strong with eight innings, scattering five hits and that lone run.
LSU Eunice then fell into loser’s bracket play after an 11-6 decision against Grand Rapids.
The Bengals couldn’t capitalize on opportunities, leaving seven runners on base.
LSUE jumped out to an early 6-2 edge after three innings.
Suire provided the big lick in the first with a 3-RBI triple to right center.
After GRCC responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first, Noland’s sacrifice fly gave LSUE a 4-2 edge.
Berard’s solo home run and Porche’s sacrifice fly helped pad the Bengals advantage.
Grand Rapids responded with a five-run fourth inning off just three hits then added two more runs in the sixth and eighth.
Suire led the way offensively with a 3-for-5 night with 3 RBI and a run scored.
The Bengals began their battle through the loser’s bracket with a 6-3 win over Brookdale to set up a rematch with Grand Rapids in the championship.
LSUE overcame 12 runners left on base and four errors to advance.
After falling behind 2-0 early, LSUE used a three-run third inning to take the lead.
The Bengals’ first two runs came off a throwing error by the Brookdale pitcher while Porche provided the go-ahead score thanks to a sacrifice fly to plate Berard.
After Brookdale tied it up in the bottom of the inning, LSUE went up for good in the sixth.
Richey’s solo home run and Berard’s RBI double pushed the Bengals ahead 5-3.
Paige Hodges ended the scoring for LSUE with a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth.
Duhe gutted out a complete game effort, settling down after his rocky start.
The LSUE notched his 13th win of the season, tied for fifth in school history, yielding three runs off five hits and one walk while striking out a pair.
A six-run fourth inning was all LSU Eunice needed to force a winner-take-all championship game in a 7-3 victory over Grand Rapids Community College.
It was LSUE’s first ever NJCAA National Championship game appearance.
Grand Rapids had won three straight national titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and five championships overall.
After falling behind 1-0 with a GRCC run in the third inning, the Bengals back breaker came a frame later.
The duo of Collins and Jaeger drove in three runs on back-to-back hits before Jaeger scored on a throwing error to make it 3-1.
A batter later, Noland lifted a two-run home down the left field line to finished off the damage.
LSUE added an insurance run in the seventh thanks to Jaeger’s second RBI of the game.
Thomas Tillery notched his fourth save of the season throwing the final 2.2 innings after a six-plus inning jewel by Chapman.
The left-hander scattered three runs on seven hits while striking out nine batters and issuing three walks.
Durand pitched a complete game shutout as LSU Eunice captured the school’s first ever National Championship with a 3-0 win over Grand Rapids.
Durand was named the World Series Most Valuable Player for his title game jewel.
Durand gave up just two hits and one walk while striking out nine batters. Grand Rapids only had three base runners reach second base.
“I remember Brett before the game kicked back on the bench sitting with his legs crossed relaxed in our dugout as we watched the other team take batting practice,” Willis said.
“He was extremely loose and he pitched that way,” the coach said. “He was him being him and not trying to be someone else before the game, I knew he was about to do something special.”
Matt Collins provided the first spark for the LSUE offense in the fourth inning when he tripled to center field to score Kyle Suire.
The Bengals scored two more runs in the sixth off a Collins RBI then Collins scored thanks to a Grand Rapids throwing error.
Collins also made a diving catch in left field that preserved the shutout.
“That team was both mentally and physically tough,” Willis said. “They helped set the standard for LSUE baseball.”
The Bengals finished the 2006 season with a 49-11 record.
2006 LSUE roster
1 C Rickey Noland
2 SS Brandon Richey
3 OF Mace Hebert
4 OF Matt Collins
5 2nd Kyle Suire
6 3rd Matt Berard
7 OF John Long
8 P Luke Wagley
9 3rd Josh Pomier
11 P Thomas Tillery
12 P Corey Chapman
13 P Alex McCollum
14 C Skylar Sparrow
15 P Nate Duhe
16 P Josh Billeaud
17 P Brett Durand
18 P Matt Broussard
19 1st Leonard Porche
20 OF Justin Guidry
21 P Trey Davis
22 SS Boomer Blanchard
23 P Josh Istre
24 OF Bryan Jaegar
25 1st Vinnie Liberto
26 C Paige Hodges
27 OF Perry Smith
28 2nd Brandon Juneau
29 OF Joseph Dickson
32 C James Howell
35 P Casey Lambert
Baseball Coaching Staff:
Jeff Willis, Chad Menard and Clint McCauley
Up Next: The 2008 baseball national championship revisited