Jamboree kicks off prep baseball season

By Tom Dodge
tom.dodge@eunicetoday.com

The Perry Pitre Ford jamboree is the annual kickoff to the local high school baseball season.
Fans get a chance to see their players in a preview of hopefully successful runs to the state playoffs.
This year, there is a new face in the dugout as Scott Richard returns as head coach of the St. Edmund Blue Jays.
“I am very excited about getting back out there and seeing the kids accomplish things,” Richard said. “Hopefully we will get better as the year goes along.”
“The jamboree will give us innings,” Richard said. “We get to look at some younger kids as our junior class will be away at a retreat.”
“We have been doing this for a long time,” Eunice High head coach Scott Phillips said. “This is good for the two teams and the town.”
Phillips said even though each game is only three innings, it is fun for the teams to face each other and just be playing baseball.
“This is kind of like the Joe Nagata football jamboree,” Phillips said. “It means something to the two teams and brings unity to the town.”
Phillips said the jamboree will help him settle his lineup as the regular season approaches.
The sponsorships from local businesses help defer the cost of baseballs, umpires and other expenses of a tournament so the games can make more for the team.
The junior high jamboree will be held on Friday at Bobcat Field.
Eunice will face Sacred Heart of Ville Platte at 4 p.m. followed by Teurlings Catholic and Opelousas Catholic at 5:30 p.m.
Mamou will take on Notre Dame at 7 p.m. with St. Edmund - Eunice closing the night at 8:30 p.m.
The varsity jamboree will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday at North Park with Pine Prairie taking on Iota.
The Panthers will then face Ascension Catholic at 11:10 p.m.
ACS will battle Iota at 12:20 p.m. before Mamou and Sacred Heart square off at 1:30 p.m.
The Green Demons will then face Opelousas Catholic at 2:40 p.m.
Eunice High will take on Sacred Heart-VP at 3:50 p.m., while St. Edmund will entertain Opelousas Catholic at 5 p.m.
The Bobcats and Blue Jays will conclude Saturday’s action at 6:10 p.m.
The freshmen jamboree will be at noon on Sunday when Mamou visits Eunice.
The Green Demons will take on Teurlings Catholic at 1:15 p..m.
The Rebels then face Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. with EHS - Notre Dame closing the jamboree at 3:45 p.m.