Abbeville 29ers on right path

The Gulf Coast Bank Abbeville 29ers’ American Legion season got off to a rocky start almost two weeks ago, but since then the road has smoothed.

“Things are starting to come together,” said 29ers head coach Chris Prejean.

Prejean’s optimism is not unfounded. Since his team opened with an 18-5 loss to the New Iberia Cajuns on June 12, the 29ers have reeled off four straight wins. That includes the 3-0 run during a tournament in Lafayette this past weekend. Well, to call it a tournament would use the word loosely.

“They divided teams up into different brackets,” said Prejean. “There were quite a few teams and each team was guaranteed three games.”

Regardless of the format the 29ers topped every opponent they faced. That started with a 6-0 win over Comeaux Friday night. Tony Frederick allowed only one hit in seven innings of work.

“Tony pitched well,” said Prejean. “He had a no-hitter going until the fifth (inning).”

The 29ers returned on Saturday and ran past Acadiana 14-10, a game in which Jacob Frederick blasted a grand slam and Trey Broussard also went deep, and downed Plaquemine 6-1. The weekend, and not just because of the wins, served the purpose Prejean intended.

“It was more or less,” said Prejean, “to get us going and get us a couple of games under our belt.”

The 29ers started later than most teams. New Iberia played nine games by June 12 and the 29ers faced a Plaquemine team Saturday 27 games into its season. Prejean said that because a great deal goes into jelling a team, he was not overly concerned after his team lost by 13 runs in the opener.

“Even though they spent the year playing baseball,” said Prejean of his players, “there is still a lot of nervousness that goes into playing your first game.

“We had kids playing positions they are not accustomed to and it makes it tough when you play a team like New Iberia, who is a very good ball club, who already had some games under its belt.”

The 29ers will see how far they have come when they settle in for round two with the Cajuns today at 7 p.m. at Acadian Park in New Iberia. One thing is for sure, last weekend was a good one for Abbeville.

“I think this weekend we got a better idea of what we have,” said Prejean. “I think the kids are starting to settle down and it gave them a lot of confidence.”