Brusly High School's Aubrey St. Angelo wants his team to be remembered.
Last year, the Panthers played in the Division II nonselect baseball state title and lost in three games to North DeSoto.
"We had a great season, and nobody really remembers that," St. Angelo said. "Everybody's going to remember the team that wins it."
The senior will get a second chance to help his team etch its name into the history books when the top-seeded Panthers (35-6) face No. 3 Lutcher for a chance to win their first state title since 1977.
Game 1 of the best-of-three series is 2 p.m. Thursday at McMurry Park in Sulphur.
Expect the Panthers to be ready.
"Especially after losing (in the final last season), that clicked another key or fire in us to not only make it back but win it," St. Angelo said.
A two-way player, St. Angelo has five home runs and 40 RBIs to go with a .415 batting average. On the mound, the 6-foot-1 St. Angelo has a 7-1 record with a paltry 0.82 ERA in 68 innings.
Force in all phases
St. Angelo suffered an elbow injury in his second start last season, which limited him to being mostly a hitter.
That lesser role hindered him, he said.
"I felt like I had to do so much just because I wasn't playing the field or pitching," he said. "It got to my head, and then I started struggling."
Brusly coach Jason Lemoine remembered times he struggled as a player, trying to juggle multiple roles. For St. Angelo, it's when he's at his best.
With no injuries this season, St. Angelo earned District 6-4A MVP honors.
"You don't get players like that to come through a public school program all the time," Lemoine said.
St. Angelo said his presence on the mound has given the Panthers more confidence this season.
"Coming back on the mound, healthy," St. Angelo said, "I felt like I really helped us and gave us a lot more motivation to know that whenever I'm on the mound, (there's a) good chance of winning."
Senior growth
Lemoine first saw St. Angelo pitch when he was a sophomore.
"He pitched with a lot of passion and a lot of fire, and I like that," Lemoine said. "As a 10th grader, he pitched like he was a senior."
The focus for his final years of prep baseball was to channel that fire in a positive way. St. Angelo said he is most proud of his efforts to stay even-keeled.
"I feel like the hardest part is the mental side," St. Angelo said. "That's what I feel like I've gotten best at."
St. Angelo's mental fortitude and top-flight talent is something Lemoine deems generational.
"At any moment in the game at the plate, he can change the game," Lemoine said. "You don't see players that come through like that every single year. You might have to wait until he has kids to come through."
Sharing his knowledge
Lemoine's goal for St. Angelo this year has been to help Brusly's younger players. When they see his process, they can emulate it.
Though St. Angelo will be playing at Nicholls State next season, his presence will be felt in the coming years.
He boasts a 7-2 playoff record and has hit .400 over his four-year career.
"All those stats are going to speak for themselves," Lemoine said. "When people come here next year, number 18 isn't going to be out there, and they're going to miss that."
The group hopes leave a lasting legacy on the Brusly community.
"I always tell them, you will never be forgotten," Lemoine said. "You and your teammates will always be bonded together as that 2026 team that won a state championship."
The goal is set, but Lemoine doesn't want the magnitude of the series to become a burden.
But with St. Angelo on the mound and in the lineup, there's no doubt in his mind his team will have a good chance to earn redemption.
"When the ball is in his hand," Lemoine said, "you feel like you're going to win the game."
