By Warren Arceneaux

ROSEPINE —After winning the 2021 Class 2A state baseball title in dramatic style with a 1-0 championship game win over Doyle, Ethan Frey and his Rosepine teammates turned in a dominant run to this year’s crown, going 34-2.

Frey, a senior catcher/pitcher, led the way, hitting .487 with 13 home runs, 64 RBIs and 28 runs scored. As a pitcher, he was 5-0 with two saves and a 0.77 ERA, with 43 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched.

For that, Frey is the winner of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance/Mr. Baseball award, given annually to the state’s top player in all classifications as chosen by a panel of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association..

Frey said he knew the Eagles were having a special season when they began piling up district wins.

“Right when district hit, I knew it was going to be some of the tougher teams we were going to play all season and when we did what we did (going undefeated in District 5-2A play), I knew that we would have a shot to go back-to-back,” he said.

The Eagles did just that, closing the season with 30 straight wins, including two wins at the state tournament by a combined score of 25-0.

“Those were our best games, when we had to turn it up a notch,” Frey said. “We definitely did that and played great games when we knew it was going to be our last time playing together.”

Frey said he was able to improve every aspect of his game.

“I stepped up my game defensively this year,” he said. “As a hitter, I was able to hit for a better average and add more power, extra base hits and RBIs. As a pitcher I was more experienced and mature, learned what Coach Smith was thinking while calling pitches and how to make hitters uncomfortable.”

Frey has signed to play at LSU next season and said he will bring his same approach to Baton Rouge.

“I want to keep working hard like I have, stay humble and not get too big for who I am,” he said. “I want to take it one step at a time and not let the hype get to me. I matured a lot more over the course of high school, learned to take it one at-bat at a time and let what happens happen.”

By winning Mr. Baseball, Frey became the first player in Vernon Parish history to accomplish that feat and is the second person in Rosepine history to win an overall LSWA honor, joining Christina Hamilton, who won Miss Softball.

La. Farm Bureau Insurance/LSWA Mr. Baseball

1996: Joe Lawrence, Barbe

1997: Chucky Son, Parkview Baptist

1998: Aaron Lowe, Parkway

1999: Nick Bourgeois, Barbe

2000: Austin Nagle, Barbe

2001: Austin Nagle, Barbe/Jonathan Zeringue, E.D. White

2002: Greg Smith, Alexandria

2003: Matt Greenwich, Parkview Baptist

2004: Ben Soignier, West Monroe

2005: Beau Jones, Destrehan

2006: Forrest Moore, Parkview Baptist

2007: Carmen Angelini, Barbe

2008: Zack Von Rosenberg, Zachary

2009: Zack Von Rosenberg, Zachary

2010: Bryan Picou, Northlake Christian

2011: Aaron Nola, Catholic-BR

2012: Gavin Cecchini, Barbe

2013: Jared Poché, Lutcher

2014: Chase Vallot, St. Thomas More

2015: Kale Breaux, Sulphur

2016: Nick Webre, Teurlings Catholic

2017: Jacob Pearson, West Monroe

2018: Cade Beloso, John Curtis

2019: Cameron Meeks, Sam Houston

2020: Season canceled

2021: Jack Walker, Barbe

2022: Ethan Frey, Rosepine