Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – Getting to the baseball playoffs used to be an uphill battle at Red River High, who will make its fourth straight trip this season but just fifth appearance since 2014.

But the No. 4 seed Bulldogs earned a bye into the second round, a place where Red River has been only once in at least the past decade.

Red River doesn’t have to beat an opponent this time in the first round and will await the winner of the series between No. 13 Pine Prairie and No. 20 Church Point in the Division III Non-Select playoffs.

Best-of-three series take place in each of the first three rounds before teams headed to the state tournament in Sulphur will go through single-elimination contests in the semifinals and finals.

Red River’s lone playoff win in the past decade came in 2022 when the No. 13 seed Bulldogs knocked off No. 20 Delhi Charter before falling in a series to No. 4 Bunkie.

Red River crested at the end of the regular season by winning four of its last five games, all by at least four runs.

That bumped the Bulldogs up two spots in the power rankings.

A No. 5 seed would have meant a likely second-round pairing with No. 12 Many, who topped Red River, 9-6, on April 12 in Coushatta.

Red River hasn’t faced Pine Prairie or Church Point this season.

Red River’s Hughes makes All-Star Game

Red River senior Tyler Hughes was selected for the LHSCA/LBCA Senior All-Star Series happening May 17/18 at Louisiana Christian University in Pineville.

Hughes is listed as one of two catchers on the West Squad, which includes 25 total players.

The East squad also consists of 25 players.

Hughes, a Centenary baseball signee, has also made a name for himself as a pitcher this season.