Cane Cutters News

Keepin’ it Local: Louisiana Talent Flocks to Lafayette for Summer Ball 

Tournament season is in full swing around the nation, meaning more eyes than ever are on college baseball. The fun doesn’t end after the National Champs are crowned, though: summer  wood bat baseball is just around the corner and Fabacher Field is opening its gates. The Texas  Collegiate League (TCL) will see all six of its teams open their seasons on May 30, kicking off  several weeks’ worth of exciting, competitive games. Lafayette’s own Acadiana Cane Cutters  will hold their home opener on June 4 versus the Victoria Generals after taking on the Brazos Valley  Bombers (May 30-31) and Seguin River Monsters (June 1-2) on the road. 

Nothing beats a hometown team featuring local talent: residents of the parish will be excited to see a familiar face in Jose Torres behind the plate. A junior at the University of Louisiana, Torres  joined the Ragin’ Cajuns as a transfer from San Jacinto College, helping UL become Sun Belt  Conference (SBC) regular season champions in his first year. He made an immediate impact in  Lafayette after getting the start at catcher in 49 out of the team’s current 58 games. Torres is also  a force in the batter’s box: he posts a .306 batting average (the fourth highest on the team) over  53 games, recording 49 hits – including nine doubles and two home runs.  

Jose Torres is no stranger to summer ball, either: he played two seasons for the Purcellville  Cannons in Virginia, a member of the Valley Baseball League (VBL). He quickly became a VBL  All-Star, batting .353 and being named Defensive Player of the Year twice in his two seasons. He’ll be one to watch out for when he makes Fabacher Field his new home this summer. 

A future Ragin’ Cajun will join the Cane Cutters for the summer as well. Mark Collins, a rising  freshman for UL, can be seen in the outfield this summer. A native of Opelousas, Collins signed  with the Ragin’ Cajuns back in November and helped lead Opelousas Catholic High School to  their first state championship earlier this May. Collins batted .381 in the previous 2023 season,  recording 15 doubles and five home runs. 

Overall, Acadiana Cane Cutters see a majority of their talent come from universities within the  Pelican State: Redshirt sophomore Trey Usey (RHP) and junior Alexander Saunier (INF) make  the trip over from the Big Easy after the University of New Orleans saw their season come to a  

close in the Southland Conference Tournament. Usey threw 27.2 innings for the Privateers,  collecting 24 strikeouts in 16 appearances. Saunier recorded 40 hits – including four home runs – and 34 RBI, finishing with a .268 batting average.  

Redshirt sophomore J.C. Acosta (RHP) returns to the Cane Cutters after finishing his first season of play with Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. Reid Snider (INF) and Jake LaRocca (C) 

will join the Cutters after concluding their freshman seasons at Louisiana Tech University in  Ruston. Fellow freshmen Noah Melancon (RHP) and Ashton Quiller (OF) hail from Nicholls  State University in Thibodaux. Redshirt freshman Carson Robb (RHP) adds another arm to the Cane Cutters’ pitching staff, coming in from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.  

A wealth of Louisianian junior college talent is ever-present on the roster as well. Bossier Parish  Community College sees the most members join the team: Jake Skelly (RHP), Jose Nunez  (RHP), Dylan Biddick (OF), Emil Estrella (OF), and Bennett Mittelsteadt (OF) will all travel  south to Lafayette for the summer. Biddick, Estrella, and Mittelsteadt all batted over .300 for the  BPCC Cavaliers in 2024: Biddick led the team with a .358 average and .442 on-base percentage,  while Estrella – a familiar face for Cane Cutters fans – led in doubles (15), homeruns (12), and  slugging percentage (.620).  

Lastly, Tanner Hornback (INF) joins from Baton Rouge Community College. He led the BRCC  Bears in batting average (.393), hits (66), on-base percentage (.502), and runs scored (42).  

Fans can keep up with the Acadiana Cane Cutters on X (@Canecuttersbb), Instagram  (@Acadiana_canecutters), and Facebook (@Acadiana Cane Cutters Baseball).  

For tickets, visit https://www.canecuttersbaseball.com/tickets/ or call our sales managers  directly: Richard Nunnally at (337) 295-5677 and Tristan Toups at (225) 428-7663.

Special Thanks to Sports Writer Maddy Branning