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All season long, Denham Springs coach Mark Carroll has preached the importance of every single game to his veteran ball club. Every game will matter even more beginning Thursday when the third-seeded Yellow Jackets (25-6) begin their quest for a 5A state title when they host L.W. Higgins of New Orleans at A.B. Netterville Field.

The venue for Thursday's postseason opener is an important one for the entire state, as this year's state tournament—quarterfinals, semifinals and championship—will be played May 15 and 16 in Denham Springs at Netterville Field. The Yellow Jackets are eager to hoist a championship trophy on their own turf, but Carroll has, all season long, been quick to remind his players that each game matters.

"We have 14 seniors on the team this year, and they have heard me say over and over that this game is the important one," Carroll said. "Our main goal, every time, is to play a better, faster game than our opponents. A big key is being extremely efficient with runners in scoring position."

Carroll will start senior right-hander Chris Hutchinson (8-1) tomorrow against Higgins, and the visitors will counter with Tre Girod (8-3), who has recorded 111 strikeouts in 74 innings this season.

Hutchinson, who will attend Alabama Southern Community College next season along with current Yellow Jackets center fielder Blaine Posey, and junior Jacob Saizan (7-0) will be two of the many people in a solid Denham Springs pitching staff upon which Carroll will rely as the postseason progresses.

"To win a title in this format (three games in the final two days), you have to have really good, deep pitching," Carroll said. "We feel we have as much or more pitching than anybody."

Carroll will also count on senior designated hitter Kevin Long, who sports a .392 batting average entering the playoffs.

In addition to Hutchinson and Posey, catcher Brock LeBlanc has also signed on to play in junior college next season at Panola Junior College. Pitcher Jared Bond (6-2) could become the fourth player to sign on for a two-year program in the near future.

Elsewhere in the 5A bracket, Thursday's bi-district round offers several rematches of regular season games.

Last season's state runner-up, fifth-seeded Airline, will play host to No. 28 Ouachita, a team the Vikings defeated 8-2 in a tournament in March. Coach Toby Todd's team fell one win short last year against Barbe, and they will be looking to go one step farther in bringing the championship trophy back to Bossier City.

Airline's District 1 rival, No. 20 Captain Shreve, will be on the road at 13th-ranked Catholic-Baton Rouge in the opening round. Captain Shreve will be looking for a better outcome as the Bears won this year's previous meeting, 10-4.

Also, District 10 runner-up, No. 8 Brother Martin, will seek to avenge an early-season 14-11 loss to Fontainebleau when the two meet up in New Orleans.

Two of the favorites, top-seeded Northshore and No. 2 Dutchtown, open with home games against Grace King and Assumption, respectively. Defending champion Barbe, the No. 4 seed, hosts South Lafourche.

The tournament will culminate at A.B. Netterville Field at North Park in Denham Springs on May 15 with the quarterfinals, and the semifinals and championship will be played on May 16.