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Tournaments  | Story | 7/3/2019

Knights chasing WWBA glory

Jack Nelson
Photo: Kade Anderson (Perfect Game)

HOOVER, Ala. – Kade Anderson won’t graduate high school for four more years, but he already has his college decision locked up. In the fall of 2023, the Louisiana native will head to Baton Rouge and Alex Box Stadium to play for LSU. It’s a lifelong dream realized, and he says nothing would have been possible without his club team, the Louisiana Knights 14u Black.

Over the last few years, the Louisiana Knights have become one of the top travel ball organizations in the country. Their reputation has only grown in Hoover. With pool play in the rearview mirror, the Knights look primed for a run at the WWBA 14u National Championship.

“The Knights have gotten my name out there and let me do my thing,” said Anderson. “I’ve just been trying to have fun out there. Compete and do my best. That’s all I can do.”

The Knights wrapped up pool play on Wednesday with a 2-2 tie against the Hit after Hit Outlaws. But the result of the game had no bearing on the outcome of Pool D. Having outscored their opponents 55-7, the Knights went 6-0-1 and will be moving on to bracket play on Thursday.

At the heart of this impressive run is Anderson. At the plate, he is 10-for-18 with 13 RBIs, including two doubles, two triples, and a home run. On the hill, he has thrown 5 2/3 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts.

“He has really dynamic stuff on the mound,” said Knights coach Jeremy Trahan. “He’s up to 85 mph, and that’s really good for a 14 year old. But I also like him as a hitter. He barrels balls to all fields, he can run, and plays an excellent outfield. He has a really positive attitude, and he just gets after it every day. He certainly has a lot of ability.”

But other guys have stepped up, too. Andre Poirrier is hitting .545 over these seven games, and Cole Cranford has not allowed a run over his 6 1/3 innings on the mound. In fact, the Knights have eight hitters batting over .300 and nine pitchers who have yet to allow an earned run. For the moment, Anderson is the only player committed on the roster. But as this group gets older and matures, many more are sure to receive phone calls from eager recruiters.

The Knights boast an impressive laundry list of former players who have moved on to play at powerhouse schools like Ole Miss, Auburn, Miami, and LSU. Dozens more have been drafted, such as 2017 3rd rounder Blayne Enlow and 2018 9th rounder Nick Lee. Last summer, their 15u team captured the WWBA 15u National Championship. This week, they have put themselves in position to add another trophy to their growing collection.

“The program is starting to get so much respect across the country,” said Trahan. “I think (LSU recruiting coordinator) Nolan Cain has been at every one of our games. Mississippi State assistant Jake Gautreau was at a lot of them as well.”

Trahan was impressed with the play all week, and took pride in being able to have such a huge impact on his 14u team. When you see clusters of college scouts behind the backstop, it sometimes gets lost that these kids haven’t even entered high school yet. They are still learning how to play, and most are still growing and maturing.

“I’m a high school coach in Louisiana, so I’m more used to coaching older kids,” he said. “But I’m really enjoying the 14s because even though they are really talented, they also have a lot to learn. It’s rewarding to show them things that are going to help them not just in the summer, but when they get to high school ball as well.”

The Knights stay mostly local when they recruit players, as most of the 14u roster hails from the Bayou State. They screen potential players via recommendations from high school and college coaches in the Mandeville, LA area. And they teach their kids that the players that play the best will be the ones that play the most. They try to instill a competitive spirit, as that will serve them well now and in the future.

“Most of the kids are from Louisiana, and there are a handful from Mississippi,” said Trahan. “We’ve had a lot of success as a program recently and now we are really attracting top talent. Our 17s are in Atlanta doing well right now. We’re a very competitive organization, from top to bottom.”

A unique part about playing for the Knights is that a player on any team at any age has access all of the coaches in the organization. The Knights also have a home that they call the Kastle. Players are given an access code to this indoor facility and they can come in 24/7. They can hit in the cages, take grounders, or throw a bullpen any time they would like, all year long. Needless to say, players are given every resource they could want to achieve their goals.

“We have great coaches across all levels that can get these kids the instruction they need,” said Trahan. “Every one of these guys wants to play at the next level, so our goal is to get them better. Once they are ready, we will get them seen by the right people.”

The mantra of the Knights is #4L, which means “For Life.” They want all players to be connected with the program for the rest of their lives. And they hope alumni develop a sense of pride and believe that they have contributed to something bigger than themselves.

Well, nothing creates a lifelong bond quite like winning a national championship. On Thursday morning, the 14u Knights will get their chance to make some history and leave a lasting mark.
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Tournaments | Championship | 8/12/2026

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Alyssa Golden
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Press Release | Press Release | 8/18/2026

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Tyler Henninger
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High School | General | 8/17/2026

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Jim Salisbury
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Jim Salisbury
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Jim Salisbury
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Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game to honor Pat Gillick in new Philadelphia Showcase  By Maya Heyman Perfect Game is bringing its elite showcase experience to Philadelphia’s FDR Park for the inaugural Philly Stars/Pat Gillick Showcase this weekend, honoring one of the greatest executives in MLB history in the city where he constructed his final of three World Series winners. The event will take place on Sunday, the same day as the DICK’S All-American Classic, taking place just across the street at Citizens Bank Park.  The showcase will allow Philadelphia-area players to gain exposure and will also honor Gillick, who has been a tremendous influence in both professional and amateur baseball.   Jered Goodwin, Vice President of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game, said the idea came naturally.  “Going to Philly made a lot of sense to honor Pat Gillick, who's been a...
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For the fourth time since its inception in 2023, two rosters comprised of the best rising juniors (and a handful of rising sophomores) will step out onto the field Friday afternoon, kicking off the All-American weekend. While the Perfect Game All-American Classic is slated for a 1:35 first pitch at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, 36 future hopefuls of the Classic will go up against one another in an American vs National clash at 11 AM Eastern, Friday morning.  With 36 players from across the country descending on Philadelphia, there will be plenty of familiar names in attendance as 24 of the 36 played in at least one PG Select Festival and all 36 attended either the he Sophomore National, Junior National, or the PG Underclass All-American Games this summer. Leading the charge are a pair of No. 1s in 2028 dynamic talent Dexter McCleon Jr and 2029 Macgraw VanWormer, a do-it-all...
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Draft | Story | 8/11/2026

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Over the 2026 draft cycle, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the projected No. 1 pick throughout the entire cycle. White Sox fans began #RochWatch and were already talking about when he will make it to Chicago. Now that he has been selected, Cholowsky has immediately become a Top-10 prospect in all of baseball. There is no denying the hype, and the pressure, for Chowlosky to get to the big leagues and produce at a high level.  But how realistic is that? Let’s take a look back at past 1:1 selections and see what you can expect from a No. 1 overall selection.  For this exercise, we’ll look at No. 1 overall picks from the bonus pool era, excluding Eli Willits from 2025 since this is his first full year of pro ball. That gives us 13 players selected from 2012 through 2024.  Almost All Become Big Leaguers The first thing that stands out is how successful No. 1 picks...
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