Things did not go exactly as planned for the Baton Rouge Rougarou this summer.
The defending Texas Collegiate League champions did not follow up with a strong finish, a winning record or a spot in the playoffs. The 2026 Rougarou finished 19-26, sixth in the league of eight teams.
But that doesn’t mean that the Summer of ’26 was not a success. It certainly was to team General Manager Casey McKenzie.
“In a sense of wins and losses, absolutely it was a disappointment,” McKenzie said. “But we continued to prove to ourselves, our sponsors and our community that this is something viable in Baton Rouge.”
McKenzie cites the large increase in attendance this summer, some of the biggest crowds in the last five years. That included a stadium record crowd of 2,209 on July 10 to see the Rougarou take on and defeat the Acadiana Cane Cutters, 6-0. That fan loyalty was despite record heat and a couple of rainy nights featuring tarp-pulling.
“We always had a full, packed night and we averaged more fans than we ever averaged,” McKenzie said. “You couldn’t be farther from Livingston and Ascension Parish, but people continue to show up with Little League teams and pack the stands.”
And those youngsters did get to see some good baseball, even though this year’s team was younger and less experienced than last year’s championship squad, with a brand new coach who had to learn on the fly the ways of the TCL and its relentless grind.
“I know I’m asking for an extra level of commitment out of each and every kid,” McKenzie said. “And these kids continue to show up and play. That’s all I can ask for.”
“We had some talented guys come through this year,” first-year coach Mike Forbes said. “We had some bad luck at times. Baseball kind of got us a few times. It took me a little while to kind of figure the league out, figure the boys out – what’s it going to take. But all of that is behind us now and I have a better idea of how to start, how to keep guys fresh. I really think the biggest factor going into next year is going to be me.”
Trip Dobson was the leading all-summer player on the team. He hit .306 with two home runs, 28 RBIs, 31 runs and 14 stolen bases on 43 games. Josh Keys hit .253 in 43 games with 36 RBIs.
The team’s earned run average was 5.83, fourth in the league. Michael Sutton and Larson Fabre both earned TCL Pitcher of the Week honors.
And regardless of the team’s record, the Rougarou won over a lot of fans with a hard-working team of workers and interns (including McKenzie’s 14-year-old daughter Chloe) who made going to games a fun experience for all.
“Our goal at the park every night is to have 500 people,” McKenzie said. “When you have five little league teams there running around thinking they’re talking to the Atlanta Braves, that’s really cool.
“I’ve had people call me disappointed that we didn’t make the playoffs and my rebuttal has been, you try to mimic a lot of things LSU does. (LSU baseball coach) Jay Johnson wins a championship and takes a year off. I feel like the Baton Rouge Rougarou wanted to follow suit," McKenzie said in jest.
By Lori Lyons, Rougarou Writer