New Head Coach Leo McClure Takes Helm of Wildcat Baseball

Central High School’s new head baseball coach is no stranger to Central. A Central High graduate of 1973, Leo McClure has spent much of life as a player and coach in Central. And his sons are some of the most successful athletes in Central history.

After finishing at Central High, Leo played basketball at SLU in Hammond. He returned to Central High School as head basketball coach from 1977 to 1984. From 1984 to 1989, he was head basketball coach at SLU. After a few years out of coaching to work in private business, Leo McClure returned to Central High as Athletic Director and head football coach in 1991 and 1992.

By the mid-1990’s, Leo’s sons Trey, Todd, and Tanna were making names for themselves at Central High School. The three of them piled up a host of All District and All State honors in multiple sports.

At LSU, Trey was an All American in baseball and the same year Todd was an All American in football. Tanna started at LSU and was a relief pitcher at Delgado and SLU.

Trey was the most versatile athlete, winning All State honors in several sports, but it was Todd who made his mark in the pros as the starting center for the Atlanta Falcons for 14 years.

Since the 1990’s, Leo has developed travel baseball and currently runs the Louisiana Tigers, a group of six to 10 teams, each of which plays 70 to 80 games a year.

Coach McClure says travel baseball has become almost a necessity for athletes who want to play at the college and professional levels and even at the high school level.  The experience and level of play simply can’t be reached any other way, he said.

More than 150 of McClure’s travel baseball players have gone on to play college baseball and 40 have played in professional baseball. McClure said travel baseball is costly and time consuming but 90 percent of advanced players play travel baseball.

Today his sons Trey and Tanna are national sales directors for Marucci Sports and have their own baseball academy with 19 teams.

Zach Marucci, trainer for LSU football, made a wooden bat for his son, and that bat proved the inspiration for what has become a nationwide, even worldwide business.

Son Todd McClure is retired. He has a ranch in the Zachary area and owns 6M antique woods. He finds wood throughout the country when old buildings are torn down. Todd also raises bulls for professional rodeo riders. Todd’s oldest son Maverick McClure plays for Zachary and with have the chance to face off against his grandfather Leo when Central and Zachary meet later this spring.

Coach McClure is optimistic about this year’s Central High Wildcat baseball team.  He said it’s a young team but it’s “good young” with lots of talent and experience.

“We have a lot of experienced 10th and 11th grade pitching,” he said. He has strong team leadership returning this year, he said.

“There’s no question we have the pitching and defense to be in the running,” he said. “The real issue is hitting. If we bat well, we will be very competitive.”

This year’s coaching staff will include Collin Rogers, who was with the Royals for five years; Hunter Edgens, Brett Courville, and Frank Fresina.

Coach McClure said he is very excited at the support he has received from parents and alumni. They sold 70 signs at $500 each and 197 signs altogether.

Coach McClure said he has been humbled by the parental support. Not only the selling of signs but the packed house of 400 at the baseball banquet. “The parents have really welcomed me back,” he said.

The team has purchased 75 chairbacks from Yankee Stadium. The outfield wall will be double height this year. A second batting cage has been purchased, along with better equipment.

Central won the State 5A Championship in 2017 and 2018. Coach McClure asked, “Do you know what two schools have won the last five state championships? Central and Barb!” 

Could it happen again? 

It’s certainly not out of the question!