Slidell High named its new baseball coach on June 7, and it’s a homecoming of sorts for the new skipper.
Denham Springs High and Southeastern graduate Kyle Cedotal will take over the Tigers, according to a news release from Slidell Principal Larry Favre.
“Coach Cedotal brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and a clear vision to continue to build our baseball program,” Favre said. “Coach Cedotal’s passion, enthusiasm and pursuit of excellence is aligned with the mission at Slidell High School. Our student-athletes are fortunate to have him as their head coach.”
Cedotal takes over for Vincent Ruda, who was let go on May 5 after six seasons.
“I went to Southeastern, so I know the area and the people,” Cedotal said. “Whenever positions started to become available, I knew that Slidell has had some real talent come through there. I think it’s an incredible opportunity in a very good district. To be a head coach in 5A public baseball is an incredible opportunity.”
Cedotal was a multisport athlete at Denham Springs. He was named an All-America player at Southeastern in 2016 and made the All-Collegiate Louisiana Team in 2015. Cedotal also was a 20th Round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies in 2016.
Cedotal began coaching in 2017, serving as hitting coach at St. Thomas More through 2020. He was the head coach at Vermilion Catholic for two seasons, and most recently, he was the associate head coach at Lafayette High.
This will be Cedotal’s second head coaching position, but his focus will remain the same.
“I’m a big person about effort,” Cedotal said. “We’re going to give everything we have every single day. There is a right way and a wrong way to play the game of baseball, and if we don’t give our max effort, we’re not going to be as successful as we want to be. We’re going to have a lot of fun. We’re going to generate a lot of different types of offense to win baseball games, and we’re going to give max effort.”
Cedotal, who will also teach, said he’s excited to share his love of baseball with his new players.
“Baseball is a beautiful game because it doesn’t matter your size because there is always something you can do to contribute to a team," he said. "You can learn so much about life by being part of a team. Whether you are in the field or the dugout or the starting pitcher or the three-hole hitter, there is a role for everyone to be a part of a successful team.”