The Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators will roll into their third Texas Collegiate League season Tuesday night with a new coach, a new owner and pretty much a new roster.
The Gators, who finished 9-37 last season, will open the 2026 campaign at home against one of two new additions to the TCL, the Abilene Flying Bison. Game time is 7 p.m. at Joe Miller Ballpark.
Also joining the league is the Sherman ShadowCats, while the River Monsters have moved from Seguin to San Antonio. With eight teams now in the league – five from Texas – there no longer will be a Texas versus Louisiana competition. All eight teams will compete for the TCL title, which was won by the Baton Rouge Rougarou last summer.
Ronnie Rantz, who bought the Baton Rouge Rougarou in 2022, is also the new owner of the Gumbeaux Gators. The team made the playoffs in its debut season in 2024, has hosted record crowds each summer and twice topped the 2,000 mark in attendance last year. Rantz said he will introduce several promotions to “The Jeaux,” including Fireworks Fridays and two-for-one adult beverages on Thursdays, to help bring in even more fans.
Rantz also has brought in longtime McNeese State head softball coach James Landreneaux to lead the Gators through the 2026 campaign. Landreneaux just completed his 14th season as coach of the Cowgirls, winning his fifth Southland Conference championship and and fifth NCAA Regional appearance. He won his 300th game in February.
He will be assisted by Carl Labit, who helped coach the Rougarou to its title last summer.
“At this point in time you’re just excited to get a couple of days of work in, get to know everyone,” he said. “The energy is good right now so I’m just real excited about taking the field with them. Getting to open up at home, we know there’s going to be a good crowd, the energy is going to be electric. I don’t care what it is, opening day is always going to be a good time.”
Among the Gators to watch are veteran infielder James Reina, a Lake Charles native now at Bossier Parish Community College, and catcher Connor Walker who now plays for McNeese. They will be joined by Lamar University catcher Easton Culp, outfielder Ayden Sunday and pitcher Daniel Midkiff, and University of Louisiana outfielder Kasen Bellard.
By Lori Lyons