For the third time this season, St. Martin’s and Crescent City will tangle on the baseball diamond.

This time, however, more is on the line than neighborhood bragging rights and a possible district title.

The Saints and Pioneers play in the second round of the Class 1A state playoffs at Miley.

But while the teams split this year – Crescent City’s 10-3 win was St. Martin’s only district loss this season – today’s game isn’t about payback.

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“It’s for us to keep going,” St. Martin’s head coach Frank Cazeaux said.

And in this case, familiarity does not breed contempt. The schools aren’t geographically far apart to begin with, but there’s more than just the fact the teams are in the same district.

Crescent City head coach Stephen Ceravolo played one year for Cazeaux, helping the New Orleans Hurricanes win the AAU national title in 1989.

Though it was the only time Ceravolo’s path crossed with Cazeaux as a player, it was enough of an experience to gain respect.

“We have a lot of roots there,” Ceravolo said. “We developed a friendship. He has been a mentor to me. I’ve gained some respect for him.

“As far as trying to beat him, you always try to beat the best and I consider him one of the best.”

But the way Cazeaux makes it sound, St. Martin’s (21-6) is the team that has to find a way to beat the best. Prior to St. Martin’s moved down to 1A from 2A and fell into a district that Crescent City has owned the past few years.

“I’ll just remind him tonight that he did play for me, so take it easy on us,” Cazeaux said.

Ah, but according to Ceravolo, that’s an old Cazeaux trick.

“That’s one of his ploys before the game,” Ceravolo said. “He tries to make light of the game. I don’t think he’ll do anything we’re not ready for or that we won’t expect.”

The Saints, however, are the team to beat. Crescent City (16-15-1) finished the district 7-3 with a young team. St. Martin’s, meanwhile, went 9-1 in district and never fell below 5th in the coaches’ poll this season.

St. Martin’s has won six in a row by an average of 10-plus runs since falling to Crescent City on April 4. The Pioneers, meanwhile, are 2-2 in their past four games.

Cazeaux said this year’s St. Martin’s club reminds him of one other one that he has coached.

“This has been a special group,” Cazeaux said. “They remind me of the 1997 state championship team at Rummel. Only one time I had to get on them, and that was after we got beat by Crescent City.”

And that’s a scary thought for Ceravolo, who know what his team is in store for tonight.

“I don’t think either team needs to be motivated today,” he said. “We’re four or five blocks away from each other. The kids know each other. They’ve competed against each other in football, basketball and now baseball.

“It’s just a question now of who is going to execute at 7 o’clock.”