MONROE, La. -- The 63rd season of ULM baseball will officially open Friday night at 6 p.m. when the Warhawks host Division I newcomer Grand Canyon in the first game of a three-game weekend series. All three games will air on KMLB 540 AM in Monroe with Bruce Hanks on the call.
First Pitch
• ULM will open the 2014 season with a three-game home series against NCAA Division I newcomer, Grand Canyon... The Antelopes, members of the WAC, are in their first season after transitioning from Division II to Division I.
• ULM skipper Jeff Schexnaider is entering his eighth season at the helm of the Warhawk program... Despite being at ULM since the start of the 2007 season, Schexnaider will face a total of nine programs for the first time in 2014.
• Friday's game against Grand Canyon will be Jeff Schexnaider's 400th game as the head coach at ULM.
• As a program, the Warhawks will face three new foes in 2014... Set to face ULM for the first time are Western Illinois (Feb. 20/22), Michigan State (Mar. 5) and Georgia State (May 9-11).
• Two current Warhawks were drafted out of high school... Returning pitcher Alex Hermeling (RS-So.) was a 43rd round selection of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2011 MLB Draft... Newcomer Keelin Rasch (Jr., IF) was a 41st round selection of the Atlanta Braves in 2011.
• ULM has won its last four home openers with the last home opener loss coming in 2009 (L, 3-8, Northwestern State, Feb. 20)... Since then the Warhawks have opened with wins against Mississippi Valley State (W, 10-2, Mar. 5, 2010), Texas-San Antonio (W, 3-2, Feb. 18, 2011), Tulane (W, 9-3, Feb. 21, 2012) and Wake Forest (W, 9-0, Feb. 15, 2013).
• The Warhawks are 5-2 in season openers under Jeff Schexnaider...Wins: 2007 (Stephen F. Austin), 2008 (at Nicholls State), 2010 (at No. 17 Ole Miss), 2011 (Texas-San Antonio) and 2013 (Wake Forest)... Losses: 2009 (Northwestern State) and 2012 (at Texas-San Antonio)... In those seven openers under Schexnaider, the Warhawks have totaled 31 total runs and have two shutouts (at Nicholls State, 2008; Wake Forest, 2013).
• During the course of the 2013 season, the Warhawks see action against a total of 10 different conferences... ULM will face off against foes from the following conferences: Sun Belt, Big Ten, Conference USA, Missouri Valley, Southern, SEC, Southland, SWAC, Summit and WAC.
#GrandCanyonSeries
Grand Canyon will be making its NCAA Division I Baseball debut Friday night at Warhawk Field... The Warhawks and the Antelopes have a prior history as the two squads met a total of four times from 1969 to 1971, with Grand Canyon owning a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series.
Series Results:
5/29/1967 Grand Canyon 7, ULM 1 (NAIA District 5 Tournament)
5/16/1971 ULM 5, Grand Canyon 4 (NAIA Area 2 Tournament)
5/17/1971 Grand Canyon 5, ULM 2 (NAIA Area 2 Tournament)
5/17/1971 Grand Canyon 3, ULM 1 (NAIA Area 2 Tournament)
#Schexnaider400
When Chad Miller tosses the first pitch in Friday night's season opener against Grand Canyon, it will officially start ULM skipper Jeff Schexnaider's 400th career game at the helm of the Warhawk baseball program... Schexnaider owns a 186-213 record in seven years at ULM and the Warhawks have won two Sun Belt titles during his tenure (2008 - Regular Season; 2012 - Tournament)... The 2012 squad advanced to the NCAA Regionals, first appearance for ULM in 12 years, as it was part of the four-team Baton Rouge Regional.
#SeasonOpeners
The Warhawks are 5-2 (.714) in season openers under Jeff Schexnaider...Wins: 2007 (Stephen F. Austin), 2008 (at Nicholls State), 2010 (at No. 17 Ole Miss), 2011 (Texas-San Antonio) and 2013 (Wake Forest)... Losses: 2009 (Northwestern State) and 2012 (at Texas-San Antonio)... In those seven openers under Schexnaider, the Warhawks have totaled 31 total runs and have two shutouts (at Nicholls State, 2008; Wake Forest, 2013).
Friday's opener against Grand Canyon will open the 63rd season of Warhawk baseball and overall, ULM is an even 31-31 (.500) in season openers... The Warhawks have tallied 10 or more runs in 13 season openers and the squad is 11-2 (.846) when scoring 10 or more runs in a season opener... ULM has tallied 20 or more runs in two season openers and the club is 2-0 (1.000) when scoring 20 or more runs in a season opener.
#TheLetterG
The Warhawks are 45-21 (.682) all time against schools that start with the letter “G”... ULM is 43-14 against Grambling State, 1-2 against Georgia Southern, 1-3 against Grand Canyon and 0-2 against Georgia Tech.
#FirstTimers
ULM will face a total of three programs for the first time this season... ULM and Western Illinois will meet for the first time on Feb. 20 (3 p.m.) in Thibodaux, La., in the first game of the Carmel Inn Showdown Presented by the Sports Medicine Center of Thibodaux Regional... The Warhawks and Leathernecks will also battle on Feb. 22 (1 p.m.)... ULM will face its only opponent from the Big Ten when Michigan State makes its way to Warhawk Field for a 6 p.m. contest on March 5... The final opponent ULM will face for the first time is Sun Belt newcomer Georgia State... The Panthers will make their way to Monroe, La., for a three-game conference series beginning on May 9 and concluding on May 11.
