MONROE, La. -- The ULM baseball team will officially begin its 63rd season of baseball on Friday night as they battle Indiana State in the Warhawk Classic Presented by Fieldhouse Bar and Grill. First pitch between the Warhawks and the Sycamores is slated for 6 p.m. and the game will air on both KMLB 540 AM (Nick White, pxp) and Warhawks All-Access ($).
ULM will also face Central Arkansas and Grambling State in the four-team round-robin event.
First Pitch...
• The ULM baseball team begins its 63rd season of baseball on Friday night; Over the course of the previous 62 seasons, the Warhawks have 1,291 wins... During its history, the Warhawks have appeared in five NCAA regionals, won 14 conference championships (12 regular season, two tournament), had 30 players named All-American and had 51 players take in the MLB Draft (most recent: Tyler Bray, St. Louis Cardinals, 26th Round, 2014).
• The Warhawks will open the season at home for the third consecutive season as it welcomes Central Arkansas, Grambling State and Indiana State to Monroe for this weekend's Warhawk Classic Presented by Fieldhouse Bar and Grill... The four-team event also marks the second time in the last three seasons that the Warhawks will hold a tournament during opening weekend... In 2013, ULM entertained Alcorn State and Wake Forest at Warhawk Field... The Warhawks posted a 3-1 record over the weekend as it finished 2-0 against the Braves and 1-1 against the Demon Deacons.
• The 2015 schedule for the Warhawks features a total of 34 home games as part of the 56 game slate... Over the course of the season, ULM, in addition to its 30-game Sun Belt schedule, will face teams from Conference USA, the Missouri Valley Conference, the Southland Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference... The Warhawks will also play games in six different states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and Texas).
• The Warhawks, who open the season Friday night against Indiana State, will be looking to start 1-0 for the third straight year... The Warhawks have also won their opening game in six of the last eight seasons including season-opening wins at No. 17 Ole Miss (W, 6-5, Feb. 19, 2010) and Wake Forest (W, 9-0, Feb. 15, 2013).
• Friday night's meeting between the Warhawks and the Sycamores will be just the second meeting all-time between the two clubs... Indiana State won the only prior meeting by a score of 3-2 on Mar. 28, 1972.
• Saturday's meeting between ULM and Central Arkansas will be just the fifth meeting all-time between the Warhawks and the Bears... Central Arkansas has won the four previous meetings, most recently an 11-3 win in Monroe on May 10, 2011.
• Sunday's opponent, Grambling State, is making the first of two trips to Monroe this season... In each of the last three meetings, the Warhawks defended home turf with wins over the Tigers... All-time, the Warhawks lead the series over the Tigers, 45-14... Sunday's meeting will also be the first of three meetings this season between the two programs (Two games at Warhawk Field; One game at Grambling State).
• ULM head coach Bruce Peddie enters his 17th season as a head coach... Peddie, who has previous stops at Shippensburg and New Orleans, has 393 career wins.
• A pair of right-handed pitchers will make their Warhawk debut this weekend... Brandon Bell, who missed the 2014 season due to injury, will get the start in the season-opener on Friday night against Indiana State... Freshman Keegan Curtis is also expected to make his first start as he will take the mound in the Warhawk Classic finale against Grambling State.
• Keelin Rasch returns for his final collegiate season... In his first season in Monroe, Rasch batted .289 on the season with 23 extra base hits (16 doubles, three triples and four homers)... In 30 league games, Rasch was a force at the plate as he batted .374 with 17 extra base hits (12 doubles, three triples and two homers)... Over the course of the 2014 season, Rasch scored 33 runs and drove in 30 with 22 of each coming in conference play.
• Justin Stawychny enters his fourth and final season as a Warhawk... As a junior, Stawychny batted .279 with 22 extra base hits... He also scored 38 runs and drove in 37.
• Junior Kodie Tidwell saw action in all 59 games last season and made 57 starts... He finished second the team in both batting average (.284) and stolen bases (seven).
