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Christmas Came Early for ULM Baseball

Christmas Came Early for ULM Baseball

Baseball Dec 10
By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist
 
MONROE, La. – ULM baseball coach Michael Federico had a jump start on all the eager children who will have new toys to play with after Christmas. 

For Federico, fall baseball practice was his first real chance to sort through a multitude of shiny new recruits. The process gave him a jolly feeling heading into his second season guiding the Warhawks.    

"The number one thing coming out of the fall was that we have some depth at some positions," Federico said. "We have more quality from a depth standpoint.

"Last year, we had some good players, but when somebody got hurt or on the mound, we didn't have that depth.

"On the mound we have some guys who have some stuff that we can go to in the bullpen. Now, we have to figure out if they can do it in a game."

Talking about ULM's position players in general, Federico said, "We've got some left-handed hitters who can create some nightmares for opposing team and how they're going to pitch against us. Not everybody has quality left-handed pitching, so we can have eight left-handed hitters in the lineup, with three of those guys being switch hitters, so we can always turn the page if they go to a lefty.

"We've got a little team speed, and we've got a little bit of power. It's better. The depth is what it takes to be successful in a bear of a league like the Sun Belt."

Newcomers Trent Tingelstad, Colin Gordon, Cameron Horton, Carson Klepzig and Ryan Humeniuk earned mention from Federico in reviewing ULM's overhauled lineup.

Projected right fielder, Tingelstad hit .346 with 26 doubles, eight home runs and 65 RBI in two seasons at Everett (Washington) Community College.

"Trent Tingelstad is a guy who can help protect a Chad Bell in the lineup," Federico said. "People are going to have to pick who they pitch to in those situations. He's got a chance to hit the ball out of the ballpark. He's a barrel control guy and he's not going to strike out a lot. He's got a chance to be a three or four-hole hitter for us."

Gordon played for former ULM baseball player Boomer Walker at the College of Southern Idaho. Gordon hit .270 with 64 runs scored, 18 doubles, seven triples, two home runs and 42 RBI

"Colin Gordon is an intriguing guy," Federico said. "Right now, he'd probably be our opening day shortstop. He's a switch hitter and he's got a little bit of speed. He can create some nightmare matchups as a switch hitter."

Klepzig fills the void at catcher with the departure of Spencer Hemphill. After redshirting at Ole Miss, he hit .358 and four home runs at Hinds Community College in 2018. 
 
"Carson Klepzig, our catcher, comes in and solidifies the defensive side of it," Federico said. "No matter what you have on the mound, you've got to have somebody back there who can defend."

Horton, a 6-foot-2, 225-pounder, arrived from the powerhouse program at LSU-Eunice. He hit .312, with 18 doubles, 11 home runs and 65 RBI as a sophomore in 2018

"Cameron Horton is a big physical, left-handed bat from Eunice," Federico said. "He's got a chance to start at first base, maybe be a DH option as well. He can provide a little bit of power for us. That's what the game is getting to. You have to have a little power, plus a little bit of speed." 

Humeniuk is a toolsy outfielder from Indian Hills Community College. ULM's projected left fielder hit. 348 with 70 hits, 69 RBI and scored 62 runs last season.

"Ryan Humeniuk is a left-handed outfielder, who is really intriguing," Federico said. "He's got a little bit of balance in power and speed. He could probably steal 20 bags for us but also hit 20 doubles. He's an interesting guy as well."

A nagging injury limited returning infielder Chad Bell in the fall, but he's returning and will be an impact player. 

"Chad Bell is a really good college baseball player," Federico said. "He's proven that here. I think he hit .283 last year with seven home runs and really with no protection. When he came up last year, it was like, 'He's got to get it done' because we didn't have a lot of firepower behind him. This year, he's got some protection. He was a little bit banged up in the fall, so he didn't play a lot, which was probably good for us too."

Making the move to second base, Joey Jordan is returning after hitting .262 with 12 stolen bases in 2018. 

"Joey Jordan, his baseball IQ is off the charts," Federico said. "He's probably going to have to learn to play second base, which he's never done. He's always been a shortstop. But he's a solid college baseball player."

Federico identified five pitchers vying for pecking order in the starting rotation. 

"If we were going into a weekend right now, in no particular order, it would probably be Kayleb Sanderson, Jacob Barton and Trey Jeans," Federico said. "Those three guys had solid falls for us.

"Cole Martin, Conner Deeds are vying for that four and five spot, depending on if we have four or five games in a week. Both of them can be solid relievers as well."

Federico is enthusiastic about a bullpen that appears to have solid mix-and-match options and the ability to deliver a key strikeout in the late innings. 

"The back end is where we've gotten better," Federico said. "Guys who have some stuff like Brock Figueroa, Dylan Marsh, Ty Barnes and Justin Barton had really solid falls for us and can be go-to relievers for us to go along with three guys that I love in Kolton Childress, Miles Dunn and Cole Gray, who got innings under their belts last year."  
 
ULM baseball opens the 2019 season at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a participant in the "Military Appreciation Weekend," with single games scheduled against host LSU (Feb. 15), Air Force (Feb. 16) and Army (Feb. 17).

"It's different going from intrasquad in the fall to playing against however many thousand in the opening game against LSU or a few weeks later against Coastal Carolina at home," Federico said. 
 
 
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