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ULM Baseball Notes: Coach Fed Talks Scrimmages, Weekend Rotation, Miles Dunn, Chad Bell & More

ULM Baseball Notes: Coach Fed Talks Scrimmages, Weekend Rotation, Miles Dunn, Chad Bell & More

Baseball Feb 03
By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist
 
MONROE, La. – Spring training actually felt like spring over the weekend as balmy weather allowed ULM baseball to get in another three scrimmages at Warhawk Field.

With the season opener at LSU on Feb. 15 fast approaching, ULM head coach Michael Federico is seeing improvements from his team this preseason. 

"They've been pretty clean for the most part," Federico said after Sunday afternoon's scrimmage. "The first weekend, it wasn't as much because it was the first weekend. Hitters are behind one day and pitchers were behind on another day. You're kind of mad at one side. But yesterday and today was pretty clean."

Federico said he's dealing with a few injury issues in the infield, so he was happy to see the defense make a few nice plays. 

"We're moving some different people around from that side of it because we do have some injuries with two or three guys and we're trying to get them healthy," Federico said. 

Nathan Miranda has proven to be a valuable utility player in the infield. 

"Right now, he's probably going to have to play," Federico said. "Where is he going to play? We still have some options of what we can do with some things."

Quality at-bats were another highlight from the scrimmages, Federico said. 

"Offensively, I thought the at-bats were tremendous this weekend," Federico said. "Especially some RBI situations where some guys drove some balls in and some two-out RBIs."

The emphasis for pitchers was to increase pitch counts for some of the starters while bringing some relievers back multiple times. 

"They've got to get their bodies into that brand of baseball," Federico said.

Arms race: Federico said the coaching staff will meet this week to discuss setting up the pitching rotation. 

"Basically, you've got Trey Jeans and Jacob Barton, who are seniors," Federico said. "They'll be vying for two of the three weekend spots. Kaleb Sanderson, Cole Martin and Conner Deeds round out our five guys who we're leaning toward to be our three starters. We don't have a midweek game the first week, so two of those guys will be able to pitch in relief that first weekend. Those five guys are vying for the three spots."

Dunn's deal: Miles Dunn, one of ULM's go-to relievers, has a funky sidearm delivery that originated for him in high school. 

"I grew up in a very competitive high school," Dunn said. "Both of our starters have been drafted now and they threw low to mid-90s in high school. You had to do something to survive, you know? I saw the only guy on varsity pitching on varsity at the time was throwing sidearm. I decided to mess around with it in warmups and figured out I could throw a curveball from down there. That's all she wrote."  

Dunn is a key cog in a relief corps that Federico considers a team strength.

"If a starter gets in trouble and there are less than two outs and they need a groundball double-play," Dunn said, "that's my specialty."

A ULM mainstay: In a season where the ULM roster has so many new players, senior infielder Chad Bell returns as a familiar face. Entering his third season with the Warhawks, Bell is encouraged with the direction of the program and has high hopes the team can catch the Sun Belt Conference by surprise. 

"The first two years here, we've missed out on the conference tournament," Bell said. "I don't want to just make the conference tournament. I want to be one of the top teams in there. I have full expectations to be in a regional at the end of the year."

Bell, who has started 108 games for ULM the past two season, hit .283 with seven homers and 40 RBIs in 2018. 

Opener at The Box: ULM baseball begins 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).

"You're talking about a storied program," Federico said. "You're talking about a place where their fans come out no matter what. In the recruiting process last year with these 27 new guys we have coming in, this was something that was talked about. They knew we'd be playing in that tournament and it helped us get some of these kids."

Federico believes the four-team format will simulate a postseason feel for the Warhawks.

"It's a regional atmosphere," Federico said. "That's a place that year in and year out hosts regionals. We're a four seed and they're a one seed. That's how I look at it. We're also going into it knowing that we want to get two out of three that weekend, which we'll try to do every weekend."
 
 
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