Roundtripper: A Festive Night for ULM Fans at Warhawk Field

Baseball Mar 11

By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist

MONROE, La. – With ULM baseball enjoying its best start since 1990 and No. 5 Ole Miss in Monroe, Louisiana, to play a pair of midweek games, Warhawk Field was the place to be on Tuesday night. ULM online columnist Paul Letlow made the rounds before the 6:02 p.m. first pitch to capture some of the sights and sounds on a busy, balmy night at the ballpark.

4:07 p.m.: The smoke billowing from the grill and blowing across the field comes courtesy of Ben Jones, the former ULM baseball star turned banker. Just as he once anchored the right side of the infield, he's now a fixture on the baseball tailgate scene.

Jones, who is posted up in the corner of the Leftfield Lounge, was the earliest bird to arrive at Warhawk Field today.

"I got here at 11 a.m.," Jones says. "I love it out here."

He opens the grill to show off several racks of barbeque ribs, sure to be a hit with the large group that will soon join him.

4:23 p.m.: Ole Miss Coach Mike Bianco is standing in the visitor's dugout surveying familiar territory. Bianco was coaching at McNeese State when ULM still competed in the Southland Conference and has certainly been to Warhawk Field before, including a trip with the Rebels in 2013.

"Fed is doing a great job," Bianco says of ULM coach Michael Federico. "When you go on the road, you want to play in a place with a great atmosphere. ULM has baseball tradition, it's clean and it's a good environment."

4:34 p.m.: ULM baseball director of operations Stephen Morrison scurries past the front of the stadium. He waves and grins when reminded that he threw five innings against the Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi, back in 2017 when the teams last met.

4:41: ULM outfielder Trace Henry spots a familiar face as Ole Miss takes batting practice. Designated hitter Ben Van Cleve (Northwest Mississippi Community College) and Henry (Jones County Junior College), who were old junior college foes, take a moment to visit between first base and the ULM dugout.

4:58 p.m.: ULM L Club Hall of Famer Lou St. Amant finds Bianco behind the batting cage for a quick chat.

"He was the catcher at LSU when I was coaching," St. Amant says later. "He's one of the good ones."

5:30 p.m.: Years removed from his own career as a Major League pitcher Chris Holt still feels right at home at the ballpark. Right now, his son Mason, ULM's starting center fielder, is seated on the brick wall in front of him down by the bullpen.

Although this is a big game with a nice crowd filing in, Holt says he told his son that no matter what happens tonight, there's plenty of season ahead. Sound baseball advice from a baseball man.

5:36 p.m.: The parking lot is packed and cars are now claiming spots in the Brown Stadium parking lot. The stadium will soon be filled with fans of both programs.

5:47 p.m.: Jones leaves his grill and takes the mound to deliver the ceremonial first pitch. He tosses a strike.

5:53 p.m.: ULM starting pitcher Tyler Lien stoically hurls his last warm-up pitch in the bullpen and walks slowly toward the dugout.

6:02 p.m.: Time to play ball.

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Roundtripper: A Festive Night for ULM Fans at Warhawk Field