MONROE, La. – The ULM baseball team returns plenty of experience across the board and brings in several newcomers looking to help build upon a highly successful 2020 campaign, even though it was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Six players who were slated to play their final season as a Warhawk in 2020 decided to return after being granted a blanket waiver for an additional year of eligibility. Left-handed pitcher Justin Barton, right-handed pitcher Ty Barnes, utility player Andrew Beesley, outfielder Ryan Humeniuk, right-handed pitcher Landon Longsworth and catcher Logan Wurm are all back for one more run in 2021.
"It's a great feeling to not have something taken from you completely like last year," Beesley said. "I hope we can come back stronger. We started off really hot last year."
ULM was off to a 12-5 start before the season was shut down after a double midweek series against No. 5 Ole Miss at Warhawk Field. The ULM offense was off to a red-hot start to the season, scoring more than 20 runs in a game three different times and topping 10 runs five times in the first 17 outings. The pitching staff, anchored by Barnes in the Friday night starting role and Longsworth and Barton as part of the back end of the bullpen, had plenty of run support to work with and posted a team ERA of 4.50 before the season abruptly ended.
"There was a lot of doubt and hopelessness after we got shut down about what was going to happen to us senior guys," Longsworth said. "When we got that call saying you're going to get another year of eligibility, it meant the world. I want to end my career here with the same guys I started out with."
For fourth-year head coach Michael Federico, the end to 2020 was one of the worst moments of his career.
"It's probably one of the biggest nightmares of my coaching career, the last team meeting we had in 2020," Federico said. "A couple of the older guys asked if we were going to have some exit meetings. I'm like, no, we'll be back next week. We had to tell them so many things over the phone. That's not how I like to do business. I like to do things face-to-face. I didn't get a chance to give some of those guys a hug goodbye or a handshake and tell them thank you."
On the flip side, Federico says there are positives for the returning seniors on and off the field.
"The guys that are back, I think they're so appreciative of the opportunity to not only continue their playing career, but also get advanced degrees," Federico said. "We've got a lot of guys that are getting their master's degree. They're going to be ready for the real world. That's what's exciting for me, personally."
Offensively, the Warhawks return nearly all of the key cogs from the 2020 run-scoring machine. Humeniuk and Beesley led the team in hitting, ranking near the top of the Sun Belt Conference in several categories. Humeniuk led the team and ranked fourth in the SBC with his .406 batting average, while his 28 hits and 22 runs scored led the league. Beesley, a Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection at utility player, hit .400 last season to rank fifth in the SBC. He also ranked fifth in the league in walks (13), seventh in RBIs (15) and 10th in slugging percentage (.600).
"I think we had buy-in last year," Federico said. "A lot of those JUCO guys like Wurm and Humeniuk and Beesley two years ago, when it was their first year, were trying to figure it out and kind of walking around looking for the light switch. Last year, they had the buy-in, they got the concepts that Coach (Matt) Collins was trying to get them to do. Now we have the majority of those guys back."
"It's basically the same lineup," Beesley said. "We just have a little more depth in some spots. I think we're going to pick up right where we left off. It's going to be fun to watch."
Last year's newcomers helped get the offense in high gear. Outfielders Trace Henry and Mason Holt were menaces on the base paths. Henry stole seven bases to rank fourth in the Sun Belt, while Holt swiped six bags and ranked fourth in the Sun Belt with 19 runs scored. Danny DeSimone was the power threat in the heart of the order and returns in 2021 as well after ranking second in the Sun Belt with six home runs and 22 RBIs. He hit a pair of grand slams in the shortened season. Colby Deaville and Grant Schulz return on the left side of the infield after helping the bottom of the lineup keep many innings alive and turn it back over to the top of the order. Wiley Cleland returns at second base after hitting in the middle of the order for most of last season.
"Even the guys that were here last year, such as Colby Deaville and Trace Henry, that had success early, it's fun to have those guys back," Federico said. "We also have some key contributors in the newcomers that I think are going to be plugging in there and helping us with a little bit of diversity."
Holt says he likes the depth the team has on offense and defense.
"I feel like we've got about two to three guys per position," Holt said. "They can do the same type of job. I feel like that's going to really help us in case somebody goes down because of COVID or injury or whatever. I think the depth is going to play a huge part in the season."
On the mound, ULM returns Ty Barnes as its Friday night starter, while junior left-hander Tyler Lien looks to join the weekend rotation. Third-year freshman lefty Cam Barlow will open the season as the midweek starter while junior college transfer right-hander Tylor Jans moves into the weekend rotation.
Barnes made four starts in 2020, going 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA with 22 strikeouts against just four walks. He ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in innings pitched with 25 and tied for the league lead with three wins. He allowed just one hit over six innings in his 2020 debut against Southeast Missouri State and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Grambling.
Barnes said he's been working to improve more for his final run in 2021.
"Just try to stay conditioned, maybe not get fatigued as quick on the mound and really try to get ahead in counts," Barnes said. "Maybe not get behind but try and get it back ahead. That's the big key this year."
Tylor Jans slots in as the Saturday starter to open the season. He comes to ULM after spending two seasons at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kansas. In his only full season in 2019, he was 1-3 with a 4.75 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 36 innings of work.
Tyler Lien slides into the Sunday spot after making three midweek starts in 2020. Lien was 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA over 13 1/3 innings. He was sharp in his final two outings of 2020, recovering from a three-run first inning against No. 5 Ole Miss to shut down the Rebels for just one hit over the next four innings. Against Jackson State, Lien tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Cam Barlow served as the Saturday starter last season but will open in the midweeks in 2021. He made three starts as a redshirt freshman, going 2-0 with a 4.38 ERA. His best outing was his final outing, throwing six shutout innings with four hits, four strikeouts and no walks at McNeese State.
In the bullpen, Longsworth returns after picking up four saves in 2020, while Barton was 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA over 11 2/3 innings in five relief appearances. Bryson Wrobel also returns in the bullpen while Nicholas Judice returns and could slot into the rotation as a potential fifth starter when needed or be used out of the bullpen. The Warhawks added plenty of depth, too, with Justin King, Cole Cressend, Dawson Linder, Trey Lindsay, Carson Orton, Reid Goleman, Henry Shuffler, Adam Tubbs, Steve Owings and Jack Engelmann all joining the squad. Cole Martin and Eric Heiman return after missing 2020 with injuries and Lucas Wepf provides another flex option in the bullpen.
"I'm really excited about our bullpen with some options that we have," Federico said. "I feel like Coach (Jake) Carlson and Coach Collins addressed a lot of things with that. We've got some really neat newcomers that I think are going to be pretty dynamic on the backside to go along with Longsworth and Barton. Those guys are elder statesmen, so to speak. I think we've got the options to do some different things."
Those pitchers will work with a catching corps led by Wurm. Wurm threw out five base stealers last season while hitting .302 at the plate.
After sitting out in the fall, Wurm says he's been impressed with the pitching staff.
"The chemistry has been amazing in the back end of the bullpen," Wurm said. "I think that's where we're really going to shine this year."
Matthew Lee, Britt McKay and Chris Noble will be options to spell Wurm behind the plate.
The Warhawks open the 2021 season at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Northwestern State at Warhawk Field. Links to live audio and stats are available at ULMWarhawks.com. For tickets, call 318-342-HAWK or visit ULMWarhawks.com.
