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Big League Bloodlines Run Through ULM Baseball

Big League Bloodlines Run Through ULM Baseball

Baseball May 20
By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

Take a deep dive into the ULM baseball roster and you'll find an interesting tidbit.

Three players on the 2022 team have fathers who pitched in the Major Leagues. Outfielder Mason Holt's dad Chris Holt played for the Houston Astros from 1996-2000 before finishing with the Detroit Tigers in 2001.

Utility man Chase DeJean's father Michael DeJean threw for the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets over a 10-year career.

Pitcher Cole Cressend's father Jack, a former Tulane player and coach, pitched three years with the Minnesota Twins and two seasons with the Cleveland Indians.

Having a big league dad sets a high bar in the household, but all three are comfortable in their own cleats.

"There's two sides to it," DeJean said. "Obviously, he wore the jersey on the big screen, so I'd like to keep that name in baseball as long as possible. But on the other side, it's cool to step back and know that my dad got to do something 99 percent of the people never get a chance to do. He wants me to be a lot better than he was, but he did it at the highest level."

"It's the highest level you can get to," Cressend said. "I like to believe that as long as you believe anything is possible and you work hard for it, you can do anything you want. For me, I don't think it's unattainable. I feel like if I put in the work, I can get to where I want to be."

"I lean on him fully," Holt said. "He's been there and gone through the ups and downs of a baseball player and he's played at the highest level. The mental part of the game is the biggest thing. You can have a real bad game one day, and you've got to clear your mind real quick and get right back at it. He taught me that."

Michael DeJean migrated into coaching after his playing career and even assisted on the West Monroe (Louisiana) High School softball team this past season. His son was an early beneficiary of his baseball acumen.

"Since my first travel ball team, he was my coach until high school," Chase DeJean said. "I wish I'd been born a little sooner, so I could remember more about him being out there. But it was huge having him around. He's been my coach my whole life. He was a pitcher, but he doesn't like to talk about pitching a lot."

"I think it's got everything to do with it," Cressend said when asked if his father's career sparked his interest in the game. "I was exposed to baseball my entire life, so I've been around it forever. I don't think I could see myself doing anything other than something with baseball."

All three were too young to have many memories of seeing their fathers in action, but they cherish the recollections they retained.

"The earliest memory I have is his last stint with the Rockies," DeJean said. "Coors Field was so beautiful year round. At the last part, he was with the Astros in spring training. That was kind of the first and only thing I got to experience and see how the big leagues work."

"Early on in his career, I was really young," Holt said. "I'd say the only thing I remember is being in Japan when I was 5 or 6. I remember a good amount of that."

"Vaguely," Cressend added. "I wasn't quite at the age where I could remember everything. I have vague memories of being at different ball parks in different cities. I remember partially, but not much detail."

DeJean went to Hinds Community College after his career at West Monroe High School and transferred to ULM after Michael Federico became head coach. He's contributed as an infielder, a hitter and a pitcher for the Warhawks.

"Once Fed came in here, I heard all the good things said about him," DeJean said. "Now, the family gets to watch me, and I'm playing for a good head coach."

A senior from Coppell, Texas, Holt transferred to ULM from Navarro College prior the 2020 season. As a senior, he leads ULM in hitting and home runs while manning center field.

"When I came on my visit a couple of years ago, I felt like this was home," Holt said. "I was really comfortable with the coaches and the facilities were on the come up. We've got beautiful facilities now and that drove me to come here – the welcoming feeling."

Cressend signed with ULM and was part of the 2021 Warhawk team coming out of Mandeville (La.) High School. He moved into the weekend rotation as a starting pitcher this season.

"Mostly, it was the coaches," Cressend said. "I knew it was a place I was going to be wanted and the coaches wanted me to be a big part of the program. That had a lot to do with it, knowing I was coming to a place I could play and develop as a player."

Baseball players always have plenty of great stories to tell and these guys have heard their share. It's one of the perks of having a big league dad.

"One of the things he told me about a couple of times was when he struck out Tony Gwynn," Holt said. "I thought that was pretty neat. Tony Gwynn was a great player, so that was cool to hear."

"He played with David Ortiz in Minnesota," Cressend said. "So, the reason why everybody calls him 'Big Papi' is because he couldn't remember anybody's name, so he called everybody 'Papi.' He was 'Big Papi' and everybody else was just 'Papi.'"

Players lean on their ULM coaches but know they always have an ace in their pocket too.

"He's a great help and it's a great asset to have," Cressend said. "I go to him with just about everything on my mind when it comes to baseball."

DeJean said calling his dad gives him perspective about how hard it is to keep playing the game.

"My dad talks about it all the time," DeJean said. "It's a sand sifter and the grates get a little wider every time. You've got to expand with them."
 
 
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