ULM Warhawks

ULM (3-2 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference) vs. SIUE (3-1 overall, 0-0 Ohio Valley Conference)
Lou St. Amant Field | Monroe, La.

2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 | LISTEN: KMLB.com | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
LHP Cam Barlow, 5-11, Jr. (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 K, 2 BB) vs. RHP Jake Bockenstedt, 6-1, Sr. (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 K, 0 BB)

2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 | LISTEN: 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
RHP Cole Cressend, 6-3, Jr. (0-1, 12.27 ERA, 2 K, 4 BB) vs. RHP Hayden Cooper, 6-3, Jr. (0-1, 10.38 ERA, 4 K, 0 BB)

1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26 | LISTEN: 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
LHP Chipper Menard, 5-11, Jr. (1-0, 3.00 ERA, 6 K, 2 BB) vs. TBA

GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - The ULM baseball team returns to Lou St. Amant Field for a three-game series against SIUE, beginning at 2 p.m. Friday and continuing at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. 

It is the third time in the last five seasons that SIUE is on ULM's schedule. The Cougars visited then-Warhawk Field for what was scheduled to be a four-game series in 2019, but weather forced the series to be reduced to three games, with ULM winning 12-3 in the first game of a Sunday, Feb. 24 doubleheader, followed by SIUE's win, 12-4, in the nightcap. The Warhawks took the rubber match on Monday, Feb. 25, 4-1. In 2021, ULM was scheduled to host SIUE on opening weekend, but a week of snow and ice in northern Louisiana forced the cancelation of the series.

All three games will air on the Warhawk Radio Network from Learfield. Friday's game will stream on KMLB.com while Saturday and Sunday's games will air on 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB and KMLB.com. The Voice of the Warhawks, Mike Hammett, will call Friday and Saturday's games while Rickey Robertson will fill in for Sunday's contest. Due to the Sun Belt Conference's contract with ESPN, there will be no video stream available for all three games. A link to live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.

ULM head coach Michael Federico is in his sixth season with the Warhawks. After leading the club to an 11-win improvement in his first year and a two-win improvement in his second year, he led the Warhawks to their first .500-or-better season since 2012 with a 26-26 mark in 2021 as ULM finished third in the Sun Belt Conference West Division. In 2022, Federico led the Warhawks to their third consecutive appearance in the SBC Championship, including a first-round win against Georgia State before falling to eventual regional-finalist team Texas State in the rain-altered single-elimination quarterfinals.

The Warhawks split a double midweek set with Mississippi State. ULM rolled to an 11-5 win on Tuesday at Dudy Noble Field, building an 11-0 lead before MSU scored five runs across the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Michelle Artzberger hit a pair of home runs and picked up five RBIs, while left-handed pitcher Hollis Huff threw 4 2/3 shutout innings in his ULM debut, allowing just one hit. On Wednesday, MSU extracted its revenge, scoring the first 14 runs of the game ahead of a 14-3 win.

Red-shirt freshman Kade Dupont has had a hot start to the season, racking up eight hits in five games, with a pair of three-hit games, picking up one in his collegiate debut last Friday vs. Bradley and another Tuesday at Mississippi State. He is hitting .400 with one double, three RBIs and six runs scored.

Tuesday's win over Mississippi State was ULM's first win over the Bulldogs since April 1, 2009, when the Warhawks defeated the Bulldogs, 7-1, at Warhawk Field. Tuesday's game was ULM's first win in Starkville against MSU since March 7, 2001, an 8-7 ULM win.

WARHAWKS, COUGARS MEET FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2019
ULM and SIUE meet for the first time since a weather-shortened and delayed three-game series on Feb. 24-25, 2019. ULM won the series opener, 12-3, in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader before SIUE returned the favor, 12-4, in the nightcap. The Warhawks won the rubber match on Monday, Feb. 25, 4-1.

The two teams were scheduled to meet again in Monroe to open the 2021 season, but snow and ice that fell across northern Louisiana throughout the week leading up to the series forced the entire series to be canceled after the field remained wet.

NEW FACES FOR A NEW SEASON IN 2023
A current roster is a must for anyone watching the 2023 ULM Warhawks early in the season. ULM features 24 newcomers among its 36-man roster.

In the outfield, Chenar Brown, a highly-decorated transfer from Jackson State, is one of those newcomers to watch. The 6-foot-7, 235-pounder was a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 2021 along with first-team All-Southwestern Conference and SWAC Freshman of the Year. Brown should be a fixture in right field alongside Shawn Dalton Weatherbee in center. The 5-10, 220-pound Weatherbee hit .297 and belted nine home runs for Northeast Mississippi Community College prior to joining the Warhawks. Sterlington, Louisiana, native Jarrett McDonald, who comes to ULM after stops at LSU-Eunice and Dallas Baptist, is the top contender to start in left field. Travis Washburn, who is one of the returning players, and highly-regarded freshman Cardell Thibodeaux should also factor into the outfield mix.

Around the infield, first baseman Michelle Artzberger, who started 44 games and ranked sixth on the team last season with a .265 batting average, is returning. Other experienced returnees are the versatile Chase DeJean (.259, 3 HR) and infielder Carson Jones (.212, 4 HR). Red-shirt freshman Kade Dupont, Jones and Mississippi State transfer Davis Meche are in the mix for the second base spot. Auburn transfer and Sterlington, Louisiana, native Seaver Sheets, the son of ULM legend Ben Sheets, will also be a factor in the middle infield. Competition at shortstop includes Tallahassee Community College transfer Jayson Zmejkoski, Jones and DeJean. Third base options include DeJean and freshman Jake Haggard. Matt Abshire, a pickup from Pensacola State College, and Riley Davis from Itawamba Community College are the top contenders to catch for the Warhawks.

While there are more returners on the mound, there are still some impact additions. Chipper Menard, a junior left-handed transfer from the Sun Belt Conference rival Ragin' Cajuns, is expected to be Sunday's starting pitcher. As a sophomore with the Cajuns in 2022, Menard made 26 appearances with a 5-1 record, three saves and 4.48 ERA.

Also new to ULM in 2023 is pitching coach Ryan McClaran. McClaran spent last season at Maine. He is a Texas native and has a stint with the Army on his resume.

KEY RETURNERS SET TO HELP LEAD 2023 WARHAWKS
The Warhawks return four position players that saw time in 2022. Junior first baseman Michelle Artzberger is the top returning hitter by average after hitting .265 last season with 45 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs, 16 runs scored and 20 walks. His five homers are also tops among returners. The Lawton, Oklahoma, native is also renowned for his defense at first base, and made a game-saving pick in last season's 7-5 win at the Ragin' Cajuns on April 15.

Junior infielder Carson Jones is back as the top returner in RBIs (31), runs scored (18) and stolen bases (six, tied with Travis Washburn). The Monroe native hit .212 last season wtih 28 hits, six doubles, one triple, four home runs and 17 walks. His seven multi-RBI games ranked third on the team last season and is tops among returners. He had a career-high six RBIs at McNeese on April 26.

Other position players returning include fifth-year senior Travis Washburn, one of ULM's two seniors on the roster, who played in 39 games with 29 starts with two doubles, two triples and three homers last year, and junior Chase DeJean, who played in 33 games with 24 starts with three doubles, three homers and 17 RBIs last year.

On the mound, ULM returns eight players who saw time in 2022. Fifth-year junior left-hander Cam Barlow is expected to start the season-opener for the second-consecutive year on Friday night. The Halls, Tennessee, native started 15 games last year, going 2-7 with a 5.14 ERA over a team-high 77 innings, allowing 53 runs, 44 earned, on 82 hits with 69 strikeouts and 31 walks. Junior right-hander Cole Cressend also returns to the weekend rotation, while top bullpen options in junior right-handers Carson Orton and Nicholas Judice also return for the Warhawks. Sophomore right-hander Henry Shuffler returns as a possible bullpen or midweek starting option, while junior right-hander Chase DeJean, sophomore right-hander Zach Shaw and sophomore left-hander Adam Tubbs return in the bullpen.

LOCAL CONNECTIONS
The 2023 ULM baseball roster includes six players who played high school baseball inside Ouachita (wah-shuh-tah) Parish. The roster includes three players from Sterlington High School in senior outfielder Jarrett McDonald, freshman infielder Seaver Sheets and sophomore left-handed pitcher Adam Tubbs; two players from West Monroe High School in junior infielder and right-handed pitcher Chase DeJean and junior infielder Carson Jones; and one player from Ouachita High School in sophomore right-handed pitcher Zach Shaw.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
The 2023 ULM baseball roster features both a Canadian and an Australian. Pitcher Russell Derbyshire (Leamington, Ontario) represents Canada on the roster. It marks the sixth consecutive season ULM has had at least one Canadian on the roster. Pitcher Max Mrakovcic (Sydney, Australia) is the lone Australian on the roster.

ULM PICKED 11TH IN NEW LOOK SUN BELT CONFERENCE
The ULM baseball team was selected to finish 11th in the Sun Belt Conference in the preseason SBC Coaches' Poll, announced Feb. 8 by the SBC office.

The Warhawks finished with 58 points, sitting behind 10th-place James Madison at 73 points and ahead of App State at 43 points. Southern Miss earned 11 first-place votes and was picked to win the league with 192 points, ahead of Georgia Southern and Texas State, who tied for second. 

Seven different SBC programs were noted in at least one of the five major national preseason polls.

Southern Miss, which hosted a NCAA Baseball Regional and Super Regional a year ago, was ranked among the Top 25 in every major preseason poll. The Golden Eagles were listed as high as No. 18 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and D1Baseball, while also earning nods in the USA Today Sports Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll (No. 19), the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason Poll (No. 20) and the Baseball America Preseason Top 25 (No. 21). 
 
2022 NCAA Baseball Regional host Georgia Southern was also listed at No. 35 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, which ranks the Top 50 teams in its preseason edition, and received votes in both the NCBWA and USA Today Sports Baseball Coaches preseason ledgers. 
 
The Sun Belt Conference fell one game short of sending a team to a Super Regional for the fourth and fifth time since 2014 a year ago—with both Coastal Carolina and Texas State reaching their respective regional finals. 
 
Both the Chanticleers and Bobcats received votes in all three preseason polls that publish a receiving votes category—Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, NCBWA and USA Today Sports Baseball Coaches. 
 
The Ragin' Cajuns, the Sun Belt's fourth postseason participant from 2022, earned preseason mention from both Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and NCBWA. 
 
Old Dominion—which was among the last four teams left out of last year's NCAA field—and Troy—which advanced to last year's Sun Belt Baseball Championship semifinals—received votes in the NCBWA preseason publication. 
 
The Sun Belt boasted the No. 6 conference RPI in the nation in 2022—trailing only the SEC, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA. Four current Sun Belt programs were listed among the Top 30 in the final RPI in 2022—No. 20 Texas State, No. 22 Southern Miss, No. 25 Georgia Southern and No. 29 Coastal Carolina. 
 
No. 46 Old Dominion, No. 54 Ragin' Cajuns, No. 73 South Alabama, No. 97 Georgia State and No. 100 Troy gave the new-look Sun Belt nine teams among the Top 100 at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign. 
 
Sun Belt baseball programs have earned 18 NCAA berths over the past 10 seasons. 

BARLOW BACK IN FRIDAY NIGHT ROLE
Junior left-handed pitcher Cam Barlow makes his second Friday start of the 2023 season on Friday afternoon against SIUE. In his 2023 debut, Barlow threw five innings to pick up the win against Bradley last Friday, scattering four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Barlow enters his fifth season at ULM in 2023. He joined the club and redshirted the 2019 season and received a COVID-eligibility waiver for the 2020 season, leaving him as the longest tenured Warhawk. He has one more year of eligibility available for 2024.

Barlow started the series opener on the first 13 weekends of the 2022 season before sticking with his Friday spot in the final week of the regular season against Arkansas State. He made his first postseason appearance against Texas State in the Sun Belt Conference Championship quarterfinals on May 27. He suffered the loss against the Bobcats, allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.

The Halls, Tennessee, native finished the 2022 season at 2-7 with a 5.14 ERA over 77 innings, allowing 53 runs, 44 earned, on 82 hits with 69 strikeouts and 31 walks. On May 20 vs. Arkansas State, he allowed five runs, all in the first inning, before settling down and grinding through 4 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits with two strikeouts and four walks. On May 13 at South Alabama, he allowed seven runs, five earned, on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks. On April 29 at Little Rock, he allowed two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk over 5 1/3 innings. On April 22 vs. App State, he allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts, suffering a tough-luck loss after throwing 5 2/3 innings in a 5-1 Warhawk loss. He pitched a career-high 7 1/3 innings and 100 pitches on April 8 vs. Troy, allowing six runs, four earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and one walk. He took a no-decision in the March 25 5-3 win in 11 innings over Georgia State, pitching six innings while allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. He earned back-to-back wins, throwing 5 2/3 innings March 18 at Coastal Carolina, allowing an unearned run on one hit with two strikeouts and a career-high six walks, but he induced three double play balls behind him to help get out of trouble. He gave up three runs in five innings for the win at Nicholls on March 11. He took a no-decision in last year's season-opener, throwing seven shutout innings, allowing two hits with one walk and six strikeouts against Southern Illinois on Feb. 18.

CRESSEND RETURNS TO SATURDAY ROLE TO OPEN 2023
ULM junior right-handed pitcher Cole Cressend will make the Saturday start for the second-consecutive week. He suffered the loss on opening weekend against Bradley, allowing five runs on four hits with two strikeouts and four walks over 3 2/3 innings.

He returns to the rotation as the Saturday starter after finishing the 2022 season in that role. He appeared in 15 games with 12 starts, posting a 3-6 record with a 7.08 ERA over 61 innings, allowing 53 runs, 48 earned, on 66 hits with 40 strikeouts and 25 walks.

He made a weekend start in all 10 Sun Belt Conference series as well as a start against Georgia State at the Sun Belt Conference Championship, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks. He threw two perfect innings with two strikeouts in a designated short start vs. Arkansas State on May 21 to prepare for the SBC Championship single-elimination game. He allowed three runs on five hits with two walks and no strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings at South Alabama on May 14. He took a tough-luck loss, pitching a career-high seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits with a career-best eight strikeouts and two walks vs. No. 15 Texas State on May 7. He matched his career-high with six innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk in a no-decision at the Ragin' Cajuns. He earned his second consecutive win, firing five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts at UT Arlington on April 2. He picked up the win, tossing six innings with two runs, one earned, on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk vs. Georgia State on March 26. He made his first career weekend start, throwing 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on six hits with one strikeout and two walks at Coastal Carolina on March 19. He earned his first career win with three shutout and hitless innings out of the bullpen, including two strikeouts and one walk vs. Northwestern State on March 9. He threw a career-high 4 2/3 innings at Ole Miss, allowing five runs on four hits with two strikeouts and four walks on March 2.

MENARD GETS FIRST SHOT AT SUNDAY SPOT
Junior left-handed pitcher Chipper Menard is slated for his second straight Sunday start to begin the 2023 season to close out the series against SIUE at 1 p.m. Sunday. Menard dazzled in his ULM debut last week against Bradley, working into the seventh inning before running into trouble. After allowing a leadoff single to Ryan Vogel, Menard retired the next 17 batters and faced the minimum through six innings. He allowed two runs on two hits with six strikeouts and two walks to win his ULM debut.

A transfer from the Ragin' Cajuns, Menard transitions into a starting role after serving primarily as a reliever in Lafayette. As a sophomore in 2022, he made 26 appearances for the Cajuns, going 5-1 with three saves and a 4.48 ERA over 26 1/3 innings with 30 strikeouts and 11 walks. He faced ULM twice, throwing 2 1/3 combined shutout innings against his future team, allowing four hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

ARTZBERGER MAKES THE MOST OF HIS EARLY SEASON HITS
ULM junior first baseman Michelle Artzberger has made the most out of his contact through the first five games of the 2023 season. He is hitting .294 at the plate, going 5-for-17 with two doubles and two home runs among his five hits. He has 10 RBIs on the season after a 5-RBI performance on Tuesday at Mississippi State, placing him second in the Sun Belt Conference entering the weekend, one off of the lead of Old Dominion's Jake Ticer.

He opened the season wtih a double and an RBI last Friday vs. Bradley before adding a hit and an RBI on Saturday. He had a ground-rule double and also drove in three runs in the series-clinching win on Sunday. On Tuesday at Mississippi State, he hit a 2-run home run in the fifth inning to give ULM a 3-0 lead, and then belted a 3-run home run in the sixth inning to push the lead to 7-0 as the Warhawks went on to the 11-5 win. He has reached base safely in all five contests, drawing six bases on balls and has been hit by a pitch once. He has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games dating back to last season.

WARHAWK BULLPEN HAS BRIGHT SPOTS ON OPENING WEEKEND
The ULM bullpen worked 12 1/3 innings over the first three games of the season against Bradley, with six pitchers combining to post a 2.92 ERA, allowing five runs, four earned, on 12 hits with five walks and 13 strikeouts. Junior right-hander Nicholas Judice led the way, tossing three shutout innings on Friday against the Braves, allowing one hit with one walk and five strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Justin Robinson earned the save on Sunday, firing the final 1 2/3 innings, giving up two walks with two strikeouts. Junior right-hander Russell Derbyshire also threw a scoreless and hitless inning with one walk and one strikeout on Friday night. On Saturday, Dalton Burrell threw three innings, allowing one run on four hits with one walk and one strikeout.

WARHAWK WALK-OFF
ULM picked up three walk-off wins last season.

ULM posted its only walk-off by run-rule of the season on May 11 vs. Jackson State. Ryan Cupit hit a 2-RBI single up the middle to put the Warhawks ahead 13-2 in the eighth inning, ending the contest. 

The Warhawks picked up their second walk-off of the year on April 20. In the 10th inning, junior Chase DeJean hit a sacrifice fly to deep left center, scoring Trace Henry to defeat McNeese, 4-3.

ULM senior Travis Washburn brought an end to the March 25 5-3 ULM win over Georgia State, hitting a 2-run walk-off home run to right field in the bottom of the 11th inning. It was his third home run of the season and capped a two-hit, three-RBI night for the junior.