MONROE, La. – ULM junior right-handed pitcher
Cole Cressend signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday.
Cressend, a Mandeville, Louisiana, native, made 16 appearances with five starts on the mound in 2023, tossing 40 1/3 innings, allowing 46 runs, 42 earned, on 53 hits with 25 walks and 22 strikeouts. He made five starts in his first six appearances before coming out of the bullpen for his final 10 appearances.
He threw four innings out of the bullpen against the Ragin' Cajuns on May 6, allowing three runs on four hits with a season-high four strikeouts. Cressend pitched 5 2/3 innings of relief, allowing four runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout vs. Marshall on March 31. He earned his only win of the season in a start against SIUE on Feb. 25, pitching six innings, giving up just one run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
Over his three seasons at ULM, he made 40 appearances with 20 starts, pitching 113 1/3 innings with 74 strikeouts to 56 walks. He entered the weekend rotation midway through the 2022 season, making a weekend start in all 10 Sun Belt Conference series as well as a start against Georgia State at the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
He is the third Warhawk to sign a contract with a Major League Baseball team in 2023, joining
Nicholas Judice, who was drafted in the eighth round (252nd overall pick) by the New York Yankees, and
Chris Kean, who signed a free-agent contract with the Yankees.
Cressend marks the 10th Warhawk to sign a contract with an MLB team since
Michael Federico took over as head coach before the 2018 season.
Keegan Curtis,
Chad Bell, Trent Tingelstad,
Trey Jeans and Judice were all MLB draft picks, while
Cole Gray,
Mason Holt,
Lucas Wepf, Cressend and Kean signed free-agent contracts with MLB clubs.
