ULM Warhawks

By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

MONROE, La. – ULM baseball is taking a gumbo approach to pitching this spring.

By stirring together an assortment of veteran arms to cook up favorable matchups throughout the game, head coach Michael Federico has a recipe to make major improvements on the mound after finishing the 2023 season with a 17-37 overall record and 6-23 Sun Belt Conference record.

"We've got a nice mix of guys," Federico said during ULM's preseason. "We added two pieces from the transfer portal in Beau Blanchard (New Orleans) and Parker Seay (South Florida) that are both seniors, to go along with the Cam Barlows and Dalton Burrells and Steve Owings and Trey Lindsays and Carson Ortons. We've got so many older, senior arms. We've got dudes who have been in it."

A year ago, the staff posted a 7.34 ERA, walked 245 and hit 75 batters in 465 innings. ULM coaches believe a seasoned blend of pitchers will improve those numbers.

"We're kind of calling it the 'pod system,'" Federico said. "We've got some very unique arms and looks and velocities, with some really good spins. It's one of the better breaking ball staffs that I've been a part of since I've been here. We're going to play a little more matchups, like Major League Baseball does in the playoffs.

"With TrackMan and data that's out there, we want to put our best guys out there but also have some of our older guys in those middle innings when those games are won and lost."

Worth noting, the left-hander Barlow is entering his sixth season at ULM and is the program's all-time leader in games started as a pitcher with 45.

"Funny thing is, he was part of my first recruiting class," Federico said. "I've been here seven years and he's literally been a part of us that whole time."

Beyond a cast of old school pitchers that also includes Chipper Menard, Federico is also excited about the development of several youngsters on the staff. They'll play vital roles as well in a mix of about 10 pitchers who can expect to see regular, high-leverage work.

"We've also got some nice young arms," Federico said. "Justin Robinson will probably be a weekend starter for us, and he's a sophomore. Brandt Corley, who mostly started midweek games for us last year, is a sophomore that's probably going to be in the mix of being a starter."

Federico knows improved pitching is essential to turn things around in a stacked Sun Belt Conference.

 "Pitching has to really show up for us," Federico said. "We're built for that, especially with all the senior guys. That's the key, along with getting off to a good start. We've tip-toed around it and we need to get off to a good start for us to be in that postseason mix, from a confidence standpoint."

True grit: Catcher Matt Abshire and outfielder Shawn Dalton Weatherbee return as two of ULM's "glue guys" according to Federico.

 "Abshire is the guy from South Louisiana that's hard-nosed, tough and very vocal," Federico said. "Shawn Dalton is the quiet assassin who goes about his business and shows up every day. People respect what he does, even though he doesn't really talk a lot."

Weatherbee batted .279 as he started 51 games with 53 hits, six doubles, six home runs, 24 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 20 walks and 11 stolen bases He was hit by a pitch 23 times, which tied the school single-season record.

Abshire played in 35 games with 28 starts, including the final 11 games of the season at catcher. He batted .287 with 25 hits, four doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, 12 runs scored and 12 walks.

Second time around: Outfielder Cardell Thibodaux, third baseman Jake Haggard and second baseman Kade Dupont became mainstays as freshmen a year ago and are back to build on their early experiences.

"We made a commitment to those guys," Federico said. "They're definitely veterans. All three of them have had productive falls, gotten stronger and they understand the system a little bit more."

Dupont draws rave reviews for his high baseball IQ and steady production. The redshirt sophomore was the only Warhawk to play and start all 54 games while hitting .271 with 55 hits, 10 doubles, three home runs, 27 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 16 walks and five stolen bases.

"Dupont just beats you all the time," Federico said. "He seems to be in the right spot at the right time. He understands the game. His dad and grandpa were baseball coaches so he's got that moxie and baseball savvy."

Thibodaux led ULM with 12 stolen bases and made several spectacular catches patrolling left field. He played in 52 games with 51 starts as a true freshman, batting .235 with 40 hits, 10 doubles, three home runs, 28 RBIs, 21 runs scored and a team-leading, 23 walks.

"Thibodaux is a solid outfield who made some really nice plays defensively," Federico said.

Haggard is back at third base after filling in at first in the back half of his debut season. He played in 48 games with 46 starts as a true freshman, batting .256 with 40 hits, four doubles, one triple, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 26 runs scored, 23 walks and six stolen bases.

Welcome back: First baseman Michelle Artzberger played only 16 games in 2023 before a hand injury sidelined for the duration. ULM missed his outstanding glovework and clutch hitting.

"A great addition to have him back," Federico said. "He got off to a hot start last year, hit the home run against Mississippi State and a couple days later, he broke his hand. We missed him. He's an elite defender and middle-of-the lineup bat."

Artzberger's absence forced Haggard to play out of position at first and took a protective hitter out of the lineup.

"There's definitely a presence about him," Federico said. "He can pick balls over there at first and he's got power to all fields. He's capable of being a 20-double guy in my opinion."

High ceiling: Outfielder Chenar Brown drew rave reviews for his "light-tower" power last preseason and still has the potential to have a breakout campaign in his second year at ULM after transferring from Jackson State.

"They sky is the limit," Federico said. "Maybe the most talented position player that I've ever coached. He's that unicorn and just needs more consistency with the bat.

"He swings and misses, hey, that's fine. But if you're going to do that, we need the ball to leave the yard a little more too. He could be in that mix in the outfield or a potential DH guy."

Plug and play: Shortstop Colby Lunsford and outfielder Ian Montz are junior college additions expected to contribute immediately. Both bring speed and power to premium positions.

"They both had productive falls and now they've got to put it together in the spring," Federico said.

Lunsford hit .333 with eight home runs at Cosumnes River College in 2023.

"Lunsford had a year under his belt of D-1. He played at Sacramento State and then went to JUCO last year. He's got some experience in what 56 games is like."

A centerfielder, Montz hit 26 homers in two seasons at Pearl River Community College while batting .297 with 10 bombs and 22 steals in 2023.

"Montz is probably the most tooled-out guy on our team, along with Chenar Brown," Federico said.

Fresh faces: Versatile freshman Easton Winfield, a product of Alvin, Texas, brings a blend of power and speed to the roster.

"We're trying to figure out where we're going to play him," Federico said. "We've worked him at third, we've worked him at second and in the outfield. We've even talked about putting him behind the plate a little bit. But the bat will definitely play."

Freshman pitcher Daniel Gonzalez has also performed well since arriving on campus from Murrieta, California.

"He threw (in a first-week scrimmage) and was dynamite," Federico said. "I told (pitching coach Ryan) McClaran, 'We may have to start this guy.' Put him in the front and let the older guys take care of it on the back side."

Pro potential: D1baseball.com ranks Blanchard among the Sun Belt's Top 50 pro prospects for 2024. Others like Seay could also play for pay in the future with continued development.

"Trey Lindsay is a guy who has pro potential. Dalton Burrell has been up to 96 miles per hour so from a velocity standpoint he can do some things," Federico said. "Chipper Menard is one of the best left-handed relievers in the Sun Belt.  We do have some guys who will get some looks from the pro side of it."

ULM pitchers Nicholas Judice, Cole Cressend and Chris Kean all moved on to professional baseball after the 2023 season. Judice was an eight-round draft pick by the New York Yankees (and later traded to the Boston Red Sox) while Kean signed with the Yankees and Cressend signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Defend "The Lou": ULM begins the 2024 season with a three-game home series against Missouri State on Feb. 16-18 at Lou St. Amant Field.  The Warhawks are scheduled to play 36 games at home, including a visit from Ole Miss on March 12.

"That's where we need to get off to that good start and hopefully get some excitement for our fans to get out there and support us," Federico said.

Scattered hits: Hitting coach Kyle Kilgo joined the staff in December after fall baseball concluded. Kilgo comes to ULM after four seasons assisting at UTRGV.  … Dupont had a 34-game reached base safely streak from March 8 to May 7 and tallied 10 multi-hit games, including four three-hit games. … Coming into 2024, Artzberger carries an active 29-game reached base streak stretching back to the 2021 season. … Infielder Jack Clark is a newcomer who played for a national championship last year at Weatherford (Junior College). Clark hit .563 with two home runs in Weatherford's five-game run at the World Series. The Coyotes placed third with a 53-11 record.