ULM Warhawks

Game 8: ULM (3-4 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference) at Northwestern State (2-5 overall)
6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024 | Brown-Stroud Field | Natchitoches, La.
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: KMLB.com | LIVE STATS

Game 9: ULM (3-4 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference) at Stephen F. Austin (3-6 overall)
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 | Jaycees Park | Nacogdoches, Texas
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB | LIVE STATS

GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - ULM heads on the road for the first time in 2024, playing its first double midweek set of the season. The Warhawks visit long-time regional rival Northwestern State at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches, Louisiana, before heading to Stephen F. Austin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Jaycees Park in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Tuesday's game at Northwestern State is the 230th all-time meeting between the Warhawks and Demons, with NSU leading the series, 116-113. The Demons have won the last three meetings in the series, sweeping the two midweek games last year, 3-1 in Monroe and 6-2 in Natchitoches. ULM has lost nine straight games at Brown-Stroud Field, last defeating the Demons in Natchitoches, 5-4, on March 26, 2013. The series is the most-played rivalry in ULM baseball history, with McNeese in second at 198 meetings and Louisiana Tech in third at 188 meetings.

Wednesday's game is the 64th all-time meeting between ULM and SFA, with the Warhawks leading the series, 41-23. SFA won the only meeting last year, 14-8 in Monroe. The return trip to Nacogdoches was canceled due to heavy rain and flooding in Nacogdoches and East Texas. ULM swept a home-and-home midweek series from SFA in 2022, winning 13-5 in Monroe on March 23 and 15-6 in Nacogdoches on April 4. 

ULM dropped two out of three games over the weekend series against Murray State. The Racers took Friday night's game, 2-0, behind seven shutout innings from starting pitcher Jacob Pennington and solo home runs from Dustin Mercer and Carson Garner. The Warhawks bounced back Saturday with a 12-10 victory, as ULM rallied twice from deficits before taking the lead for good on Cardell Thibodeaux's 2-RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning. Murray State took Sunday's finale, 11-5, thanks to a seven-run third inning, which was assisted by a pair of ULM errors and walks.

True freshman Easton Winfield continues to impress early in the season. He leads the team by slashing .600/.667/1.150 with 12 hits, one double, two triples, two home runs, six RBIs, 10 runs scored and four walks.He has three multi-hit games in five starts. Winfield had two hits, including a solo home run, vs. Missouri State on Feb. 18 and followed it with three hits, including a double, triple and two RBIS, vs. Grambling on Feb. 20. He had four hits, including a triple, on Saturday vs. Murray State.

Both midweek games will stream on ESPN+. Tuesday's game will have an audio stream on KMLB.com with Cory Crowe on the call. Wednesday's game will air on 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB, KMLB.com and the TuneIn app with the Voice of the Warhawks, Mike Hammett, on the call. A link to live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.

EXPERIENCED PITCHING STAFF
ULM's 2024 pitching staff features four sixth-year seniors, two fifth-year seniors and three fourth-year seniors. The Warhawks had no seniors on the pitching staff in 2023 and just two seniors on the entire roster. 

The sixth-year senior group features left-hander Cam Barlow and righties Trey Lindsay, Carson Orton and Steve Owings. 

Barlow is ULM's all-time leader with 46 career starts, making 14 starts in 2023, going 3-6 with a 5.88 ERA over a team-high 64 1/3 innings pitched, allowing 48 runs, 42 earned, on 72 hits with 24 walks and 49 strikeouts. He has been a part of ULM's weekend rotation since his red-shirt freshman campaign in 2020. He made his first career relief appearance on Feb. 20 vs. Grambling, allowing two runs on one hit with one strikeout in an inning of work. He threw 4 1/3 hitless innings against Murray State on Saturday, posting four strikeouts. He has made three appearances with one start, allowing five runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and two walks in 2024.

Lindsay returned to the mound in 2023 after missing the 2022 season due to an injury, making just seven appearances with an 0-1 record and 6.43 ERA over seven innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on seven hits with five walks and six strikeotus. Lindsay was a lock-down reliever in 2021, going 2-2 with a 3.18 ERA over 45 1/3 innings with 33 strikeouts to 14 walks. He tossed two shutout innings vs. Grambling on Feb. 20 with two strikeouts and one walk. He has thrown 2 2/3 innings over three appearances on the season, allowing four runs on three hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

Orton, nicknamed "Giggles" by his teammates, enters 2024 third in ULM history with 18 career saves, fourth in ULM history with 67 career relief appearances and 10th in ULM history with 67 total pitching appearances. He made 20 appearances in 2023, going 4-5 with three saves and a 5.51 ERA over 32 2/3 innings, allowing 28 runs, 20 earned, on 32 hits with 28 strikeouts to 17 walks. He picked up nine saves as a third-year freshman in 2021, which ranks third-most in a single season in ULM history. He added six saves as a sophomore in 2022. He opened 2024 by allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts and no walks over two innings on Feb. 18 vs. Missouri State. He earned his first win of the season, throwing 1 2/3 innings with two hits, three strikeouts and one walk on Saturday vs. Murray State.

Owings returned to the mound in 2023 after missing the 2022 season due to an injury, making 13 appearances, going 0-2 while throwing 15 innings, allowing 26 runs, 24 earned, on 35 hits with 14 strikeouts to five walks. After playing two seasons at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, Owings came to ULM where he made nine appearances with four starts as a sophomore in 2021. His final four appearances that season were starts, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA over 15 innings with 11 strikeouts to six walks in his starts. He made his 2024 debut, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout in one inning vs. Murray State on Sunday.

The fifth-year seniors are right-hander Dalton Burrell and left-hander Parker Seay.

Burrell is in his second season at ULM after pitching three seasons at LSU Eunice. The Bossier City, Louisiana, native made 16 appearances out of the bullpen in 2023, posting a 4.18 ERA in 23 2/3 innings, giving up 17 runs, 11 earned, on 32 hits with 18 strikeouts and eight walks. He made nine scoreless appearances. He threw 1 1/3 innings on Feb. 17 vs. Missouri State, allowing one run on one hit with no strikeouts and two walks.

Seay is in his first year at ULM after transferring from South Florida. He made nine relief appearances for the Bulls last year, covering 7 1/3 innings. He pitched three seasons at the College of Central Florida, where he helped the Patriots reach the NJCAA Division I World Series and pick up a school-record 47 wins. He had 46 strikeouts in 32 innings as a sophomore in 2022. He earned the win on Feb. 18, firing 2/3 of an inning with one strikeout vs. Missouri State. He made his first career NCAA Division I start on Sunday vs. Murray State, allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks over 2 1/3 innings.

The fourth-year senior group includes right-hander Beau Blanchard and left-handers Hollis Huff and Chipper Menard.

Blanchard joins ULM for the 2024 season after pitching the last three seasons at New Orleans. Last season, he made 17 appearances with four starts for the Privateers, throwing 31 innings with 30 strikeouts. He has made two weekend starts, allowing three runs on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks over six innings. He started the Feb. 17 game vs. Missouri State, pitching three innings, allowing two runs on one hit with three strikeouts and two walks. On Feb. 23 vs. Murray State, he threw three innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

Huff is in his second season at ULM in 2024 after pitching two seasons for Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kansas. He moved between the bullpen and starting rotation in 2023, making 13 appearances with 10 starts, going 1-4 with a 7.23 ERA over 42 1/3 innings, allowing 35 runs, 34 earned, on 46 hits with 31 strikeouts to 24 walks. He pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up one run with no hits, four strikeouts and one walk on Feb. 17 vs. Missouri State. He started Saturday's game vs. Murray State, but exited after one inning due to injury. He allowed no runs on two hits with one walk vs. the Racers.

Menard is in his second season at ULM in 2024 and also moved between the rotation and bullpen in 2023. He made 14 appearances with 10 starts, going 2-6 with one save and a 6.96 ERA over 54 1/3 innings, allowing 49 runs, 42 earned, on 59 hits with 58 strikeouts to 28 walks. He pitched his first two seasons for the Ragin' Cajuns. In his 2024 debut on Feb. 16, he threw four innings out of the bullpen, allowing four runs on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks vs. Missouri State. He threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit with five strikeouts and three walks vs. Murray State on Friday.

NEWCOMERS DRAW ATTENTION TO BEGIN 2024
A few newcomers to ULM's lineup helped guide the Warhawks through the first two weeks of the season.

Easton Winfield leads the team in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage through the first seven games, slashing .600/.667/1.150. He has 12 hits, including a double, two triples and two home runs, with six RBIs and 10 runs scored. He wrapped the series vs. Murray State with a leadoff home run and two walks. On Saturday vs. the Racers, he had his first career four-hit game, smacking an RBI triple while finishing with two RBIs, four runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. He opened the series vs. Murray State on Friday by going 1-for-4 at the plate. He had his first career three-hit game on Feb. 20 vs. Grambling, hitting a double and triple with two RBIs against the Tigers. He took advantage of his first career start on Feb. 18, picking up two hits, including his first career home run. The freshman from Alvin, Texas, was fifth on the team with three hits in the series against Missouri State, including a pinch-hit single in the Feb. 17 6-5 loss. He was a First-Team All-District selection after hitting .350 with four home runs for Alvin High School as a senior in 2023. He also was a starting middle linebacker on the football field for the Yellow Jackets as a sophomore and junior.

Bryce Blaser is second on the team, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with two doubles, home run, four RBIs and four runs scored and two walks. He started the first six games before exiting Saturday's game vs. Murray State with a leg injury. He picked up two hits, including a double and an RBI, before the injury. He had two hits on Feb. 20 vs. Grambling with a double and a run scored. He was 4-for-11 at the plate in the series with Missouri State, with a home run, three RBIs, three runs scored, one walk and was hit by a pitch twice. Blaser had three RBIs in the win on Feb. 18, following Colby Lunsford's solo shot with one of his own and then added a 2-RBI single to tie the game at 5 in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Newport Beach, California, played his freshman season at North Carolina in 2023, appearing in seven games for the Tar Heels.

Colby Lunsford has started all four games at shortstop and is 5-for-13 at the plate, belting two home runs while adding a double, three RBIs, three runs scored and drew three walks. He hit a solo home run to spark ULM's offense in last Sunday's 10-8 come-from-behind win over Missouri State and later added a double as part of a four-run fourth inning for the Warhawks. A junior from Grass Valley, California, Lunsford played the 2023 season at Consumnes River College. He slashed .333/.415/.566 with 53 hits, 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 31 RBIs, 43 runs scored and nine stolen bases. He had 17 multi-hit games.

SCORELESS DEBUTS
Six different Warhawk pitchers have thrown at least one inning over the course of the first seven games of the season and not allowed a run to score. Davis Oswalt has made three appearances covering 2 2/3 innings, allowing four hits with two strikeouts. Aidan Haynes and Dalton Hitt have each made two appearances without allowing a run. Haynes has thrown 2 1/3 innings, allowing no hits with three strikeouts. Hitt has thrown two innings, allowing two hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Zach Brink, Holden Hess and Zach Shaw each made their 2024 debuts on Sunday vs. Murray State and all three threw a shutout inning. Hess threw a scoreless sixth inning, allowing one hit. Shaw pitched the seventh, allowing no hits with two strikeouts. Brink tossed the ninth inning with no runs or hits. Overall, ULM has used 21 different pitchers over the first seven games of the season.

WEATHERBEE RETURNS AS SENIOR LEADER
Fifth-year senior outfielder Shawn Dalton Weatherbee returns after leading ULM with a .279 batting average last season. He has played in four games with three starts to open 2024, picking up his first hit, a double, of the season on Sunday vs. Murray State.

Weatherbee played in and started 51 contests, slashing .279/.412/.405 with 53 hits, six doubles, six home runs, 24 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 20 walks and 11 stolen bases in 2023. He matched the school single-season record after he was hit by a pitch 23 times, which ranked eighth in NCAA Division I. The Booneville, Mississippi, native was hit by a pitch in four consecutive games from April 19 to April 23. He has been hit by a pitch twice against Bradley (Feb. 19), Memphis (March 7) and Louisiana Tech (March 21).

Weatherbee led the team in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored and hit by pitch and had 13 multi-hit games, including four three-hit games. He picked up six multi-RBI games, including a three-RBI effort vs. Stephen F. Austin on April 25. He had a three-hit day, including a walk-off home run in the 11th inning to defeat Marshall on April 1. 

He opened the series against the Ragin' Cajuns with two hits, including a home run, with two RBIs and two runs scored on May 5. He had two hits, including a walk with two runs scored, vs. Alcorn on May 3.

Over the weekend at Georgia Southern, he tallied two hits with a walk and a run scored in the series opener before earning walks on Saturday and Sunday to extend his reached base streak to eight games. He had his fourth three-hit game of the season on April 25 against Stephen F. Austin, hitting a solo home run and RBI double while totaling season highs with three RBIs and three runs scored. He hit safely in all three games over the weekend at Arkansas State, adding a double on April 22, an RBI on April 21 and scored twice on April 23. He had two hits on April 19 at Little Rock. He hit a 2-RBI double with a run scored on April 14 vs. South Alabama and added two more RBIs and walked three times on April 15 vs. the Jaguars. He picked up two hits with two RBIs at App State. He tallied an opposite-field RBI single in the seven-run third inning on April 6 against the Mountaineers before a solo home run, his third of the season, cut the deficit in half on the way to ULM's 3-2 come-from-behind victory on April 8.

He shot to the top of the stat sheet over the weekend series against Marshall, picking up six hits with four RBIs and three runs scored. He opened the weekend against the Thundering Herd with two hits with an RBI, a run scored and a walk on March 31. On April 1, he had three hits, including the walk-off home run in the 11th inning in the 4-3 win. He closed the series on April 2, going 1-for-3 with a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth with a walk and was hit by a pitch.

He collected three hits in a game four times, coming against Stephen F. Austin on April 25, Marshall on April 1, at Troy on March 25 and at Northwestern State on March 14. He has two RBIs in a game four times, coming twice against South Alabama on April 14 and 15, vs. Marshall on April 2 and in the season opener vs. Bradley on Feb. 17, with a three RBI game against Stephen F. Austin on April 25.
Weatherbee played three seasons at Northeast Mississippi Community College, hitting 23 home runs over 95 games.

DUPONT START STREAK HITS 61
Sophomore Kade Dupont has started every possible game in his ULM career after starting the first seven games of 2024. He has five hits on the season, icnluding a triple, with two RBIs, three runs scored, three walks and four stolen bases.

Dupont provided some versatility on the infield for ULM in 2023. He was the only player to start all 54 games, making 45 starts at second base and nine at third base. He played two positions in the infield in 10 games, including an appearance at shortstop late in the game vs. Northwestern State on March 8. He had a 34-game reached base streak snapped on May 7.

The Watson, Louisiana, native hit safely in 41 of 54 games and had a pair of eight-game hitting streaks last season. He was third on the team with a .271 batting average (55-of-203). He led the team with 55 hits, a .362 on-base percentage and six sacrifice bunts. He was second on the team with 10 doubles, 36 runs scored and was hit by a pitch 14 times. He was third on the team with 27 RBIs and 74 total bases. He was fourth on the team with 10 multi-hit games. He had four three-hit games, coming in his collegiate debut vs. Bradley on Feb. 17, at Mississippi State on Feb. 21, vs. Louisiana Tech on March 21 and at Arkansas State on April 21.

He picked up a double with a run scored in the series opener vs. Southern Miss on May 12. He opened the series against the Ragin' Cajuns with two hits with a double, RBI and run scored on May 5. He picked up a hit with an RBI and three runs scored against Alcorn on May 3.

At Georgia Southern, he picked up single hits on April 28 and April 30 and was hit by a pitch to keep his reached-base streak alive on April 29. Against Arkansas State, he tallied three hits with an RBI on April 21, added a walk and a hit on April 22 and closed the series with two hits, one walk and a run scored on April 23. He singled with a walk and was hit by a pitch twice while scoring two times at Louisiana Tech on April 12. He hit a 2-RBI double down the left-field line to spark a seven-run, two-out rally on April 6 at App State. He had a pair of hits with two runs scored vs. Little Rock on April 4. He hit his second home run of the season on March 31 vs. Marshall, belting a 2-run blast in the bottom of the first inning. 

He made his first career start at third base on March 21, but made his biggest impact at the plate, matching his career high with three hits while driving in a career-best four runs in ULM's 10-6 win over Louisiana Tech. He hit a two-out, 2-RBI single in the bottom of the second inning and added a 2-RBI double in the sixth inning against the Bulldogs. He had two hits, including an RBI double, with a run scored at Northwestern State on March 14. He had two doubles in the March 10 game vs. Nicholls, hit an RBI single on March 11 and added an RBI double in the eighth inning on March 12 vs. the Colonels. He picked up ULM's only RBI with a single in the third inning on March 8 vs. Northwestern State. He hit his first-career home run and picked up his first multi-RBI game in the process, driving in two runs at UIW on March 3. 

He hit safely in all three games of the weekend series against SIUE. He was 1-for-3 on Feb. 26 against the Cougars with a walk and a run scored. He had two hits on Feb. 25 while adding an RBI, two runs scored and a walk. He opened the series on Feb. 24 with a 1-for-5 day at the plate with a run scored. He picked up a hit in both games at Mississippi State. After opening the midweek set with a 3-for-5 game with a double, RBI and three runs scored, he went 1-for-3 at the plate on Feb. 22. In his collegiate debut against Bradley on Feb. 17, he had three hits, scored twice and stole a base. He closed out the series with Bradley on Feb. 19 by going 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Despite going 0-for-3 at the plate on Feb. 18, he picked up an RBI on his first sacrifice fly.

ARTZBERGER'S RETURN PROVIDES PUNCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LINEUP
ULM fifth-year senior first baseman Michelle Artzberger returns in 2024 after suffering a hand injury and missing all but 16 games of the 2023 season. Artzberger is hitting .346 (9-for-26) at the plate with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs while drawing five walks and has been hit by a pitch twice. He has an active 36-game reached base streak dating back to the 2022 season. He extended the streak by hitting a 2-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning on Sunday vs. Murray State. It was the ninth home run of his career.

Artzberger opened 2024 by picking up three hits, including two doubles, with two runs scored and a walk vs. Missouri State on Feb. 16. He followed it the next day with two walks and two runs scored before rounding out the series on Feb. 18 by going 1-for-4 with a walk.

He played in and started the first 16 games of the 2023 season before missing the rest of the year due to a hand injury. He slashed .246/.403/.474 with 14 hits, four doubles, three home runs, 15 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 13 walks and four stolen bases.

As a second-year sophomore at ULM in 2022, he played in 52 games with 44 starts, slashing .265/.349/.418 with 45 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs, 16 runs scored, 20 walks and 42 strikeouts. He reached base safely in the final 13 games of the season to start his reached base streak.

JONES PROVIDES MORE VETERAN EXPERIENCE IN MIDDLE INFIELD
ULM fifth-year senior shortstop Carson Jones is third among returning players in batting average, slashing .265/.337/.293 last season with 39 hits, four doubles, 22 RBIs, 21 runs scored and 13 walks with five stolen bases. He has made 120 career appearances for ULM entering the 2024 season. He has appeared in five games this season, coming off the bench as a mid-to-late game defensive substitute.

In Sun Belt Conference action, he led the team with a .295 (23-of-78) batting average, with two doubles, 12 RBIs and eight runs scored with seven walks and a team-high four stolen bases. 

He had his first multi-hit game of the season with two hits, including a double, with three RBIs and two runs scored vs. Grambling on Feb. 28. He added two hits with a run scored vs. Memphis on March 7. He had back-to-back multi-hit games, closing out the series against Old Dominion with three hits, one RBI and one run scored vs. Old Dominion on March 19 before adding two hits with an RBI and two runs scored vs. Louisiana Tech on March 21. He had two hits twice against Marshall, adding a run on April 1 and 2. Against South Alabama, he picked up two hits with an RBI on April 15. He had three RBIs with a double, walk and a run scored at Little Rock on April 19. He closed out a four-game hitting and RBI streak with his second three-hit game of the season, adding two RBIs with one run scored at Arkansas State on April 21. He tallied two hits with an RBI and a run scored at Georgia Southern on April 29. He picked up three RBIs, going 1-for-3 vs. Alcorn on May 3. He added an RBI double on May 12 vs. Southern Miss.

HAGGARD AND THIBODEAUX RETURN FOR SOPHOMORE SEASONS
ULM sophomores Jake Haggard and Cardell Thibodeaux return to the lineup after starting as true freshmen in 2023. Haggard has started all seven games to open 2024, going 6-for-24 with a double, home run, seven RBIs and four runs scored. He hit a bases-clearing double in Saturday's win over Murray State. Thibodeaux has played in four games with two starts, going 1-for-6 with three RBIs, four walks and was hit by a pitch on opening weekend. Thibodeaux hit the eventual game-winning 2-RBI double on Saturday vs. Murray State.

Haggard, from West Palm Beach, Florida, started 36 of the last 38 games of 2023 at first base following an injury to Michelle Artzberger. Overall on the season, he slashed .256/.355/.391 with 40 hits, four doubles, one triple, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 26 runs scored and 23 walks. He had five of his 10 multi-hit games after April 25, including a 2-for-2 day with two runs scored and a stolen base vs. the Ragin' Cajuns on May 6. He had a 3-for-4 effort with two RBIs, three runs scored and was hit by a pitch on May 3 vs. Alcorn. He had five hits in the series at Georgia Southern, including two-hit performances on April 28 and 29 against the Eagles. He hit a 2-run home run over the left field scoreboard on April 29 at Georgia Southern. He collected three hits on April 25, with a double and an RBI, vs. Stephen F. Austin. Over the last eight games, his batting average has jumped 57 points. In the last 10 games, Haggard is second on the team with a .429 (15-of-35) batting average with two doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs and eight runs scored. 

Thibodeaux, a Lafayette, Louisiana, native, played in 52 of 54 games with 51 starts. He slashed .235/.328/.347 with 40 hits, 10 doubles, three home runs, 28 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 23 walks and 12 stolen bases. He is tops among returning players with 28 RBIs and 10 doubles. He tallied two hits with two RBIs and a run scored on May 6 vs. the Ragin' Cajuns. He had two hits with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored vs. Alcorn on May 3. He also had two hits with two runs scored on April 29 at Georgia Southern. He picked up two hits with a double, walk and a run scored vs. Stephen F. Austin on April 25.

LOCAL CONNECTIONS
The 2024 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 junior right-handed pitcher Brandon Brewer, sophomore right-handed pitcher Seaver Sheets and sophomore left-handed pitcher Adam Tubbs; and one player each from West Monroe High School senior infielder Carson Jones, Ouachita High School in junior right-handed pitcher Zach Shaw and Ouachita Christian School in sophomore catcher Barham White.