ULM Warhawks

Games 22-24: ULM (12-9 overall, 1-2 Sun Belt Conference) at Georgia State (11-10 overall, 3-0 Sun Belt Conference)
GSU Baseball Complex | Decatur, Georgia

Game 22: 12 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. CDT Friday, March 22, 2024
ULM: Daniel Gonzalez, 6-4, Fr., RHP (1-1, 3.65 ERA, 19 K, 5 BB) vs. GSU: Rob Evans, 6-2, So., LHP (2-1, 4.94 ERA, 29 K, 15 BB)
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: KMLB.com | LIVE STATS

Game 23: 3 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. CDT Saturday, March 23, 2024
ULM: Beau Blanchard, 6-5, Sr., RHP (1-1, 3.31 ERA, 13 K, 7 BB) vs. GSU: Quin McManmon, 6-6, So., RHP (0-0, 1 SV, 7.71 ERA, 8 K, 2 BB)
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB | LIVE STATS

Game 24: 1 p.m. EDT/12 p.m. CDT Sunday, March 24, 2024
ULM: TBA vs. GSU: Baley Coleman, 6-3, Gr., RHP (1-0, 3.29 ERA, 8 K, 3 BB)
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB | LIVE STATS

GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - ULM plays its first road weekend series of the 2024 season this weekend at Georgia State. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. CDT Friday, 3 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. CDT Saturday and 1 p.m. EDT/12 p.m. CDT Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex in Decatur.

ULM is 12-9 overall and 1-2 in Sun Belt Conference play after dropping three of the last four games, including an 11-4 loss on Tuesday night to Central Arkansas at Lou St. Amant Field. The Bears scored eight runs across the final three innings, including seven runs with two outs, to pull away for the victory. The Warhawks dropped two out of three games last weekend to Troy. The Trojans pulled away in the series opener for a 7-1 win. ULM bounced back in the first game of last Saturday's doubleheader for an 8-4 victory before Troy took the second game of the doubleheader and the series, 6-4. Bryce Blaser led ULM with three hits, one double and three RBIs in the series, while Matt Abshire and Jake Haggard also had three hits with two RBIs apiece. Seven different ULM pitchers threw at least one inning without allowing a run in the series vs. Troy.

Georgia State enters Friday's game at 11-10 overall and 3-0 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Panthers dropped Tuesday's midweek game to Georgia Tech, 6-4, at the GSU Baseball Complex after the Yellow Jackets three runs in the sixth inning and three more in the ninth to rally for the win. GSU swept South Alabama in Mobile last weekend, winning 8-3 on Friday in a game that was delayed over five hours due to weather, and then swept Saturday's doubleheader, 10-7 and 11-1 in eight innings to complete the series sweep.

Friday's game is the 27th all-time meeting between ULM and Georgia State with ULM leading the series, 16-10. The Warhawks have won 11 of the last 14 meetings with the Panthers. ULM won three out of four meetings from Georgia State in 2022, taking two out of three games in a weekend series in Monroe before also knocking off the Panthers, 8-5, in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship in Montgomery, Alabama. ULM won two out of three games in the regular season series in 2021, also in Monroe, before GSU defeated ULM at the SBC Championship, 9-6. This weekend's series is the first between the two in Atlanta since 2019, when the Warhawks swept a series at the GSU Baseball Complex.

The Warhawks have displayed their ability to run in the first 21 games of the season. ULM is second in the Sun Belt Conference and ranks 56th in NCAA Division I with six triples. They are seventh in the SBC and 72nd nationally with 31stolen bases. Colby Lunsford and Easton Winfield are two of eight players in the SBC with two triples. Winfield is fifth in the SBC and 35th nationally with 11 stolen bases. Thirteen different Warhawks have stolen at least one base in the first 21 games of the season.

Under the leadership of second-year pitching coach Ryan McClaran, ULM's pitching staff has made a step forward in 2024. Through 21 games, ULM has used 21 pitchers, combining for a 4.83 team ERA, which ranks seventh in the SBC and 73rd nationally. The Warhawks also ranks second in the SBC and 26th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.89), third in the SBC and 42nd nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (10.2), fourth in the SBC and 59th nationally in WHIP (1.42) and fourth in the SBC and 89th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.08). Nine ULM pitchers have an ERA under 4.00.

All three games of the weekend series are available to stream on ESPN+. The series can be heard on 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB, KMLB.com and the TuneIn app with Mike Hammett on the call. A link to live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.

BASEBALL HAS THE SACRIFICE
Under Michael Federico, ULM has typically been near the top of the Sun Belt Conference and NCAA Division I in sacrifice bunts, and 2024 has been no different. The Warhawks enter play on Friday sitting second in the SBC and 14th nationally with 15 sacrifice bunts on the year after laying down four sacrifice bunts in the weekend series vs. Troy. Bryce Blaser and Jake Haggard each have three sacrifice bunts to be part of a tie for seventh in the SBC and 71st nationally. Eight different Warhawks have tallied at least one sacrifice bunt this season.

KILGO'S CONTRIBUTION
Assistant coach Kyle Kilgo is ULM's new offensive coordinator for the 2024 season, and he has made an immediate impact. ULM's offense has scored 10 or more runs in eight of the first 21 games of the season after having five such games in the entire 2023 season. The Warhawks have picked up 10 or more hits in 10 games and had double figure hits 18 times in 2023. ULM ranks second in the SBC and 56th in NCAA Division I in triples (6), third in the SBC and 74th nationally in doubles (42), third in the SBC and 79th nationally in batting average (.296), fourth in the SBC and 70th nationally in slugging percentage (.487), fifth in the SBC and 86th nationally in on base percentage (.404), sixth in the SBC and 76th nationally in runs (160) and sixth in the SBC and 84th nationally in hits (201).

BLASER RETURNS FROM EARLY SEASON INJURY
Bryce Blaser has hit safely in 13 of 14 games in which he has appeared in his early ULM career. Blaser is hitting a team-high .395 (17-for-43) with four doubles, two home runs, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored and five walks. He had three hits in last week's series vs. Troy, picking up two hits, including a 2-RBI double, in the second game of last Saturday's doubleheader. He went without a hit for the first time this season in the first game of the doubleheader, but was just 0-for-1 at the plate with an RBI and run scored while adding a walk, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly. He does not have enough at bats to qualify for Sun Belt Conference or NCAA Division I stat rankings.

He started the first six games before exiting the Feb. 24 game vs. Murray State with a leg injury and missed the next six games. In his return to the lineup, he hit a home on the first pitch he saw and finished with three RBIs vs. Alabama A&M on March 8. 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.

FRESHMAN SENSATION PACES WARHAWKS
True freshman Easton Winfield continues to rank among the top players in the Sun Belt Conference. He is slashing .392/.477/.743 with 29 hits, four doubles, two triples, six home runs, 15 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 10 walks and 11 stolen bases. According to D1Baseball.com, he is second on the team with a 1.42 WAR (wins above replacement), which ranks 12th in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Alvin, Texas, native did not move into the starting lineup until the third game of the season, but leads ULM in hits, slugging percentage, triples, home runs, runs scored and stolen bases. Winfield ranks first in the SBC in triples (2), third in batting average, fourth in hits, fifth in stolen bases, total bases (55) and runs per game (1.35) and seventh in slugging percentage and runs scored. His 11 stolen bases rank 35th in NCAA Division I.

He reached base three times on Tuesday vs. Central Arkansas with a double and a pir of walks and scored a run. He collected his eighth multi-hit game of the season with a double and a bunt single while scoring a run and stealing a base in the first game of a doubleheader last Saturday vs. Troy. He picked up an RBI single and scored twice in playing just three innings in the March 10 win over Alabama A&M. He had the first multi-home run game of his career, going 3-for-3 while hitting both of his homers in the bottom of the fifth inning, becoming the first Warhawk to accomplish the feat since 1996, in the March 9 win over Alabama A&M. He had two hits, including his fourth homer of the season, to finish with two RBIs and three runs scored vs. Alabama A&M on March 8. He homered on the first pitch of the game and finished with two RBIs at Little Rock on March 5. He had his fifth multi-hit game of the season with two hits, including a double two runs scored and a stolen base on March 2 vs. UIW. 

Winfield picked up two hits and added an RBI with a run scored at Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 28. He wrapped the series vs. Murray State with a leadoff home run and two walks on Feb. 25. On Feb. 24 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 Feb. 23 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. 

Winfield 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.

THE RETURN OF MEECH
Senior Michelle Artzberger has been a force after playing in just 16 games in 2023 due to a hand injury. Through 21 games in 2024, he is slashing .387/.500/.627 with 29 hits, nine doubles, three home runs, 23 RBIs, 27 runs scored and 14 walks. He leads the team in hits, runs scored, on base percentage and doubles. He is second in the Sun Belt Conference and ranks 33rd nationally in doubles. He ranks fourth in the SBC in hits, fifth in batting average, seventh in runs scored,  eighth in on base percentage and 10th in RBIs. According to D1Baseball.com, Artzberger has a 1.45 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), which leads ULM and ranks ninth in the SBC. He carries an active 50-game on base streak into Friday's game after hitting a 3-run home run in the seventh inning to extend it vs. Central Arkansas on Tuesday. His on base streak dates back to the final 13 games of the 2022 season. He had a career-best 13-game hitting streak snapped in the first game of last Saturday's doubleheader vs. Troy.

He had two hits in the weekend series vs. Troy, while adding four walks, including a season-high three walks while scoring twice in the first game of last Saturday's doubleheader. 

He had five hits over the weekend series vs. Alabama A&M, coming up with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored in three innings of work on March 10. He had two hits, including two doubles, with four RBIs and two runs scored on March 8 vs. the Bulldogs.

Artzberger tallied his fifth multi-hit game of the season with two hits, including a home run, with a walk, was hit by a pitch and scored twice at Little Rock last March 5.

Against UIW, he opened the series with three hits, including his fifth double of the season, and scored twice as ULM won a back-and-forth game, 6-5. He picked up two RBIs on his only hit in the middle game of the series against the Cardinals. He closed out the weekend on March 3 with two hits, two RBIs, a walk and a run scored.

He picked up a double with a pair of RBIs on Feb. 27 at Northwestern State.

Against Murray State, Artzberger hit a 2-run home run on Feb. 25 to round out the series. He had three hits with two RBIs and two runs scored on Feb. 24 against the Racers. He was hitless in the series opener on Feb. 23, but was hit by a pitch to keep his reached base streak alive.

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.

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 17 games with 16 starts to open 2024.

He is heating up at the plate, hitting .327 (17-for-52). He had two of ULM's hits in Tuesday's game vs. Central Arkansas. He had a career-high 11-game hitting streak snapped in the first game of last Saturday's doubleheader vs. Troy, but picked up an RBI on a groundout and was hit by a pitch in the win. He has six doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, nine runs scored, one walk and has been hit by a pitch seven times.

Weatherbee tallied two hits in the series opener vs. Troy last Friday. He clubbed a game-tying home run in the bottom of the fourth inning on March 12 vs. Ole Miss. He hit three doubles over the weekend vs. Alabama A&M, picking up two doubles on Friday, March 8. Against UIW, he hit a key 2-run home run in the series-opening 6-5 win on March 1. He followed it up with a clutch 2-RBI double to expand the lead vs. UIW on March 3, finishing with two hits against the Cardinals. 

He had a double with two runs scored at Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 28, following up on a 1-for-4 day last Feb. 27 at Northwestern State. He had his first hit of the season, a double, and scored a run on Feb. 25 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.

JOHNSON TAKES OVER AT SECOND BASE
Hasani Johnson has come on strong over the last 15 games. He made pinch running appearances in three games before he got a chance to step to the plate in the finale of the Murray State series on Feb. 25 as a pinch hitter, finishing the game with two hits, including a double, with a walk and a run scored. He has started the next 14 games and is hitting .311 (14-for-45) with five doubles, a home run, six RBIs, 11 runs scored, five walks and a stolen base.

He had two hits, picking up a double, with a walk and two runs scored at Northwestern State on Feb. 27. He had two more hits, including another double, with an RBI and two runs scored at Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 28. He added a hit with an RBI vs. UIW on March 1. He closed the series vs. UIW with three hits, including a double and a 2-run home run while scoring three times on March 3. 

A sophomore from Elk Grove, California, Johnson played his freshman season at Mission College in Santa Clara, California, slashing .299/.438/.368 with 43 hits, five doubles, one triple, one home run, 24 RBIs, 44 runs scored and 29 stolen bases.

LUNSFORD BRINGS OFFENSIVE BOOST, STRONG DEFENSE AT SHORTSTOP
Colby Lunsford has started all 21 games at shortstop and is slashing .311/.441/.473 with 23 hits, including two doubles, two triples and two home runs, 11 RBIs, 23 runs scored, a team-high 15 walks and three stolen bases.

Lunsford had two hits, including an RBI with two runs scored in the first game of last Saturday's doubleheader vs. Troy before adding three walks and two runs scored in the second game of the doubleheader. He picked up two hits, including a double, with a walk and two runs scored vs. Alabama A&M on March 10. He had two hits with two RBIs and a walk at Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 28. He is third on the team in batting average, hits and on base percentage and fourth in slugging percentage. He collected three hits, including a triple, with two RBIs and two runs scored at Northwestern State on Feb. 27. In ULM's win on Feb. 24 over Murray State, he had two hits with an RBI and two runs scored. He hit a solo home run to spark ULM's offense in the Feb. 18 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.

HAGGARD PROVIDES POWER THREAT
ULM sophomore Jake Haggard returns to the Warhawk lineup after serving as a starter at third and first base in 2023. He has started all 20 games to open 2024, and failed to reach base for the first time this season on March 12 vs. Ole Miss, bringing an end to a career-long 16-game reached base streak. However, he bounced back by being the only player to hit safely in all three games of the weekend series vs. Troy, including a 2-RBI double in the second game of last Saturday's doubleheader. He is second on the team with five home runs and 22 RBIs. He is third on the team with eight walks. He is slashing .280/.357/.547 with 21 hits, five doubles, 15 runs scored and two stolen bases. 

He hit a bases-clearing double on March 10 vs. Alabama A&M and had two hits with an RBI and a run scored on March 8 vs. the Bulldogs. In the March 5 midweek at Little Rock, picked up two hits, including an RBI double and a solo home run, his fifth of the season, while adding two runs scored. He hit his fourth homer of the season, a leadoff home run in the eighth inning against UIW on March 2. 

Haggard had two hits with a 2-run home run and a run scored at Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 28. He tallied two hits, including a double and home run, with two RBIs and a run scored at Northwestern State on Feb. 27. He hit a bases-clearing double in the Feb. 24 win over Murray State. He hit his first home run of the season, a 2-run shot, against Grambling on Feb. 20.

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.

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 47 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 has thrown 228 2/3 innings in his career, which is tied for the eighth-most innings in ULM history. He has 198 career strikeouts, good for 10th in ULM history. 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 Feb. 24, posting four strikeouts. He has made six appearances with two starts, allowing 11 runs on 13 hits with 16 strikeouts and five 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. In 2024, he has made nine appearances with a 1-1 record and 6.35 ERA over 11 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits with 12 strikeouts and 11 walks. He tossed two shutout innings vs. Grambling on Feb. 20 with two strikeouts and one walk. He pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout and one walk at Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 28. He followed it up with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit with one strikeout and one walk vs. UIW on March 3 before throwing another scoreless inning with a strikeout on March 9 vs. Alabama A&M. He made a scoreless appearance in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader vs. Troy, allowing one hit with one walk and one strikeout.

Orton, nicknamed "Giggles" by his teammates, is third in ULM history with 18 career saves, third in ULM history with 75 career relief appearances and ninth in ULM history with 75 total pitching appearances. He is one relief appearances away from tying Anthony Herrera (2014-17) for second place on the career relief appearances list, and four shy from tying Michael Durham (1999-2003) for the most career relief appearances in ULM history. 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. In 2024, he has made eight appearances with a 2-1 record and 4.22 ERA over 10 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with 14 strikeouts and five walks. 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 Feb. 24 vs. Murray State. He picked up his second win by throwing the final 1 1/3 innings vs. UIW on March 1, with two strikeouts and one walk. He pitched a perfect inning vs. Alabama A&M with a strikeout on March 9. He threw another perfect inning in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader vs. Troy with one strikeout.

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 Feb. 25.

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. In 2024, he has six appearances with no record and a 5.87 ERA over 7 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and eight walks. He threw 1 1/3 innings on Feb. 17 vs. Missouri State, allowing one run on one hit with no strikeouts and two walks. He pitched a perfect inning with three strikeouts at Little Rock on March 5. He threw a scoreless inning with one hit, one strikeout and one walk on March 8 vs. Alabama A&M. He worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit and one strikeout on Tuesday vs. Central Arkansas.

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. In 2024, he is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA in six appearances covering 10 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits with 16 strikeouts and five walks. He earned the win on Feb. 18, firing 2/3 of an inning with one strikeout vs. Missouri State. His second win came on March 9 vs. Alabama A&M, throwing two shutout innings with four strikeouts and one walk. He made his first career NCAA Division I start on Feb. 25 vs. Murray State, allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks over 2 1/3 innings. He pitched 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen on March 2 vs. UIW, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts and one walk. He threw 1 2/3 shutout innings with one hit, three strikeouts and one walk in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader vs. Troy.

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. In 2024, he has made six appearances and four starts with a 1-1 record and 3.31 ERA over 16 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on 11 hits with 13 strikeouts and seven walks. 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. He made his first relief appearance at ULM last Tuesday vs. Northwestern State, throwing a scoreless inning with one hit and two strikeouts. He came out of the bullpen with the restart of the March 1 suspended game on March 2 vs. UIW, throwing three innings, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk. He made the start vs. Alabama A&M on March 9, firing three innings, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts. Blanchard earned his first win at ULM in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader vs. Troy, throwing 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout and four 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 has made three appearances in 2024 with two starts, posting a 1.93 ERA over 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts to two 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 the Feb. 24 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. He returned to the mound with the start in the second game of the doubleheader vs. Troy on Saturday, throwing a perfect inning with one strikeout.

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. This season, Menard is 0-1 with a 4.85 ERA over 13 innings in six appearances, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits with 18 strikeouts and seven walks. 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 Feb. 23. He pitched a scoreless inning with two hits and one strikeout at Northwestern State on Feb. 27. He fired two scoreless innings with five strikeouts vs. Alabama A&M on March 8. He finished out the first game of Saturday's doubleheader vs. Troy, throwing the final two shutout innings with two strikeouts and one walk.

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.