ULM Warhawks

Games 37-39: ULM (17-19 overall, 5-10 Sun Belt Conference) at Southern Miss (23-14 overall, 9-6 Sun Belt Conference)
Pete Taylor Park | Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Game 37: 6 p.m. Friday, April 19, 2024
ULM: Cam Barlow, 5-11, Sr.-6, LHP (1-2, 5.12 ERA, 32 K, 8 BB) vs. USM: Billy Oldham, 6-1, Sr., RHP (4-1, 4.17 ERA, 51 K, 17 BB)
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB | LIVE STATS

Game 38: 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2024
ULM: Beau Blanchard, 6-5, Sr., RHP (2-3, 6.39 ERA, 26 K, 11 BB) vs. USM: TBA
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB | LIVE STATS

Game 39: 1 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 2024
ULM: TBA vs. USM: Niko Mazza, 5-11, Jr., RHP (6-2, 5.48 ERA, 56 K, 20 BB)
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB | LIVE STATS

GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - The ULM Warhawks play the first of back-to-back road Sun Belt Conference series as they visit Southern Miss for the first time as conference opponents. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg.

Friday's game is the 70th all-time meeting between ULM and Southern Miss, with the Golden Eagles leading the series 51-18. Southern Miss swept last year's series at Lou St. Amant Field in Monroe, winning 8-4 on Friday, May 12, 19-0 on Saturday, May 13, and 6-2 on Sunday, May 14. Friday's game marks the first meeting between the schools as conference foes in Hattiesburg. ULM last visited Pete Taylor Park in 2019, with the Golden Eagles earning a 5-4 win on March 19. USM has won seven-straight games in the series. ULM last defeated Southern Miss, 6-5, on Feb. 26, 2013.

ULM is 17-19 overall and 5-10 in the Sun Belt Conference entering the series. The Warhawks dropped Tuesday's midweek contest to Louisiana Tech, 6-2. ULM had just four hits in the contest, including a solo home run by Shawn Dalton Weatherbee. ULM won two out of three games last weekend against Texas State. The Warhawks won last Friday's game, 7-5, after rallying from a 4-1 deficit with five runs across the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Last Saturday, ULM scored five runs in the first inning thanks to a grand slam from Ian Montz and held off two Bobcat rallies for a 10-8 win to claim the series win. Texas State salvaged a game from the series last Sunday, 13-11. The Bobcats led 7-0 after the top of the first inning, but ULM rallied back and took an 11-10 lead in the seventh inning. Texas State responded back with a 3-run ninth inning to pick up the 13-10 win. Top performers against the Bobcats  included Easton Winfield, who had seven hits on the series, including a triple and home run with three RBIs and six runs. Bryce Blaser and Weatherbee had six hits each, with Blaser driving in five runs and Weatherbee four. Jayson Zmejkoski started the final two games of the series and went 5-for-8 at the plate with two RBIs and five runs.

Southern Miss is 23-14 overall and 9-6 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Golden Eagles rallied from a 6-2 deficit for a 9-6 walk-off win over Nicholls on Tuesday in Hattiesburg. Last weekend, USM dropped two out of three games at Georgia State, with the Panthers winning 18-8 in seven innings last Friday and 19-8 in seven innings last Saturday before the Golden Eagles salvaged a game from the series, 14-9 last Sunday. USM is 5-1 at home in Sun Belt Conference play and 16-4 on the season.

All three games of the weekend series will stream on ESPN+ with Jason Baker (play-by-play) and Cliff Russum (analyst) on the call. All three games will air 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.

McCLARAN AND POD SYSTEM BRING IMPROVEMENT TO PITCHING STAFF
Under the leadership of second-year pitching coach Ryan McClaran, ULM's pitching staff has made a step forward in 2024. Through 36 games, ULM has used 21 pitchers, combining for a 5.96 team ERA, which is 1.38 runs better than the 2023 season (7.34). The Warhawks also rank fourth in the SBC and 86th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (9.1) and seventh in the SBC and 85th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (9.18).

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 fourth in the SBC and 37th nationally with 23 sacrifice bunts on the year. Eleven different Warhawks have tallied at least one sacrifice bunt this season and six have multiple sacrifice bunts.

KILGO'S IMPACT
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 13 of the first 35 games of the season after having five such games in the entire 2023 season. The Warhawks have picked up 10 or more hits in 17 games and had double figure hits 18 times in 2023. ULM ranks fifth in the SBC in triples (8), sixth in the SBC in on base percentage (.385) and seventh in the SBC in batting average (.282).

MEECH RETURNS TO LINEUP
Senior Michelle Artzberger returned to the ULM lineup and played first base on Tuesday vs. Louisiana Tech. He had missed the 11 of the previous 13 games with a leg injury, previously returning to the lineup on April 3 at Northwestern State and April 5 at the Ragin' Cajuns before again exiting with an injury and missing the next six games. He had missed five games prior to April 3 due to a leg injury. He has been a force after playing in just 16 games in 2023 due to a hand injury. He has started 26 of 36 games in 2024, slashing .395/.514/.628 with 34 hits, 11 doubles, three home runs, 27 RBIs, 30 runs scored and 18 walks. He leads the team in batting average, doubles, on base percentage and slugging percentage. According to D1Baseball.com, Artzberger has a 1.85 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), which is second on the team. He carries an active 55-game on base streak into Friday's game after walking in the sixth inning on Tuesday vs. Louisiana Tech. 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 the March 16 doubleheader vs. Troy.

Artzberger tallied three hits, including a double, with an RBI and a run scored in the opening game of the series at Georgia State on March 23. 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 the March 16 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. He hit two 3-run homers in the 17-17 tie against Coastal Carolina on March 20, 2022.

BLASER PROVIDING CONSISTENT BAT IN LINEUP
Bryce Blaser has hit safely in 25 of 29 games in which he has appeared in his early ULM career, including six hits over the weekend series with Texas State and a fourth inning single vs. Louisiana Tech on Tuesday. He picked up two hits, including an RBI, with a walk and two runs scored last Saturday against the Bobcats before adding three hits, including a double, three RBIs and a run scored vs. Texas State last Sunday. Blaser is slashing .356/.432/.515 with 10 doubles, two home runs, 20 RBIs, 17 runs scored and nine walks. He ranks eighth in the Sun Belt Conference in batting average.

He had a career-high three hits with a double, RBI and two runs scored on April 3 at Northwestern State. Blaser picked up five hits in the series against Coastal Carolina, including two hits in each of the first two games on March 28 and March 29. He had a key double in the ninth inning of the game one win over Georgia State on March 23, while adding a two-RBI double in the first inning of the nightcap of the doubleheader vs. the Panthers. 

He had three hits in the series vs. Troy, picking up two hits, including a 2-RBI double, in the second game of the March 16 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 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 MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT FOR WARHAWKS
True freshman Easton Winfield continues to rank among the top players on the ULM stat sheet. He is slashing .336/.413/.591 with 46 hits, five doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 23 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 16 walks and 13 stolen bases. According to D1Baseball.com, he leads the team with a 2.24 WAR (wins above replacement), which ranks 11th 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, runs, home runs, stolen bases and total bases (81). Winfield ranks third in the SBC in triples and seventh in stolen bases. Four of his team-high eight home runs have been hit to lead off ULM's offensive half of the first inning. He had a career-high nine-game hitting streak snapped on Tuesday vs. Louisiana Tech.

He had multiple hits in all three games of the weekend series vs. Texas State. He opened the series with three hits, including a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning, with two RBIs and two runs scored last Friday. He picked up two hits last Saturday, with a triple, a walk and three runs scored. He wrapped up the series last Sunday with two hits, an RBI and a run scored. 

In the April 3 midweek matchup at Northwestern State, Winfield hit a 2-RBI single to open the scoring and walked twice while picking up three RBIs for the game to match a season high.

All three of his hits in the Georgia State series came in the first game of the doubleheader on March 23, hitting a leadoff homer in the top of the first inning and a double while walking once, scoring twice and picking up a stolen base.

He reached base three times on March 19 vs. Central Arkansas with a double and a pair 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 on March 16 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.

LUNSFORD BRINGS OFFENSIVE BOOST, STRONG DEFENSE AT SHORTSTOP
Colby Lunsford started the first 31 games of the season at shortstop before missing the April 7 contest at the Ragin' Cajuns with an injury. He returned to the lineup and started all three games over the weekend vs. Texas State and Tuesday night's contest vs. Louisiana Tech. He is slashing .320/.426/.453 with 41 hits, including two doubles, three triples and three home runs, 22 RBIs, 32 runs scored, a team-high 21 walks and three stolen bases. He matched his season high with three hits while adding two RBIs and a walk last Sunday vs. Texas State. He drove in a pair of runs last Saturday vs. the Bobcats. He had one of two RBIs for ULM on Tuesday vs. LA Tech.

He hit an RBI triple on April 6 at the Ragin' Cajuns. He tallied three hits with an RBI, walk and two runs scored in the series opener vs. No. 19 Coastal Carolina on March 28. Lunsford led ULM in the series at Georgia State, compiling six hits. After picking up two RBIs with a base hit in the first game of the doubleheader on March 23, Lunsford went 3-for-3 in the nightcap with a 2-run home run, a walk and scored twice. He finished off the series March 24 with two more hits.

Lunsford had two hits, including an RBI with two runs scored in the first game of the March 16 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.

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 31 games with 30 starts to open 2024. After going five-straight games without a hit from March 30 to April 7, he had three two-hit games with a double and five RBIs over the weekend vs. Texas State and hit a solo home run on Tuesday vs. Louisiana Tech.

He is slashing .314/.405/.505. Weatherbee has 33 hits with eight doubles, four home runs, 23 RBIs, 18 runs scored, six walks and has been hit by a pitch 10 times. 

He had a career game with four hits, including a double, and five RBIs while scoring twice and stealing a base in the March 28 11-3 win over No. 19 Coastal Carolina. He led ULM with two hits on March 26 at Louisiana Tech, including a 3-run home run in the third inning. He closed out the series at Georgia State with two hits, a walk and a run scored on March 24. He had two of ULM's hits on March 19 vs. Central Arkansas. He had a career-high 11-game hitting streak snapped in the first game of the March 16 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, 11 runs scored, three walks and has been hit by a pitch seven times.

Weatherbee tallied two hits in the series opener vs. Troy on March 15. 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. 

ABSHIRE PROVIDES SENIOR LEADERSHIP BEHIND THE PLATE
Matt Abshire returns for his second season as ULM's catcher in 2024, and has taken over the lion's share of the starts over the last few weeks. Abshire has played in 28 games with 24 starts. He has started 15 of the last 17 games at catcher. He is slashing .294/.375/.447 with 25 hits, four doubles, three home runs, 16 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 10 walks and three stolen bases. He was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, RBI, run scored and a walk last Friday vs. Texas State.

He stole two bases on April 5 at Ragin' Cajuns before adding a double on April 6. Abshire hit safely in all three games of the series vs. No. 19 Coastal Carolina, collecting two hits with a walk on March 29.

He was the hero in the March 23 win at Georgia State. Abshire had his first career multi-home run game, hitting a solo blast in the fourth inning, which sparked a five-run inning, and then clubbed the go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth inning in the 13-10 win to finish with two hits and five RBIs. He also had two hits, a double and a home run, with three RBIs, two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base at Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 28.

He played in 35 games with 28 starts last season, slashing .287/.388/.402 with four doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, 12 runs scored and 12 walks in 2023. He hit a grand slam among six RBIs vs. Alcorn on May 3 and had five multi-hit games.

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 50 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 244 2/3 innings in his career, which is the sixth-most innings in ULM history. He has 214 career strikeouts, good for eighth in ULM history. He became the 10th pitcher in ULM history to record 200 career strikeouts with his second strikeout vs. No. 19 Coastal Carolina on March 28. 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 returned to a starting role against CCU, throwing a team season-high five innings, allowing one run on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts for his first win of the season. He followed it up in a tough-luck loss on April 5 at Ragin' Cajuns, throwing five more innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with five strikeouts. He once again threw five innings in the start vs. Texas State on April 12, finishing with four runs on four hits and four strikeouts. He has made 10 appearances with five starts, allowing 19 runs, 18 earned, on 27 hits with 32 strikeouts and eight walks in 2024. He is 1-2 with a 5.12 ERA.

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 13 appearances with a 1-1 record and 9.92 ERA over 16 1/3 innings, allowing 19 runs, 18 earned, on 23 hits with 16 strikeouts and 12 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 the March 16 doubleheader vs. Troy, allowing one hit with one walk and one strikeout. He entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs on April 7 at the Ragin' Cajuns, retiring the three batters he faced and allowing only a sacrifice fly to plate one inherited runner.

Orton, nicknamed "Giggles" by his teammates, has tied the ULM career record with 83 pitching appearances. All 83 of his appearances have come in relief. He is tied for the appearances record with Jared Jennings (2005-08) and Caleb McConnell (2000-03). He set the program recod for most career relief pitching appearances, passing Michael Durham (1999-2003), with his appearance on April 7 at the Ragin' Cajuns. He is third in ULM history with 19 career saves and will tie Mark Wisniewski for the second-most saves in program history with his next save. In 2024, he has made 16 appearances with a 3-2 record and one save while posting a 5.12 ERA over 19 1/3 innings, allowing 11 runs on 19 hits with 22 strikeouts and 12 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 the March 16 doubleheader vs. Troy with one strikeout. He notched his third win of the season with one inning against Georgia State on March 23, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk. He tossed a scoreless inning with one hit at Louisiana Tech on March 26. He followed it up with a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout vs. No. 19 Coastal Carolina on March 29. He set the school relief pitching appearances record on April 7 at the Ragin' Cajuns, throwing two innings, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and one strikeout. He earned his first save of 2024 with 1 1/3 shutout innings and three strikeouts vs. Texas State on April 12. In his 83rd career appearance to tie the school record for total pitching appearances, he threw a scoreless ninth inning against Louisiana Tech on Tuesday. 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. 

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 nine appearances with no record and a 5.73 ERA over 11 innings, allowing seven runs on 11 hits with 12 strikeouts and 12 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 March 19 vs. Central Arkansas. He pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts at Northwestern State on April 3. He followed it up with another scoreless inning on April 7 at Ragin' Cajuns with two hits, two strikeouts and one walk.

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 save and a 3.26 ERA in 13 appearances covering 19 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on 14 hits with 29 strikeouts and seven 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 the March 16 doubleheader vs. Troy. He earned his first career save by striking out the final two batters of the game in last Saturday's win in the first game of a doubleheader at Georgia State. He worked around a leadoff double to throw a scoreless inning at Louisiana Tech on March 26. Seay struck out the side on April 3 in his only inning of work at Northwestern State. He pitched a shutout inning, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. He threw a career-high three scoreless innings in his last outing, matching his season high with five strikeouts while allowing two hits and one walk vs. Texas State on April 13.

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 12 appearances and eight starts with a 2-3 record and 6.39 ERA over 31 innings, allowing 23 runs, 22 earned, on 33 hits with 26 strikeouts and 11 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 on Feb. 27 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 the March 16 doubleheader vs. Troy, throwing 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout and four walks. He matched his career high with six strikeouts over four innings at the Ragin' Cajuns on April 6, allowing three runs on five hits with one walk.

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 four appearances in 2024 with three starts, posting a 4.26 ERA over 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts to five 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 March 16, 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 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA over 23 2/3 innings in 11 appearances and one start, allowing 18 runs, 17 earned, on 18 hits with 24 strikeouts and 12 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 the March 16 doubleheader vs. Troy, throwing the final two shutout innings with two strikeouts and one walk. He made his first start of 2024 against No. 19 Coastal Carolina on March 30, throwing 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts in suffering a tough-luck loss.

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.