2010 (Senior):
Only played in 10 games - all starts
- after suffering a season-ending hand injury at LSU due to a wet field...had a
hit in six of nine games before the injury, including a double, a triple and a
home run...made a game-saving catch in ULM's victory over Stephen F. Austin; was
2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs in the game...was 7-for-14 with six RBIs in
the three-game series against Mississippi Valley State right before suffering
the injury
2009 (Junior): Posted the third most at-bats (249) and 10th
most RBIs (55) in a single-season in ULM history...hit safely in 49-of-58 games
started on the season and reached base safely in 55-of-58 games...named to the
Warhawk Classic All-Tournament Team after batting .385 (5-of-13) with a double,
a triple and three RBIs...drove in a run in 27 different games and scored a run
in 33 different contests...enters the season as ULM's leader in career multi-hit
games with 44 and multi-RBI games with 27...finished second on the team last
season with 17 multi-RBI contests...had multiple hits in 19 different games,
including four games with 3+ hits...went 3-for-5 with four runs scored, four
RBIs, a triple and two home runs in series opener against Florida International...batted
.339 during Sun Belt Conference play with six of his 10 home runs on the season...represented ULM in the Sun Belt Conference Home
Run Derby...went 3-for-9 with four RBIs and a triple in ULM's two games at No. 5
Arkansas...almost doubled his RBI total from his sophomore season - 29 to 55...tied
Perry Smith for the team lead with seven outfield assists...had a career-high
five hits in six at-bats against Texas-Arlington...put together a 12-game hit
streak from February 27 to March 17
2008 (Sophomore): Appeared in 50 games for the Warhawks, starting 48...made 40 starts in right field, six in center and two as the designated hitter...hit safely in 32-of-48 games started on the season, including nine of the final 10 games of the season (15-39, .385)...hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, in the series finale against UALR...finished sixth on the team with 19 multi-hit games and seventh with nine multi-RBI games on the season...went 5-for-10 with four RBIs and a home run in the first two games against New Orleans...scored a run in 21 of the final 35 games of the season...hit .321 with five of his six home runs and 21 of his 29 RBIs during Sun Belt Conference play...had three outfield assists on the season...made four appearances on the mound -- struck out four batters in five total innings of work
2007 (Freshman): Saw significant action as a freshman playing in 33 games and starting 16...hit .304 for the year recording five games with multiple hits, including back-to-back games against Mississippi State and Florida Atlantic...first career hit came against Louisiana College with an RBI single...drove in 11 runs on the year, with a pair against both LSU-S and Troy...finished the game against Mississippi State going 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored and a home run
Prep: Five-year letterwinner in baseball...also played football as the starting quarterback...was named to the all-district second team twice and the all-district first team three times...was all-district second team in football twice and a first team selection twice...finished his football career second on his school’s all-time passing yards list with 7,250...a two-way player in baseball, he went 8-0 on the mound as a senior and posted a .510 batting average, nine home runs and 43 RBI...recorded the final out in the 2005 Louisiana 1-A State Championship Game, leading the Eagles to the win...was also a member of the National Honor Society
Personal: The son of Jack and Beth Laird, he was born on May 30, 1987...full name is Matthew Walley Laird...has one older brother, John, and two younger brothers, James and Mark...his uncle, Gary Richter, played baseball for ULM in the mid-70’s and his grandfather, Billy Laird, played football for ULM in the 50’s...majoring in business
