UL Baseball Opens Sun Belt Conference Play Against ULM

The sixth-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun baseball team returns to the diamond on Friday evening, when they travel to Monroe, La., to take on the ULM Warhawks in the opening game of a three-game, weekend, Sun Belt Conference series.

This will mark the first conference series of the season for both teams, who will end their respective seasons facing each other in a three-game series, May 15-17 at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.

The Cajuns, who defeated Tulane, 7-4, in non-conference play on Wednesday night, are currently 14-2 on the season.

The Warhawks, who fell to Jackson St., 5-2, in a non-conference tilt on Wednesday evening, will come into the series with a record of 7-11.

Louisiana is currently hitting a .274 as a team, along with eight home runs, 96 runs batted in, and 30 stolen bases. UL is led, offensively, by Seth Harrison, who is hitting a .344, while Jace Conrad has driven in a team-high 18 runs.

Offensively, the Cajuns rank fifth in the conference in hitting (.274), third in runs scored (12), tied for fifth in home runs (8), and first in stolen bases (30).

ULM is currently hitting a .227 as a team, along with eight home  runs, 56 runs batted in, and 16 stolen bases. The Warhawks are paced by Justin Stawychny and Kodie Tidwell, who are hitting a .297 and a .288, respectively.

Offensively, the Warhawks rank tied for ninth in the league in hitting (.227), eighth in runs scored (73), tied for third in home runs (8), and tied for fourth in stolen bases (16).

Pitching-wise, the Cajuns bring in a 2.45 team earned run average into the series, which currently ranks first in the conference. Right-handers Austin Robichaux, who will start on Friday night, and Carson Baranik, who will get the start on Saturday, lead the way, with ERA’s  of 1.86 and 0.55, respectively.

The Warhawks, who currently have an overall 4.18 ERA., which ranks seventh in the league, are paced by Chris Hunt, who is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA.

Louisiana leads the all-time series, 72-52, including six wins in six tries last season.

Game times are 6 o’clock on Friday night, 1 pm on Saturday, and 1 o'clock on Sunday afternoon.

You can hear all three games on News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM & kpel965.com.