MONROE, La. -- After playing three games in Texas for the second consecutive weekend, the ULM baseball team will host Louisiana Tech on Tuesday night. First pitch between the Warhawks and the Bulldogs is slated for 6 p.m.
The contest between the two Interstate 20 schools will air KMLB 540 AM in Monroe as well as online (Nick White, pxp). Live stats as well as live video (via Warhawks All-Access) will also be available.
First Pitch…
• After having back-to-back weekend series moved to the state of Texas, the ULM baseball team will play its first home game since March 6th as the Warhawks host Louisiana Tech on Tuesday night.
• During Tuesday's contest, ULM along with the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame will honor Ben Sheets... Sheets, who spent three seasons in Monroe, is being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame this summer.
• ULM was scheduled to play its Sun Belt Conference series against Texas State in Monroe, but heavy rains and flooding in Ouachita Parish forced the series to move to San Marcos, Texas... Rain again impacted a weekend series as the home series against No. 26 Dallas Baptist was moved from Monroe to Dallas.
• ULM dropped both contests to Louisiana Tech a season ago (L, 2-3, Apr. 1, Ruston, La.; L, 4-5, Apr. 22, Warhawk Field)... In the contest in Ruston, Jacob Stockton finished with two hits and two RBI, while Spencer Hemphill was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate... In Monroe, the Warhawks scored two in the ninth and had the tying run at second before a groundout ended the contest... Justin Stawychny had two hits and two RBI while Nathan Pugh had two hits, two RBI and one run.
• ULM and Louisiana Tech have met a total of 175 times on the diamond with the Bulldogs leading the series, 99-76... Last year's games between the two squads was the first since the 2008 campaign.
• Following the Tuesday night contest against Louisiana Tech the Warhawks will have a short turnaround as they host Appalachian State beginning Thursday night... Sun Belt coaches voted over the summer to not play on Easter Sunday and it will be the first of two Thursday, Friday, Saturday series for the Warhawks (the other at UL Lafayette to end the regular season).
• Over the weekend, the Warhawks posted a 1-2 record against No. 26 Dallas Baptist... ULM dropped both games of Saturday's twinbill (L, 1-6; L, 3-7), before picking up a 6-3 win over the Patriots in Sunday's series finale... It was the first win over a ranked team for the Warhawks since the 2013 season when ULM defeated No. 25 Florida Atlantic (W, 8-4, April 7).
• Brandon Bell notched a quality start and his first win of 2016 after tossing seven solid innings against No. 26 Dallas Baptist on Sunday... He tied a career-best with seven innings pitched and he scattered six hits and two walks while allowing just one run... He also struck out three Patriot batters en route to the victory.
• During the week, Brandon Bell appeared in two games (relief at McNeese State and started at No. 26 Dallas Baptist)... He tossed a scoreless frame in the 12-4 win over the Cowboys on Wednesday night... On the week he posted a 1-0 record with a 1.12 ERA in eight innings of work... He surrendered seven hits (just one for extra bases), two walks and one run while striking out five.
• Anthony Herrera earned his third save of 2016 and now has nine career saves after tossing a perfect ninth inning on Sunday... Herrera struck out one and is now tied for seventh in school history with his nine saves (Derek Ward, nine saves, 2008-10).
• Eight of the nine starters for ULM recorded a hit in Sunday's win over the Patriots.
• Nathan Pugh finished with three hits (two doubles), two RBI and one run, while Spencer Hemphill added two hits and two RBI.
For updates on the baseball squad, be sure to follow the team on Twitter @ULM_BSB, Facebook (www.facebook.com/ULMBaseball) and Instagram (@ULM_BSB).
