ULM Warhawks

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The ULM baseball team continues play in the 2022 Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship at 7:30 p.m. Friday when they meet top-seed, regular season SBC champion and No. 9 Texas State at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama. Friday's contest is the final quarterfinal game after the SBC adopted a single-elimination format due to weather delays.

Every game of the SBC Championship will stream on ESPN+ with Matt Stewart (play-by-play) and Ty Harrington (analyst) on the call. Wednesday's ULM game will be broadcast on 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB, KMLB.com and the TuneIn app with Mike Hammett on the call. A link to live stats is available on the baseball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.

Friday's game is the 88th all-time meeting between ULM and Texas State, with the Bobcats leading the series, 51-36. Texas State swept the series in Monroe from May 6-8, winning 5-4, 9-1 and 5-4. The Bobcats scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to win the Friday night game and held off ULM's rally to take Sunday's contest. In 2019, Texas State swept the regular season series before ULM won, 8-0, at the Sun Belt Conference Championship in Conway, South Carolina.

ULM (20-34-1 overall, 9-20-1 Sun Belt Conference) hit three clutch home runs to rally for an 8-5 win over Georgia State in the first round of the SBC Championship on Tuesday. Trailing 3-0 in the fifth inning, Chase DeJean hit a 2-run home run and Ryan Cupit added an RBI single to tie the game. Down 5-3 in the eighth, Grant Schulz hit a game-tying 2-run home run. DeJean laid down a squeeze bunt to score Colby Deaville for the lead and Matthew Lee followed with a 2-run homer for the 8-5 advantage. The Warhawks are hitting .268 as a team with 274 RBIs, while the pitching staff has posted an ERA of 6.01.

ULM head coach Michael Federico is in his fifth season with the Warhawks. After leading the club to an 11-win improvement in his first year and a two-win improvement in his second year, he led the Warhawks to their first .500-or-better season since 2012 with a 26-26 mark in 2021 as ULM finished third in the Sun Belt Conference West Division. Federico is 4-9 against Texas State.

Texas State (44-11, 26-4) won the regular season Sun Belt Conference title in a three-game sweep at Georgia State, winning three one-run games, 8-7, 5-4 and 4-3 in Atlanta. The Bobcats went 15-0 on the road in the SBC. Texas State has won 10 consecutive games and 12 of its last 13 entering Wednesday's game. The Bobcats swept seven SBC series in the season. Texas State is hitting .301 as a team with 396 RBIs while posting a team ERA of 4.41.

Texas State head coach Steven Trout is in his third season as the head coach of the Bobcats and is in his ninth year in the program. He took over the team prior to the 2020 season after previous head coach Ty Harrington retired. The Bobcats started 14-4 in his first season before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season. Last year, Texas State finished 21-36 overall and 9-15 in the SBC, finishing last in the conference. The Bobcats have rebounded this season, rolling to a 44-11 record and 26-4 mark in the SBC, including a win at No. 1 Texas on March 9. Trout is 5-1 against ULM. 

WARHAWKS POWER BACK FOR WIN OVER GEORGIA STATE AT SBC CHAMPIONSHIP
ULM used three clutch home runs to rally and pull away from Georgia State, 8-5, in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tuesday afternoon at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama.

Trailing 3-0 in the fifth inning, sophomore Chase DeJean hit a 2-run home run to get ULM on the board. Later in the inning, senior Ryan Cupit hit an RBI single, scoring sophomore Matthew Lee, to tie the game at 3.

After GSU scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 5-3 lead, senior Grant Schulz came through with a 2-run game-tying home run to left. Senior Colby Deaville reached on a bunt single and moved around to third base, scoring on DeJean's sacrifice bunt for the 6-5 lead. Lee then belted a 2-run home run to extend the lead to 8-5.

Sophomore Carson Orton (2-1) threw the final three innings on the mound for the win, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. 

WARHAWKS VS. TEXAS STATE IN 2022
Texas State swept the three-game series from ULM May 6-8 at Warhawk Field in Monroe.

On Friday, May 6, ULM led 4-2 over Texas State entering the ninth inning when the Bobcats scored three runs, using an error, a sacrifice fly by Wesley Faison and an infield single by Isaiah Ortega-Jones to take a 5-4 lead. Senior Grant Schulz had a two-RBI single for ULM in the loss, while senior Ryan Cupit added an RBI single and sophomore Carson Jones added an RBI double. 

On Saturday, May 7, Texas State used a six-run eighth inning to pull away for a 9-1 win. Sophomore Michelle Artzberger had an RBI single for ULM's only run. Sophomore Cole Cressend allowed three runs in seven innings with five hits, eight strikeouts and two walks.

On Sunday, May 8, Texas State led 5-2 going to the ninth inning. Artzberger hit a two-out, two-RBI single to right field to score Schulz and junior Austin Beech. ULM had two runners on base when a ground out brought an end to the game. Senior Mason Holt hit his 12th home run of the season in the loss.

Offensively, ULM was led by Schulz's five hits in the series, going 5-for-12 (.417) with three RBIs and a run scored. Junior pitcher Tylor Jans started the game on May 8, allowing one run on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts over four innings. 

HOLT NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-SUN BELT
Senior Mason Holt was named First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference Monday afternoon following a vote of the conference's head coaches. He is the first Warhawk to be named First-Team All-SBC since Chad Bell in 2019.

The Coppell, Texas, native is the fourth ULM player to hit 15 or more home runs while stealing 10 or more bases in a single season, marking the fifth such occurrence in program history. Corey Taylor accomplished the feat twice, in 1996 (15 home runs, 22 stolen bases) and 1998 (19 home runs, 29 stolen bases). Ben Soignier joined the club in 2008 (16 home runs, 13 stolen bases) and Jon Prevost was the last player to accomplish the feat in 2009 (15 home runs, 20 stolen bases).

He is slashing .323/.419/.632 with 16 home runs, 15 doubles, three triples, 39 RBIs, 50 runs scored, 31 walks and 14 stolen bases. His 16 home runs rank tied for third in a single season in ULM history. He leads ULM in batting average, slugging percentage, hits (72), runs scored, doubles, home runs and total bases (139). He is tied for second in the SBC in home runs, third in total bases, seventh in hits, tied for seventh in triples, eighth in slugging percentage and 10th in stolen bases. 

Inside SBC play, his slash line improved to .347/.444/.719 with 11 of his 16 homers, eight of his 14 doubles, two of his three triples, 23 of his 39 RBIs, 28 of his 49 runs, 19 of his 31 walks and eight of his 14 stolen bases. He is one of four players in the SBC to have 10 or more home runs and 10 or more stolen bases. 

He has 22 multi-hit games and had a 23-game reached base streak. He is one of two Warhawks (Grant Schulz) to start all 55 games.

In his last 10 games, Holt is hitting .359/.468/.846 with five home runs, four doubles, nine RBIs, 13 runs scored, seven walks and four stolen bases.

SCHULZ GETTING HOT AT THE PLATE
After a bit of a mid-season slump, ULM senior third baseman Grant Schulz is finding his stroke at the plate down the stretch.

Schulz has hit safely in 16 of the last 18 games after having a 12-game hitting streak broken up on May 14 at South Alabama. Over the last 10 games, he is hitting .341 (14-for-41) with three home runs, 13 RBIs, 10 runs scored, five walks and four stolen bases.

On Tuesday vs. Georgia State, Schulz hit a game-tying 2-run home run in the top of the eighth inning as ULM went on to the 8-5 victory to advance to the double-elimination bracket.

In the series against Arkansas State, he had two hits with an RBI and two runs scored on Friday before adding three hits, with a home run, and matched a career-high with four RBIs while scoring twice on Saturday. Despite going 0-for-4 on Sunday, he added an RBI. He has at least one RBI in eight of the last nine games.

Schulz had three hits with an RBI in the 13-2 win over Jackson State at Warhawk Field on May 11. From May 6-8 vs. Texas State, he led the team going 5-for-12 (.417) with three RBIs, one run scored and two walks. He hit a solo home run and added a walk at Northwestern State on May 10.

He is slashing .293/.335/.419 on the season. He leads the team in RBIs (44) and sacrifice flies (five). He is second on the team in hits (67), home runs (six) and total bases (96) and third in doubles (nine).

Schulz was selected to Perfect Game's Sun Belt Conference Preseason Team at designated hitter.

Schulz led the Warhawks with a .333 batting average in 2021, which ranked fifth in the Sun Belt Conference. He had 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 30 RBIs, 22 runs scored and 12 walks while playing in 42 games with 35 starts on the season. Schulz was a big part of ULM's late-season surge. Schulz hit a team-best .440 (33-for-75) from April 18 to May 28 with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 18 runs scored, five walks and two stolen bases. In that span, Schulz raised his batting average from .185 to lead the team at .333. He hit safely in nine of the last 10 games with six multi-hit games in that stretch.

HENRY PICKING UP THE PACE
Senior outfielder Trace Henry has broken out at the plate over the last three weeks for ULM. Over the last 10 games for the Warhawks, Henry is hitting .351 (13-for-37) with three doubles, six RBIs, four runs scored, six walks and five stolen bases.

His batting average dipped to .231 on April 15 and has since rebounded to .288. He has seven multi-hit games over the last 18 contests, including three hits on Saturday with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored vs. Arkansas State.

He has reached base safely in 20 of the last 21 games after having a 14-game reached base streak snapped May 13 at South Alabama. He then had three hits May 14 to resume his hot streak.

Henry is tied for third in the Sun Belt Conference with 21 stolen bases.

DEAVILLE PROVIDES OFFENSIVE BOOST
Senior Colby Deaville entered the starting lineup on Saturday, March 5, against New Orleans and provided an immediate boost to the ULM offense. Deaville, who started 31 games at shortstop in 2021, is slashing .302/.406/.419, all ranking third on the team.

Against Georgia State on Tuesday, he had a bunt single and scored on a squeeze play on a bunt by sophomore Chase DeJean to give ULM a 6-5 lead.

He has 14 multi-hit games after posting just five such games in the previous two seasons combined. He had career highs with four hits and three RBIs to go with two doubles, two runs scored, a walk and a steal on March 5 vs. UNO. He added two hits in the series finale vs. the Privateers on March 6. On March 9 vs. Northwestern State, he tacked on two hits with a double, RBI and run scored. On March 12 at Nicholls, he had two hits, including a home run, with an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases. He had three hits, including a solo home run, with a walk and a stolen base at Coastal Carolina on March 19. He had two hits with an RBI single on March 25 vs. Georgia State before adding a solo home run on March 27. He tallied two hits with a double, was hit by a pitch and scored three runs at SFA on April 4. He was the only Warhawk to hit safely in all three games in the weekend series vs. Troy, collecting two hits in each of the last two games, going 5-for-16 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored vs. the Trojans from April 8-10. He tallied two hits in each of the final two games of the series vs. App State on April 23-24, including an RBI with a run scored in the series finale. He had three hits for the third time this season and scored three runs with a walk and two stolen bases at Little Rock on April 30. He collected two hits, including a double, and scored twice at Northwestern State on May 11. He opened the series against Arkansas State on Thursday with two hits, an home run, RBI and three runs scored.

RYAN CUPIT DOING RYAN CUPIT THINGS
Senior Ryan Cupit tied the school record for walks in a season with his walk in the fourth inning Tuesday vs. Georgia State.

Cupit has walked 57 times in 2022, tying Terry Mathews' record of 57, set in 1987. They are the only two ULM/NLU players to walk more than 50 times in a single season. Cupit has walked 19 times over the last 15 games.

After spending two seasons as one of the first players off the bench for ULM, Cupit has taken over as the starting left fielder for the Warhawks. 

The West Monroe, Louisiana, native ranks 40th nationally while leading ULM and ranking second in the Sun Belt Conference with a .485 on-base percentage. He also ranks third nationally and leads ULM and the SBC in base on balls (57), while ranking third nationally and leading the SBC in base on balls per game (1.06). His 57 walks are 19 more than the next closest player in the SBC (Justin Thompson, Texas State, 38). 

He had a streak of nine consecutive games with at least one walk drawn snapped on April 4 at SFA, when he went 3-for-6 with a double, RBI and a run scored. He had a season-high four walks vs. New Orleans on March 5. 

He is hitting .307 at the plate (54-for-176), which ranks second on the team, with eight doubles, three triples, 17 RBIs, 40 runs scored, six stolen bases and has been hit by a pitch four times.

In addition to the record-tying walk, Cupit hit a game-tying RBI single in the fifth inning Tuesday vs. Georgia State at the SBC Championship.

He tallied his 14th multi-hit game with two hits, an RBI, run scored and two walks on Thursday vs. Arkansas State. He was 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs scored and two stolen bases on Friday against the Red Wolves. He added a walk in Saturday's series finale.

Cupit had his 13th multi-hit game of the season with two hits, including a double, with a run scored and a sacrifice bunt on May 14 at South Alabama.

Against Jackson State on May 11, he was 2-for-5 at the plate with his second two-RBI game of the season, driving in both runs on a base hit in the eighth inning to invoke the run-rule. He also added a walk and a stolen base.

At Louisiana Tech, he hit an RBI double in the first inning and added an RBI ground in the fourth inning for his first multi-RBI game of the season and second 2-RBI game of his career (at App State, 2021).

In the series at Little Rock, he walked five times, including going 1-for-2 with three walks and two runs scored on May 1. He had his second 11-game reached base streak of the season snapped in the series opener on April 29.

Cupit has appeared in 54 of 55 games with 50 starts and has reached base safely in 49 games. 

ORTON SLAMS THE DOOR
Redshirt sophomore right-hander Carson Orton earned his sixth save of the season on April 26 at McNeese, pitching a scoreless ninth inning, allowing a hit with two strikeouts. It marked the 15th save of his career, moving him into third place on the career saves list at ULM, passing Bobby Carro with 14 saves from 2001-02. He trails Anthony Herrera's 23 saves from 2015-17 and Mark Wisniewski's 20 saves from 1982-85.

His nine saves last season ranks third in a single season in ULM history, tied with Carro's 2001 season. With one more save, Orton will become the second pitcher with two seasons ranking inside the Top 10 in saves in program history, joining Herrera.

The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native is 2-1 with six saves in 2022 with a 3.89 ERA over 34 2/3 innings, spread across 24 appearances. He has allowed 19 runs, 15 earned, on 43 hits with 34 strikeouts to 17 walks.

BARLOW TO MAKE SECOND START VS. TEXAS STATE
ULM head coach Michael Federico has decided to start redshirt sophomore left-hander Cam Barlow in Friday night's game against No. 9 Texas State. On May 6 vs. No. 15 Texas State, Barlow grinded threw five innings on 104 pitches, allowing two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks, taking a no-decision.
 
Barlow started the series opener on the first 13 weekends of the season before sticking with his Friday spot last week against Arkansas State. The Halls, Tennessee, native is 2-6 this season with a 5.38 ERA over 72 innings, allowing 50 runs, 43 earned, on 78 hits with 61 strikeouts and 30 walks. In his last start on May 20 vs. Arkansas State, he allowed five runs, all in the first inning, before settling down and grinding through 4 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits with two strikeouts and four walks. On May 13 at South Alabama, he allowed seven runs, five earned, on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks. On April 29 at Little Rock, he allowed two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk over 5 1/3 innings. On April 22 vs. App State, he allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts, suffering a tough-luck loss after throwing 5 2/3 innings in a 5-1 Warhawk loss. He pitched a career-high 7 1/3 innings and 100 pitches on April 8 vs. Troy, allowing six runs, four earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and one walk. He took a no-decision in the March 25 5-3 win in 11 innings over Georgia State, pitching six innings while allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. He earned back-to-back wins, throwing 5 2/3 innings March 18 at Coastal Carolina, allowing an unearned run on one hit with two strikeouts and a career-high six walks, but he induced three double play balls behind him to help get out of trouble. He gave up three runs in five innings for the win at Nicholls on March 11. In last year's series opener in Jonesboro, Barlow struggled, suffering the loss after allowing eight runs on six hits with one strikeout and two walks in 1 1/3 innings.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING
ULM enters Wednesday's game against Texas State with two hitting streaks of five-or-more games and four reached base streaks of five-or-more games.

Senior Trace Henry is riding a six-game hitting streak, including three hits in his final game at Warhawk Field on Saturday against Arkansas State. Senior Mason Holt is on a five-game hitting streak and a 10-game reached base streak.

Sophomore Michelle Artzberger has reached base safely in 12 consecutive games, marking his second reached base streak of 12 games this year. Senior Ryan Cupit has reached base in each of the last 10 games.

SEVEN WARHAWKS PLAYING IN FINAL SBC CHAMPIONSHIP
ULM's 2022 roster features seven seniors that are playing in their final SBC Championship. Ryan Cupit, Colby Deaville, Trace Henry, Mason Holt, Tyler Lien, Grant Schulz and Lucas Wepf are each set for their final appearance at the SBC Championship this week.

Four of the seven graduated with bachelors degrees in the fall of 2021. Cupit received a bachelors degree in kinesiology with an emphasis on sports management, Henry earned a bachelors degree in ag business, while Holt and Wepf graduated with bachelors degrees in general studies. Deaville and Schulz graduated this spring, with Deaville earning a bachelors degree in business administration and Schulz in general studies. Lien earned his Master of Business Administration.

Cupit, Deaville, Henry, Holt, Schulz and Wepf each played three seasons at ULM, while Lien played four seasons at ULM.

WARHAWK WALK-OFF
ULM has picked up three walk-off wins this season.

ULM posted its first walk-off by run-rule of the season on May 11 vs. Jackson State. Ryan Cupit hit a 2-RBI single up the middle to put the Warhawks ahead 13-2 in the eighth inning, ending the contest. 

The Warhawks picked up their second walk-off of the year on April 20. In the 10th inning, sophomore Chase DeJean hit a sacrifice fly to deep left center, scoring senior Trace Henry to defeat McNeese, 4-3.

ULM junior Travis Washburn brought an end to the March 25 5-3 ULM win over Georgia State, hitting a 2-run walk-off home run to right field in the bottom of the 11th inning. It was his third home run of the season and capped a two-hit, three-RBI night for the junior.

SEVEN WARHAWKS PLAYING IN FINAL SBC CHAMPIONSHIP
ULM's 2022 roster features seven seniors that are playing in their final SBC Championship. Ryan Cupit, Colby Deaville, Trace Henry, Mason Holt, Tyler Lien, Grant Schulz and Lucas Wepf are each set for their final appearance at the SBC Championship this week.

Four of the seven graduated with bachelors degrees in the fall of 2021. Cupit received a bachelors degree in kinesiology with an emphasis on sports management, Henry earned a bachelors degree in ag business, while Holt and Wepf graduated with bachelors degrees in general studies. Deaville and Schulz graduated this spring, with Deaville earning a bachelors degree in business administration and Schulz in general studies. Lien earned his Master of Business Administration.

Cupit, Deaville, Henry, Holt, Schulz and Wepf each played three seasons at ULM, while Lien played four seasons at ULM.

LOCAL CONNECTIONS
The 2022 ULM roster features seven players from inside Ouachita Parish. The Warhawks have four players who attended West Monroe High School (senior Ryan Cupit, sophomore Chase DeJean and Carson Jones and freshman Lane Little), two from Sterlington High School (redshirt freshman Adam Tubbs and true freshman William Perkins) and one from Ouachita Parish High School (true freshman Zach Shaw). Overall, the Warhawks have 17 players hailing from the state of Louisiana.

O CANADA!
The 2021 ULM baseball roster features two players from Canada: pitcher Tylor Jans (Edmonton, Alberta) and pitcher Lucas Wepf (Brampton, Ontario).