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Published Feb 22, 2021
Baseball set to open 2021 season
Cody Futrell
Staff Writer

The ULM baseball team has been out of competitive baseball for more than ten months after the COVID-19 pandemic halted the 2020 season with ULM a salty 12-5 and playing some of it's best baseball in a decade for fourth-year coach Michael Federico. That changes Wednesday at 6 pm when ULM welcomes Northwestern State to Warhawk Field.

The offense should be something to write home about too. ULM led the Sun Belt.conference in hitting on a .311 team average in 2020.

While the pitching may not be as set in stone, the Warhawks return every position starter in 2021 including All-Conference senior Andrew Beesley.

The Natchez, Mississippi native was second on the team and fifth in the SBC with a .400 batting average in 2020. Beasley also belted four doubles, one triple, one home run, 15 RBIs and 14 runs scored while finishing a perfect five-for-five in stolen bases. He compiled a solid .565 on base percentage

Beesley is not alone. Ryan Humeniuk also hit over .400 last season along with Division I game experience. Humeniuk along with outfielder Mason Holt, infielder Wiley Cleland and infielder Danny DeSimone have taken a.lot of batting and fielding in game situations for the Warhawks.

Despite all the offensive fireworks back in the clubhouse for the Warhawks, the club is picked to finish fifth in the West Division and ninth overall in the Sun Belt Conference.

The starting pitching is led by presumptive ace Ty Barnes then their will be plenty of innings for lefties like Cam Barlow and Tyler Lein as well a right-hander Tylor Jans. Ty Barton is the leader out of the bullpen but it is the biggest unknown after graduation hit the bullpen the hardest