ULM opens conference play at Texas State
There wasn't anything for ULM baseball coach Bruce Peddie to tell the Warhawks following Tuesday's 7-0 loss at Northwestern State.
Sometimes all you can do is chalk it up to the game, shrug your shoulders and say, ''that's baseball.'' Men have spent lifetimes trying to figure out its arcane secrets, but that's also enough to drive anyone insane.
Brayden Bouchey went five innings for ULM — ''good innings'' according to Peddie — allowing just one earned run, but two and three-run innings followed in the seventh and eighth innings.
ULM wasn't having many issues at the plate either, instead it was after making contact. Every time a Warhawk batter put the ball in play, there was Northwestern center fielder Nick Heath to run it down.
By Peddie's count, Heath probably ran down four-to-six balls that would have gone for doubles.
But ''that's baseball.''
"I even told the kids that after the game. There wasn't anything else to say. (Heath) just had our number," Peddie said. "We squared up balls early and he ran them down. It was just one of those games.
"We would have liked to have kept that momentum (from the Sam Houston State sweep) going into the weekend but we'll be fine."
After making a quick stop back in Monroe, the Warhawks (6-4) are back on the road to open Sun Belt conference play with a weekend series at Texas State.
The Bobcats (3-8-1) stumbled out of the gate after being tabbed in the preseason to finish second in the league behind the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and are currently mired in a three-game losing skid.
Despite its struggles, Peddie was still impressed with Texas State's pitching, lead by preseason Sun Belt pitcher of the year Lucas Humpal, a junior right-hander.
"The thing that everyone knew going into the season is they have very good starting pitching but I'm not sure what's happened with them," Peddie said. "That's the reality of this sometimes is you can't figure it out. You have the right guys in place and it just doesn't happen. I've been there and that's frustrating."
The Warhawks got the series win over Texas State last year in Monroe, but the Bobcats ended ULM's 2014 season in an elimination game at the Sun Belt tournament.
Peddie said it was good for ULM to get four pitchers some work against Northwestern State and he liked what he got from both Bouchey and reliever Conner Fiasco.
Right-handed pitcher Alex Hermeling will get the start on Friday fresh off a complete-game shutout on 99 pitches in his last outing against Sam Houston.
Right-hander Brandon Bell and lefty Trey Setzer will start for ULM on Saturday and Sunday.
Steals and baserunning have been among Peddie's priorities going into the series. Texas State has allowed opponents to steal 36 of 45 bases so far in 2015, an 80 percent success rate.
"That's something we're going to have to take advantage of," Peddie said. "We know from last year it's going to be a battle but I expect a good effort out of our kids."
First pitch from San Marcos on Friday is set for 6 p.m. with 3 p.m. and 1 p.m. start times on Saturday and Sunday. All three games can be heard on KMLB 540 AM.
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