<blockquote><p align=justify>
Now that UL baseball has pieced together a three-game winning streak, the Cajuns are rolling going into this weekend's Sun Belt Conference-opening series at Arkansas State.
UL (4-5-1) has found success after a rough start despite having to make some major changes to its lineup.
Two projected starters - sophomore outfielder and No. 2 hitter Matt Goulas (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) and junior shortstop Will Long (deep thigh bruise) - have yet to play this season due to injury. Goulas, second in multiple offensive categories last year, is expected to redshirt this season. Long is out for at least another two weeks because of muscle bleeding.
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090306/SPORTS/903060333/1006" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
Joshua Parrott •
jparrott@theadvertiser.com • March 6, 2009
<!--
Kyle Olasin, expected to hit leadoff and start in center field, missed the season's first five games after undergoing hand surgery in the preseason. The junior college transfer has yet to start this season but has played five games as a late-inning defensive replacement with one hit in four at-bats.
Outfielder/first baseman Chance Harst, who was second on the club last year with nine homers, has missed the past five games with a stomach issue. The earliest the junior, who normally hits third in the lineup, could return is after next week. He is hitting .158 in five games this year.
Despite all that adversity, UL can even its record with a win at 6 tonight against Arkansas State (2-5) in the first of a three-game set in Jonesboro, Ark.
"Going into the Christmas break, we felt pretty good having our lead-off hitter in Olasin, No. 2 hitter in Goulas and No. 3 hitter in Harst (healthy)," UL coach Tony Robichaux said. "Then all of a sudden one, two and three are gone.
"Guys have to continue to step up and help pick up where those guys left off."
UL picked up the offensive pace after struggling to produce hits during crunch time through the season's first seven games. After going 1-2-1 against Nebraska, losing at home to Southeastern Louisiana and dropping two of three at Southern Miss, the Cajuns finally caught fire at the plate in the past five days.
Since that tough opening stretch, UL has won three in a row and out-scored opponents, 26-6. The Cajuns have racked up 26 runs and 30 hits in those three games.
After beating Southern Miss 7-5 on Sunday, UL followed with back-to-back wins over Houston and Texas Southern at home this week. The most recent gem came in Wednesday's 13-0 win over Texas Southern as six Cajun pitchers combined for a shutout and allowed only three hits.
UL has gotten some strong production from other players with Goulas, Long and Harst out and Olasin just starting to get some at-bats.
Preseason all-Sun Belt designated hitter Scott Hawkins has three homers and nine RBIs. Sophomore Greg Fontenot is hitting .351 at shortstop with his 13 hits more than doubling his career total (six) coming into the season. Freshman right fielder Les Smith is second on the club with eight RBIs.
Freshman designated hitter/outfielder Alex Fuselier is second on the team with a .364 batting average. Sophomore outfielder Travis Whipple is hitting .324 with a team-high seven runs scored.
Arkansas State, now under the direction of first-year coach Tommy Raffo, will likely provide a stiffer challenge than Texas Southern despite coming off an 8-21-1 season. The Red Wolves have struggled this week with 11-5 losses to 14th-ranked Ole Miss and Murray State.
Last year, Arkansas State embarrassed UL at home by taking the three-game set. It marked the first time that the Cajuns were swept at home in a conference series since 2000.
This year, UL was picked fifth in the preseason conference poll. Arkansas State was 10th in the poll.
Arkansas State will throw right-hander Chase Ware, a preseason all-conference selection, tonight against UL righty Zach Osborne.
Ware is one of 10 seniors and 18 returning lettermen for the Red Wolves. That experience could make them a dangerous team come conference play under Raffo, who as an assistant helped Mississippi State make three trips to the College World Series.
"We've got 10 seniors back and a lot of position players who have seen action," Raffo said in the preseason. "Anytime you have guys who have played a full season in any conference, it can be a help because they know the expectations and what it takes to win."
-->
