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Going into this baseball season, UL coach Tony Robichaux expected big things from outfielders Kyle Olasin and Matt Goulas.
Olasin, a junior transfer from Delgado Junior College, was set to start in center field and hit lead-off in the lineup. Goulas, a sophomore who played at Catholic High of New Iberia, would start in right field and hit in the No. 2 hole.
Those plans quickly changed in late January as both Olasin and Goulas underwent surgery for different health issues. Now both players are back in the lineup, looking to provide the spark the Cajuns (7-9-1 overall, 1-4 Sun Belt) need to erase their early season frustrations.
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090319/SPORTS/903190333/1006" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
Joshua Parrott •
jparrott@theadvertiser.com • March 19, 2009
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They got off to a good start in UL's 10-2 win Tuesday over McNeese State.
Olasin logged three hits, including two homers on inside fastballs, and three RBIs. Goulas went 2-for-4 with one RBI as the designated hitter in his first action of the season. That helped the Cajuns rebound from a tough offensive performance last weekend after having more strikeouts than hits (18-to-13) in two losses to Florida Atlantic.
"Hitting really is contagious," Goulas said. "Once one guy starts hitting, everybody starts hitting. I'm just glad to be back."
Goulas admitted that he was surprised to be back so early after his surgery. He had the first rib on his right side removed after being diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. That was expected to relieve pressure on the nerves and arteries on that side of his body.
There was a chance that Goulas, a starter last year who finished in the top two on the team in multiple categories, would sit out this season and apply for a medical redshirt. But that was never the plan for the gritty native of New Iberia.
"While the team was gone on road trips, no one saw how hard I was working," Goulas said. "I would listen to them playing on the radio while I was working out and trying to get healthy as fast as I could.
"It just worked out."
Goulas, who hit .288 last year with seven homers and 31 RBIs, began doing some light tossing this week but is probably another two weeks from playing in the field. Still, having his bat back in the lineup will likely help the Cajuns improve on their .246 batting average - the worst in the Sun Belt - going into this weekend's series against Arkansas-Little Rock (7-10, 3-3).
Olasin is also improving every day after having surgery to remove the hook of the hamate bone in his right hand. The injury happened when he fouled off a pitch during the team's Fall World Series.
After missing the season's first four games, Olasin returned as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement. He's been in the starting lineup the past two weeks and shook off a 0-for-5 showing last weekend against FAU with his breakout outing against McNeese.
Now he's starting to show flashes of his junior college form. As a freshman at Enterprise-Ozarks (Ala.) Community College in 2007, he finished second in NJCAA Division I in batting average at .453 and stole 37 bases. Last year at Delgado, he hit .344 with 23 stolen bases.
"I didn't see live pitching for three months, so it was kind of weird when I got back in the box," said Olasin, now hitting .259 and second on the club with two homers in 12 games. "I know the team needs me to adjust really quick.
"Last night felt pretty good to have a good game."
Robichaux is glad to have both Olasin and Goulas in the lineup. Olasin brings speed to the field and the bases and has a strong bat. Goulas has the toughness the team has lacked through an early up-and-down start.
"Having both of those guys back really helped us (against McNeese)," Robichaux said. "The good thing is the healthier they'll get, the better they'll get."
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