TROY, Ala. - As he walked off the field for the final time wearing a UL uniform, Scott Hawkins admitted that he cannot see the future for the Cajun baseball program. The senior first baseman/designated hitter has yet to buy a crystal ball. He doesn't regularly consult a swami.

Hawkins, though, knows this: The ups and downs endured by a young team in 2009 should pay big dividends for next season.

"Struggling only makes you better," Hawkins said following Saturday's 6-2 loss to No. 1 seed Middle Tennessee in a bracket final at the Sun Belt tournament. "The coaches do a great job. They've got a lot of position players returning.

The rest of the story

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • May 25, 2009