St. Edmund product excited to be back after telling Rangers no.

LOUISIANA La. - Eight months ago, Kevin Ardoin faced the biggest decision of his young life.

The number on pitcher on the University of Louisiana's 2004 baseball squad had been picked in the 12th round of major league baseball's free agent draft, and he had a choice - sign with the pitching-starved Texas Rangers, or return for his senior year with the Ragin' Cajuns.

"I really didn't know what I was going to do for a while," said the Eunice and St. Edmund High product. "Even after I made a decision, I found myself questioning it and wondering if I'd done the right thing."

What Ardoin finally decided was to finish out his collegiate career, and he'll make the first appearance of his final college season tonight when he makes UL's Opening Day start for the second straight year.

Cajun coach Tony Robichaux will hand Ardoin the ball for tonight's 6:30 p.m. season opener against La. Tech at Moore Field, just like he did almost 12 months ago to the day when UL opened with a 4-1 win over UL Monroe. Ardoin didn't get a win in that game, but struck out eight in five innings and scattered four hits.

"Every Friday night, you know what you're going to get out of him," Robichaux said of the senior righthander. "He's going to set the tempo, let our hitters settle in and most of the time go deep into the game and let us get through the lineup a couple of times."

Ardoin finished 2004 with a 6-2 record and a 3.30 ERA, a mark that ranked him fourth in the Sun Belt Conference among starters. He had three complete games and fanned 95 batters and walked only 22 in 106 innings.

And he now says he's a much stronger pitcher.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com