Merendino stands tall
Over the last 10 days, Justin Merendino's been walking tall.
Tall in Merendino's case is a relative term, since he's generously listed as 5-foot-8 on the University of Louisiana's baseball roster. But the numbers the Ragin' Cajun second baseman has posted recently are large.
Over the last five games, Merendino has 11 hits in 21 at-bats. Four of the hits have been for extra bases, and the senior from Humble, Texas, had his third three-hit game of the season Wednesday in UL's 14-5 victory over Sam Houston State.
It's a far cry from mid-March . and even mid-April, when "Dino" was hitting .246. That's more than 100 points below the .348 average he compiled in his junior season.
"I got into some bad habits," Merendino said, "and when the hits weren't coming I was pressing."
The recent hot streak has bounced him back up to .286, and that mark could get even higher when he and his Cajun teammates head to hitting nirvana for this weekend's Sun Belt Conference series at New Mexico State.
His recent success hasn't gone unnoticed.
"We've done a lot of things this year without his bat," said Cajun coach Tony Robichaux. "Now that we're getting him on track, it's huge for our lineup, and we're going to need him for the stretch run."
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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com
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Re: Merendino stands tall
Originally Posted by J-Town Cajun
