HAMMOND - The wait is over for head coach Jay Artigues and his team. The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team is ready to ring in the new season by welcoming the defending Ohio Valley Conference champion and 2008 NCAA Lincoln, Neb. Regional participant Eastern Illinois Panthers to Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
"Our kids are really anxious to get out there and start the season," Artigues said. "We're tired of intrasquading against each other, and we're excited to face someone else."
The Lions will be looking to pick up where they left off in 2008. After a 34 win season in 2007, last year's Southeastern squad recorded 32 wins, marking the first time since 1996 (34) and 1997 (34) that the Lions recorded consecutive 30-win seasons.
Led by a pitching staff that featured eventual MLB first round draft pick Wade Miley, Southeastern claimed the 2008 SLC staff ERA (4.22) and strikeout titles (4.81) en route to a trip to the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals. However, Artigues remains confident that this year's squad is ready to build on last year's success.
However, the Lions will face a stiff challenge right from the start. Eastern Illinois returns all but one starter from last year's squad that claimed the OVC title and went to the 2008 Lincoln Regional.
After sweeping the Panthers in three straight to open last season, Artigues and his team know they will have their work cut out for them again if they hope to open 2009 in the same fashion.
"Eastern Illinois is a good team," Artigues said. "They are a very veteran ballclub and they only lost one starter. They're very well-coached and they are a very offensive ballclub. So they present a lot of interesting challenges. It's a long season, but I want to see how our guys respond when the lights come on against a solid team like this."
With 17 letterwinners, six starters and nine pitchers of his own returning, Artigues' confidence in his club appears to be well-founded, and with 21 newcomers expected to contribute depth to the team, the Lions believe they have one of their deepest squads ever assembled ready to take the field.
"I'm really excited about this year's team," Artigues said. "We have really tremendous leadership on this club. Our best leaders are also our best players. We have a good mix of newcomers and returners and guys like (senior shortstop) Ty Summerlin, (senior outfielder) Brandon Street and (senior right handed starter) Chris Cappo have done a tremendous job of demonstrating leadership in the offseason and helping to pull this team together. It's given us a dyanamic and makeup that we need."
Cappo (1-2, 3 saves, 4.31 ERA in 2008) will get the nod on opening day against Eastern Illinois sophomore right hander Josh Mueller, looking to help get the Lions off to a fast start.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Live stats and streaming audion will be available at www.LionSports.net and fans in Hammond can listen in on KSLU 90.9 FM.
Reduced admission is available to all business persons, including Southeastern employees who give their business card at the ticket booth, and Aramark Concessions will be offering $1.00 hot dogs all day.
NOTES
Ty Summerlin begins the 2009 campaign approaching some milestones.
With 193 career hits, Summerlin is just seven hits shy of becoming the third Lion (along with Macky Waguespack and Joe Labruzzo) to collect 200 career hits.
Summerlin needs 18 hits to break the school career hits record of 210, currently held by Waguespack.
With 118 career runs scored, Summerlin enters 2009 in seventh place in the school record book in that category. The Vancleave, Miss. native needs 32 runs to break the school career runs scored record of 149 currently held by Kenny Langlois.
