by Malcolm Butler
A total of eight college baseball programs will converge on the 318 this week as the 2024 Conference USA Championships get underway Wednesday at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
It’s a baseball junkies dream come true.
For the second time in four years, Louisiana Tech fans will have the best seats in the house — in this case the Love Shack — to watch up to 15 games over a five day stretch, culminating with Sunday’s winner-take-all title game.
Due to my softball responsibilities at Tech, I have not been able to see as many Bulldog baseball games in person as I would have liked. But thanks to technology, mostly ESPN+ and even at times the vocal talents of Dave Nitz and Teddy Allen, I’ve been able to watch or listen to the vast majority of them.
And as I wrote last week, I like the make-up of this Bulldog team. If Lane Burroughs’ boys play up to their capabilities, this Sunday at the Love Shack could be one big Bulldog Party. But only time will tell.
One thing I do know, the 2021 CUSA Championship that was hosted in Ruston will be hard to match in a lot of ways.
Tech fans will never forget elimination Saturday in 2021. The Bulldogs led by the bats of Hunter Wells, Parker Bates, Steele Netterville, Taylor Young, Manny Garcia and an arsenal of eventual major league arms had to find a way to beat their hated rivals in the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss … not once, but twice.
The two teams had already played nine times (that’s not a typo) that season, including four-game regular season series in both Hattiesburg and Ruston. They had also met on that Thursday of the CUSA Tournament, with USM coming away with the 4-1 win.
Now on a win-or-go-home Saturday for the Dogs, the magic of the rally train and the Love Shack was in full display before a sellout crowd of mostly Tech fans, although there was just enough of the gold and black to create a noise nuisance when the Golden Eagles would make a play.
In my 25 years of working in Tech Athletics and another 20 as a young Bulldog fan, I have had the enjoyment of experiencing some unbelievable moments.
I was on the sideline in the endzone for the Brian Stallworth to Sean Cangelosi TD pass that will never be forgotten. I was in attendance for Ryan Moats 256-yard, 4-TD performance to lead the Bulldogs, the real Bulldogs, to a 28-21 win over Fresno State’s puppies at Joe Aillet Stadium more than 20 years ago.
I’ve been at countless Lady Techster basketball wins. I think of Trina Frierson’s two free throws with less than two seconds to play to beat Vanderbilt in the 2000 NCAA Tournament second round game at the TAC. Or Amber Obaze’s half-court bank shot to beat Penn State in not-so-Happy Valley.
Speedy Smith’s putback to beat Iona at the Thomas Assembly in the NIT. Talk about a crowd and the thrill of victory. Or Gerrod Henderson’s three-pointer to down Vanderbilt in the NIT, once again at the TAC.
I was in Hawaii when Tech softball won four 1-run games in four straight days against Top 25 teams to capture the 2008 Western Athletic Conference title. I had a first hand front row seat to the 2022 team’s 5-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Southern Miss 8-7 on the final day of the regular season in route to a regular season league title.
And I could go on and on about moments that I experienced on a first-hand basis with my beloved alma mater.
But, on that Saturday in 2021 when the Diamond Dogs found a pair of movie-script ways to rip out the hearts of Southern Miss fans and defeat a very talented Golden Eagles team twice to stave off elimination is the most exhilarating, memorable moment during my Tech fandom.
Yes. It’s No. 1 on my list.
I was fortunate enough to be on the ESPN+ call with Lyn Rollins for both of the games that day. As a life-long Tech guy, staying unbiased was a challenge throughout the 11-10 and 6-5 victories. It was an emotional roller coaster for Bulldog fans in both games.
Trailing 8-0 midway through game No. 1, Tech put a 6-spt on the board in the bottom of the fifth and eventually came all the way back to lead 10-9 heading to the ninth. The Love Shack came back to life as “Pump It Up” blared through the stadium’s speakers.
However, the roller coaster ride became momentarily nauseous for the Tech faithful when USM led off the ninth with a solo home run to tie the score, ultimately forcing extra innings.
It was just part of the script that made the day so special.
In the bottom of the 10th with the game-winning run standing on second, “Nerves-of-Steele” Netterville drove a ball into the gap in right center to give the Bulldogs the win, staving off elimination.
That game alone would have made Bulldog baseball lore. Rallying from an 8-run deficit against the Dark Side to win in such dramatic fashion isn’t a game Tech fans would soon forget.
But it was just the opening act.
The Bulldogs and the Golden Eagles would face off again, just hours later. The winner would move to Sunday. The loser would lick their wounds and head home.
With both teams bull pens worn thin — Tech was playing its fifth game in four days — pitching was going to be the big question. Enter Greg Martinez.
Martinez and USM’s Ben Ethridge battled pitch for pitch deep into the ball game, until Manny Garcia’s solo shot in the bottom of the eighth gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Tech was three outs away from completing the doubleheader sweep and advancing.
But as Lee Corso says, not so fast my friend.
Southern Miss plated four runs in the top of the ninth to turn the tables. USM led 5-2. The Love Shack faithful sat in silent shock. Possible heartbreak. Talk about a tough ending for what could have been a day of days.
Now, USM was only three outs away from the win.
But these Bulldogs wouldn’t die. After Tech cut the deficit to 5-4 with two outs and the game-winning run standing on second, up to the plate stepped Phil Matulia.
Full count. Pitch delivered. It was like time stood still as the baseball sailed towards home plate.
As Matulia swung and the ball headed towards right center, fans from both teams held their breath. The ball fell. Two runs scored. Tech won 6-5.
The Bulldog faithful went into a frenzy. Tech’s dugout emptied. USM’s dugout looked on in disbelief.
It’s a day that Tech fans will talk about for decades to come.
So as we prepare for the start of the 2024 CUSA Championships on Wednesday, my question is can this year come close to matching the excitement from three years ago?
I like these Bulldogs chances. Tech has won six straight to end the year and is playing arguably its best baseball of the season.
But it’s ball. And anything can happen.
Starting Wednesday morning and running for the next five days, more memories will be made. Tech fans hope they are the type that have the Bulldogs dog-piling come Championship Sunday.
