By JJ Sledge
(Louisiana Tech hosts Kennesaw State in a 3-game series at JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park tonight (6 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.))
In the blink of an eye, they’re essentially halfway home.
After the first “half” of the season, the Diamond Dogs sit at an unexpected 15-10 and 2-1 in conference play (at the time of this article). For the first time in years, Coach Burroughs has had to figure out who can play certain positions as only three regular starters returned from the 2024 team. But despite several bumps in the road, you can see the pieces starting to come together. After traveling to watch the team play Sam Houston in Huntsville, it’s clear that the lineup is getting to where it needs to be.
Now I know it’s easy to want to overreact and criticize and complain about where the team is now. And it makes it harder to hold in those feelings when you’ve seen a team go to three regionals in four years. But this season is far from over. Looking back, all three of those regional teams had bumps in the road along the way and some inexplicable losses. But they rebounded to finish strong. And I believe this team can do the same.
Now on to the superlatives:
The Good:
- Transfer Players: There have been a few pleasant surprises so far out of the transfer portal. Garrison Berkley definitely leads this list. A graduate transfer who previously played at TCU and UT-Arlington, Berkley leads the team in batting average, number of hits and most extra base hits. Berkley has also made a few key plays from his centerfield spot. Although he’s had some bumps recently, Luke Cooley- a transfer from East Central Community College- had a very hot start and currently leads the pitching staff in strikeouts. And transfer catchers Eli Berch and Matt Houston have both done an exceptional job in taking over behind the plate for Tech legend Jorge Corona.
- Young Guns: To say some of the younger members (or of the team have shined would be an understatement. Freshman Brooks Roberson currently leads the pitching staff in ERA and has proven his toughness in some difficult spots. Most notably, he came in as a relief pitcher against Southern Miss and only allowed 1 run in just under 6 innings of work. He also pitched a gem at Wichita State to help clinch the series. Sophomore Colton Coates has been red hot at the plate and currently is tied with Berkley for most hits on the team. Fellow sophomore and Ruston native Cade Patterson is second on the team with 4 home runs, including a grand slam that helped clinch a win against Memphis.
The Not-So-Good:
- “Taking their lumps”: It hasn’t been the start many predicted. There have been some unexpected losses, including losing several home games in not-so-great fashion. Now it’s very possible that some of the teams Tech has lost to will be better than expected (South Alabama has since defeated a top 25 team and nearly upset another in a game that went to extra innings). But again, this is a team that had to find its footing and figure out how the pieces would fit. And those pieces are now starting to lock into place. I believe Coach Burroughs has figured out his lineup moving forward.
- Pen problems: Going into the season, I think most thought the Tech bullpen would be its strong suit as the rest of the lineup settled in. Tech had several arms that had helped contribute to that success of the 2024 team that made a regional. There were also several new arms that were highly touted in fall ball. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to have fully transferred over to the spring. Now while I will admit that there have been some bad umpires at times this year behind the plate, which I know affects confidence, it cannot be blamed on that one aspect. Not sure what is going on, but hopefully it will get turned around as conference play gets into full swing.
The Ugly:
- I recently found out that some members of the Tech baseball program have been getting intensely harassed by phone calls, texts and social media posts. That is beyond ridiculous, and the fact people think that’s ok is absurd. Some of the harassment required making some moves by said program members to help prevent that.
Now I’m assuming that most of the harassment was from either sports bettors, “burner accounts” and trolls who clearly need a reality check. They love to pop up on Twitter (or “X” as its now known) whenever Tech loses in certain sports and go on expletive laced tirades directed at coaches or players. Unfortunately, this has become a trend by those types of people. I know the NCAA has recently released commercials regarding it, and one player in the NCAA Basketball Tournament even said he’d gotten death threats for his performances this year.
Forgive my quick soapbox, but some of y’all need to chill out. Every player and every coach are imperfect human beings who will make mistakes. Yes those mistakes can be frustrating, especially when a game is close or near the end. But at the end of the day, they have to live with those mistakes. Some of those may haunt them for days or even longer. One mistake can affect their performance for the entire season. And when you feel anger, take a step back and touch some grass. A little kindness or patience goes a long way.
As I said earlier, this is a long season. Tech still has over 30 games remaining as I write this article. There are eight conference series left, along with several mid-week games against in-state opponents. And at least half of those 30 games will be in Ruston. It’s clear things are starting to come together and players are finding their groove. Be patient with them and let’s see what happens.
One last reminder to fans: even if your team isn’t doing well, they still deserve support. If you’re not going to show up, please sell or give away your tickets. There’s always someone who wants to watch a game.
