by JJ Sledge
May 23, 2025. The 2025 Louisiana Tech Baseball season comes to a disappointing close. Despite a winning record for the eighth time in nine seasons under Coach Lane Burroughs, it did not feel like what Tech fans were used to due to the standard Burroughs has set during his tenure in Ruston.
But it is now a new season. The past is left there, and the future is bright.
New Names and Faces in Familiar Places
This might be the biggest “reload” the Tech roster has had in a long time. Just over half of the 44 players on the fall ball roster are new additions to the team. However, all that new talent is also going to potentially provide an incredibly deep roster. In this new era of college sports, it is a tribute to not only the work the Tech baseball staff put in on the recruiting trail, but also their work in keeping several key pieces from the 2025 team. Just from what I saw in Fall Ball, these new players have come to play. They are working their tails off and battling to be daily contributors. I know Coach Burroughs and the rest of the coaching staff were in a “boot camp” mode this fall, pushing the guys hard to make sure they knew what was expected and what was not going to fly. After an early October weekend that included getting chewed out a few times and some running, it seemed to click, and they looked completely different moving forward.
Without giving too much away, here are a few of those new faces I would keep an eye on for the 2026 season:
Pitchers: Hudson Rowan (Jr. transfer from Florida State); Declan Dahl (Jr. transfer from Seminole State College, Oklahoma); Thomas Allen (Freshman from Benton, LA)
Position Players: Casey McCoy (Freshman Infielder from Dutchtown, LA); Colby Lunsford (graduate transfer infielder from ULM); Hayden Gustavson (Jr. transfer catcher/utility from State College of Florida-Manatee)
Also, for the second year in a row, Tech has a new face joining the dugout. Granted, it is not an unfamiliar one to anyone who has watched Tech Baseball over the majority of the past decade. Mike Federico, the former ULM head coach, joined Tech’s staff this offseason as the Director of Player Development. Several players I have talked to are big fans of the hire and have mentioned how Coach Fed is getting to know them on more than just a baseball level. I think Coach Fed’s presence in the dugout is going to be a huge benefit for both coaches and players this season. In the short time I have seen him with the team, I can already see the positive impact he is having.
All that being said, the new NCAA roster rules will make things interesting. Starting in 2026, the NCAA baseball roster is capped at 34 players, which is six less than previous years. In addition, all 34 players can receive a full scholarship if their university chooses to do so. There is also the “designated student athlete,” who will not count against a roster limit but can still be on the team. I am just glad I do not have to deal with all the new rules, because they are confusing. And I do not envy the Tech coaching staff trying to figure them out either.
Fall Ball Games Recap
October 18 vs Mississippi College: To be honest, this was a tale of two (7 inning) games. The first game was a blowout by Tech. The Dogs put up 12 runs, made impressive defensive plays left and right, and limited the Choctaws to just two hits. And while Mississippi College may be a smaller D2 program, they did not quit and gave the Dogs a lot of problems in game two. In a race against the weather (mild shock), the Choctaws figured out a few things in the short 15-20 minute break between games. They took it to Tech pitchers early and took a lead early on that had the Dogs reeling a little. However, a late two run homer gave Tech the jolt it needed to push through. Unfortunately, the weather came a little earlier than expected and the game was called during the 5th inning. While MC is a good team, it is not always easy to figure out what you have until you play a bigger opponent.
November 1 at Mississippi State: In what is the biggest and nicest stadium Tech sees all season; the Diamond Dogs faced their cowbell counterparts under partly cloudy skies (and thankfully no threat of weather). While the Bulldogs from State are in their first year under new head coach Brian O’Connor, any time you play an SEC opponent, you need your best. And despite being a fall ball game, this had the feel of an NCAA Regional. In the nine inning first game, Tech struggled out of the gate and gave up an early lead before finding their footing with a huge five run 5th inning to take command. Some of the pitchers who had previously struggled at times this fall produced clutch performances to escape innings and halt potential runs. Unfortunately, State would get two runs in the bottom of the 9th to take game one by a score of 6-5.
Despite the tough end to game one, Tech showed guts in the seven inning second game and took an early 2-1 lead. It was clear the bad taste of game one was motivation, as Tech would add five total runs during the 4th and 5th innings to expand that lead to 7-4. A questionable call in the 5th (which led to a run), followed by an uncharacteristic 6th inning would give State an 8-7 lead heading into the 7th. But those guts showed up again as Tech fought back to get a run in the top half, before getting a stunning game-ending double play to end the game at an 8-8 tie.
I took away three things from Fall Ball. First, this team is significantly better than the 2025 team was at this point last year. Not to speak negatively, as I am friends with many from last year’s team, but I think this team has gelled better and seems to be all in. There is a different mentality on multiple levels of the game. Second, this team can play with anyone. While there may have been a couple of questionable calls, Tech should have won both games in Starkville. Some mental mistakes at the wrong time were what led to the final scores. And lastly, this team has the potential to go far. If they stay healthy, and stay together, they can be one of those teams that fans remember for a long time.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The new season will be here before you know it. The 2026 schedule, which is the final one for Tech as a member of Conference USA, was released in late September and will start on Valentine’s Day weekend for the second straight year (https://latechsports.com/sports/baseball/schedule/2026). Tech will have 31 home games this season, which is about the average based on the last few years. Only six games of the first calendar month of the season will be on the road, including a “mini tournament” in Memphis and a weekend in early March at South Alabama. Unfortunately, Tech drew the short straw when it comes to road conference series, with four of the five trips likely requiring a flight. And it is clear that the final month of the season will be the toughest, at least on paper. Tech will play back-to-back weekends at DBU and Liberty before a final home series against Sam Houston.
The Dogs will then return to the Atlanta metro area for the C-USA tournament which will be held at Kennesaw State this season. DBU was originally announced to host in 2024, but it appears C-USA rescinded that with the announcement regarding Kennesaw hosting in the last few weeks. While DBU is also leaving the conference after the season to head to the PAC-12, it just feels wrong that they had the tournament pulled less than 6 months from hosting. I know many Tech fans were not happy with this move for multiple reasons. One is that Tech would have had a large fan presence in Dallas for the tournament, especially being just a 4-hour drive from Ruston. The other has to do with prior tournaments being hosted by schools leaving the conference – but that is a whole other story.
Season ticket holders have until this Saturday, November 15th to renew their seats, and then any wait list applicants would get their shot at them. I would assume there will be individual games where seats can either be purchased at the window or online. And based off the recent success of the Tech “Blue Bloods” program for students, I am hopeful that students will come out in bigger numbers than recent years. The Love Shack has a much better atmosphere when they get right field going. But no matter what, this team needs the Tech community to show up and support them as they battle for one last C-USA title. See y’all February 13th at the Love Shack.
