LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball team held its first team workout of the 2023 season on Friday as it went through a situational intrasquad scrimmage at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park.
Louisiana, which finished 37-23 last season and claimed the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title, returns 17 players for fourth-year head coach Matt Deggs. Highlighting the returning players are 2022 first-team All-SBC selections Carson Roccaforte (1B/OF) and Julian Brock (Catcher).
The Ragin’ Cajuns return 10 positional players from last year’s team with Roccaforte and Brock keying a group which includes outfielders Heath Hood, Max Marusak, Will Veillon and Conor Higgs, shortstop Kyle DeBarge, utility player CJ Willis along with infielders Trey LaFleur and Mason Zambo.
Several newcomers will battle for spots in the Louisiana lineup with juco transfers Peyton LeJeune and John Taylor leading the group. A quartet of freshmen – Lee Amedee, Ben Robichaux, Caleb Stelly and Luke Yuhasz – will compete for playing time for the Ragin’ Cajuns with Coastal Carolina transfer Clay Wargo set to serve as the backup at catcher.
Five pitchers – Dylan Theut, Jake Hammond, David Christie, Cooper Rawls, and Tommy Ray – return from last year’s team for Louisiana with a strong influx of new arms battling for spots. Also returning for the Ragin’ Cajuns is left-hander Blake Marshall who missed the entire 2022 season due to injury.
Jackson Nezuh (Florida State), Ben Tate (Tulane), Blake McGehee (Ole Miss), Taylor Parrett (Houston) and Jerry Couch (Charleston Southern) each bring Division I mound experience for the Ragin’ Cajuns. A pair of transfers from LSU-Eunice – Brendan Moody and Luke McGibboney – will see time on the mound for Louisiana along with JUCO transfers Carson Fluno, Sam Hill, Landrey Wilkerson and JT Etheridge. Rounding out the newcomers on the mound are freshmen Steven Cash, Ryan Baron and Conner Doucet.
Louisiana will officially open its season Feb. 17-19 with a three-game series at Rice before opening its 33-game home schedule Feb. 22-25 against BYU.
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