Baseball: Baranik looks back on track after rough outing – Sneak Peak – Robichaux’s Status – Guidry

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, May 8, 2014

Two Saturdays ago, UL junior righty Carson Baranik gave up nine hits and six runs over just 3.1 innings. He took his first loss of the season as Texas State beat the Ragin’ Cajuns 10-3.

The response?

Baranik (9-1) merely threw a complete-game shutout last Saturday at Arkansas State, allowing just two hits, walking no one and striking out seven in a 7-0 victory.

"He really pitched well," said UL coach Tony Robichaux, whose 43-7 Cajuns open a three-game Sun Belt Conference series Friday night at South Alabama.

The Red Wolves had a plan against Baranik, but it evidently backfired.

"Their whole deal was they didn’t want to get to his slider," Robichaux said. "Because of that, they came out hacking. I mean, he had some six-pitch innings, some five-pitching innings."

Baranik wound up needing only 84 pitches in his 9.0 innings.

"It was unbelievable," Robichaux said. "They just kept swinging early, and we elevated fastballs. They hit them up into the wind, and he just mowed through there.

"It worked out for him, it worked out for us, because they hardly ever threatened him. … He was able to get a good outing underneath him, to where he can feel confident again."

SNEAK PEEK

With this year’s Sun Belt Tournament being held in Mobile later this month, Robichaux likes the idea of playing a road series there this weekend against South Alabama.

"Going there, and being successful there," he said, "I think’s gonna be important, because I think it is a good lead-in."

Robichaux expects the Ragin’ Cajuns, ranked No. 3 nationally, will have their hands full with the Jaguars despite their 21-26 overall record.

South Alabama leads the all-time series 58-38.

"There is a lot of history between our two schools," Robichaux said. "South Al has been at the front of this conference for so long. … They’re a proud organization, a proud program.

"The bottom line is no matter what their record is, we’re gonna get everybody’s best shot at this point in time. We understand that."

UL is just 14-36 all-time at South Alabama’s Stanky Field, which should lend itself to more extra-base hits than when the Cajuns had four doubles but no triples or homers in three games last weekend at Arkansas State’s Tomlinson Stadium.

"I think our hitters will like swinging in that ballpark," Robichaux said.

ROBICHAUX’S STATUS

Although he exited after throwing just 59 pitches over 5.0 innings in last Friday’s 6-5 win at Arkansas State, UL junior Austin Robichaux – on the mend from recent arm tendinitis – "didn’t come out because he was sore or tender or anything," his father and coach said.

Rather, with Robichaux on a limited pitch count, the Cajuns wanted to get ex-weekend starter Greg Milhorn – now working out the bullpen – some innings.

"We’re just trying to be smart with it," Tony Robichaux said early this week, "and make sure that we don’t overtax (Austin Robichaux) too much.

"He’s feeling really good, and he’s just trying to get his rhythm and his tempo and his flow back."

Robichaux improved to 6-2 after allowing three hits and two runs in Jonesboro.

GUIDRY DEBATE

The Cajuns were still debating early this week whether to redshirt relief pitcher Trace Guidry, a freshman from Cecilia High who hasn’t pitched yet this season due to shoulder tendinitis.

"You throw somebody one pitch, it’s a year (of eligibility spent)," Tony Robichaux said. "We have met, and he is okay with throwing … if we want to do it."

But, Robichaux added, "it’s a tough call now."

"You have no more midweek games," he said, "and you don’t like auditioning in weekend series."

TV TALK

None of UL’s three games at Arkansas State last weekend were televised, and none of its three this weekend at South Alabama will be either.

Robichaux doesn’t seem to mind, though.

"That’s never really been a worry of ours," he said. "We think if we do our business, it’s hard … to not know who we are and what we’ve done.

"Our biggest goal is to just concentrate on our body of work, and hopefully when it’s time to be on TV (in the postseason) we’ll be on TV."

Just one of UL’s final six regular-season games is scheduled for TV coverage, by KLAF on May 16 at home against UL Monroe.