Baseball: Greg Milhorn late bright spot for Cajuns

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, May 13, 2015

 

UL pitcher Greg Milhorn (14) delivered the most encouraging sign of the past two weeks for the Ragin’ Cajuns as they close in on the postseason.(Photo: Paul Kieu/The Advertiser)

 

 

He had been out for about a month with a groin injury.

If things didn’t go Greg Milhorn’s way, the 2015 season might have some to a close and the UL pitcher’s final collegiate season might have ended without him having a chance to return.

But Milhorn (2-1, 4.17 ERA in nine appearances including eight starts) made it back last weekend, pitching two scoreless relief innings in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Sun Belt Conference-leader South Alabama.

Now – with only this week’s regular season-ending SBC series at UL Monroe to go before next week’s Sun Belt Tournament at Troy – it’s possible Milhorn, who had been a weekend starter before getting hurt, could start again before all said and done.

“We’re working on that,” Milhorn said, “and hopefully by the conference tournament I can get back to starting pitching.”

First, though, more relief work could come at ULM.

“We’re gonna bullpen him … and keep running his pitch counts up,” Ragin’ Cajuns coach Tony Robichaux said, “and then possibly now we’ll have him (to start) for the conference tournament.”

Robichaux liked what he saw from Milhorn against USA.

“He looked good in every piece all the way up – in all his flat grounds, his short box, his bullpens,” Robichaux said. “Then the other day he threw against (teammates), and he looked good.”

And Sunday against the Jaguars?

Six batters faced, only one hit allowed and just 13 pitches needed.

“That’s the best I’ve seen him, to be honest,” Robichaux said. “He was 93, 94 (miles per hour), with some run and some sink and some movement, and he didn’t feel anything in his groin at all.

“He did everything easy and looked really good, so that’s going to help us out in the bullpen, and it’s going to help us in the conference tournament too.”

Perhaps the biggest test for Milhorn, who missed much of last season due to a significant oblique muscle injury, came when he had to leave the mound to field a bunt for an out.

He had no issues whatsoever.

“It’s good that it’s not hurting or anything and I won’t have to worry about it,” Milhorn said.

FONTENOT IN OF

When Barbe High product Kennon Fontenot struggled with six errors on 25 chances after getting a shot early this season at second base, Robichaux was not necessarily shocked.

“He’s a freshman,” Robichaux said. “End of story. … That’s what freshmen do.”

Really, though, the story is just beginning.

With the Cajuns searching for consistent hitting from the 9 hole, and still having not settled on an every-day left fielder who can provide it, Fontenot has been practicing a lot lately in left.

“Sometimes you back somebody out a little bit,” Robichaux said. “He’s athletic.

“Watching him (practice) in left field, I believe the guy can play the outfield. That’s what’s good about recruiting (high school) shortstops. They’re moveable.

“He’s (farther) from the ball,” Robichaux said, “and I think that calms him a little bit.”

Fontenot is hitting only .154 over 16 games including six starts this season, but Robichaux feels there may be a spot for him in the lineup before the season is done.

“The guy can hit. I know he can,” the Cajun coach said.

“He got overmatched a little bit early at second base and lost a little bit of confidence fielding-wise. That’s what freshmen do from time to time,” Robichaux added. “But he believes he can hit. He has lost no confidence there.”

Eventually, Robichaux suggested he can envision Fontenot moving back in as well.

“I think we can put him back in the infield with no problem,” he said.

HITTER’S PARK

UL leads the Sun Belt in homers with 48 this season, including Stefan Trosclair’s 12, Kyle Clement’s eight, Dylan Butler’s seven and Greg Davis’ six.

The Cajuns also are batting .274 as a team, which ranks fourth in the Sun Belt.

Robichaux, whose club as won 13 straight over ULM, can see those numbers rising this week.

“One good thing about Monroe: We have scored runs there,” he said. “I know the hitters like hitting there. The ball does travel a little bit at that ballpark (Warhawk Field). So, hopefully, that will help us.”