Baseball: Milhorn returns to Cajuns’ starting rotation – Robichaux’s Road – Lagniappe

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, May 15, 2014

After spending much of the season in the bullpen, UL pitcher Greg Milhorn (14) will get a start to open up the weekend series against UL Monroe. (Photo: Paul Kieu/The Advertiser )

With a few reasons in mind, UL coach Tony Robichaux has decided to start Greg Milhorn on the mound when the Ragin’ Cajuns open a regular season-ending three-game Sun Belt Conference series with UL Monroe tonight at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.

One of those reasons: To get usual No. 1 starter Austin Robichaux some rest.

Because rain forced him to throw last Saturday instead of his usual Friday, and because this week’s series starts on a Thursday rather than a Friday, Austin Robichaux would be starting on two fewer nights’ rest if he were open tonight.

Another reason: So Tony Robichaux can line up starting rotation with postseason in play in mind, including next week’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Mobile and an ensuing NCAA Regional that the Cajuns hope to host.

Then there’s this one: To build back up Milhorn’s confidence.

The ex-Arkansas pitcher began the season as a weekend starter, but has pitched out of the bullpen since returning from a pulled oblique muscle.

His last few outings out of the pen have been rather rough, partly because of lousy lucky, partly, arguably, because of ineffectiveness.

Tony Robichaux, however, hopes a start tonight will put Milhorn (5-2, 5.51 ERA) in the right frame of mind heading into the postseason.

It’s not easy, Robichaux suggested earlier this week, for a pitcher to regain confidence.

"When a hitter struggles, it’s so easier much for him, because … he can come back out and take more batting practice," Robichaux said.

"When a pitcher struggles after a bad outing, it’s so though, because he has to sit on that for a couple days … (or) all week. So, it’s a not an easy thing to pitchers out of it.

"I find it’s a lot easier to pull hitters out of it, because they’re buried in there," he added. "A pitcher, he’s hard to hide. … He’s out there 10 inches higher than everybody else. They call it a team game, but it’s not a team game once your pitcher struggles. It becomes an individual sport."

Milhorn remained a reliever after finishing his post-injury rehab work, a decision made partly because of how he fared after returning and partly because senior Cody Boutte (7-0, 2.66 ERA) secured the Cajuns’ No. 3 weekend job behind Robichaux and Carson Baranik in his absence.

Baranik and Boutte both are scheduled to make their scheduled starts in the series.

"He (Milhorn) looked so good early out of the pen. That’s really why we kept him there," Tony Robichaux said. "I think what he’s going through now is just a little bit a lack of confidence. They’re dinking and dunking him – you know, 16-hopper through the infield.

"You know, hitters get going sometimes off of his just one flare. Pitchers, it’s tough. Sometimes, it (takes) one scoreless inning to get ’em going – and, so far, him and (fellow reliever) Matt (Plitt) have just kind of had that one flare, that one 16-hopper.

"So, we just need to keep running them (Milhorn and Plitt) out there until, hopefully, they can flip it and get going again," the Cajun coach added. "But I do believe it’s more mental than physical (for Milhorn)."

ROBICHAUX’S ROAD

Still on the return road after missing a couple of starts due to arm tendinitis earlier this season, usual No. 1 starter Austin Robichaux seems to have won over his father – and coach – with his performance in a 5-2 win last Friday night at South Alabama.

"He looked really good," Tony Robichaux said. "(He) went back to dominating his opponent, not just pitching."

Robichaux (7-2) pitched 7.0 innings at South Alabama, allowing two hits and two earned runs while striking out eight and walking just two in that span.

LAGNIAPPE

ULM is 14-14 since ex-Shippensburg and former University of New Orleans head coach Bruce Peddie replaced the fired Jeff Schexnaider as head coach of the Warhawks. Peddie, hired as an assistant coach prior to this season, had his "interim" tag removed Tuesday. … Second baseman Jace Conrad hits a team-best .383 for UL, followed closely by left fielder Caleb Adams (.382). Adams has a team-leading 10 homers, Conrad has a team-best 17 doubles and centerfielder Harrison has a team-high 53 RBIs. … After recording two wins last weekend against Georgia State, ULM’s Alex Dumaine was named Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week. Dumaine made short relief appearances Friday and Saturday, and went 5.0 innings in a start Sunday