Baseball: Trosclair’s blast lifts the Cajuns past Rice

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, February 28, 2016

 

Nick Lee starts for the Cajuns in the third game for The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns of the Shriners Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park, February 28, 2016(Photo: Chris Daigle, Special to the Advertiser)

 

 

HOUSTON – UL baseball coach Tony Robichaux said long before the 2016 season began that he’d have plenty of options this year, especially in the infield.

So with his newcomer-shortstops struggling earlier over the weekend, Robichaux explored several of those alternate avenues Sunday night in Houston.

Before beating No. 23 Rice 4-2 in No. 6 UL’s third and final game in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park here, Robichaux made multiple lineup changes – including starting Joe Robbins at shortstop.

Sunday’s game got under way two hours and 10 minutes after originally scheduled due to the length of the day’s two prior games, and UL’s Stefan Trosclair delivered the late difference-maker with a two-run homer in the eighth that cut just inside the foul pole in left.

“That’s big,” UL coach Tony Robichaux said of the win, which made the Cajuns 4-3.

COLLEGE CLASSIC: Late-game miscues costly for UL against Texas Tech

Robbins opened Friday’s loss to No. 13 Texas Christian in centerfield, but otherwise had been starting at third base.

On Sunday, though, he started at short over both true freshman Hunter Kasuls and juco-transfer Brad Antchak, who was out with flu-like symptoms Sunday.

Kasuls made a critical error in the fifth inning of UL’s loss to TCU, and his hesitation on a bases-loaded groundball in Saturday’s ninth inning against No. 23 Texas Tech cost the Cajuns a game-tying run that forced one extra inning in an eventual 5-3 loss.

The Texan also was hitting just .083 (1-for-12) through Saturday, a start perhaps impacted by the fact he jammed two fingers during pregame warmups prior starting in UL’s Feb. 19 season-opening win over Sam Houston State.

Antchak replaced Kasuls in the 10th inning against the Red Raiders, and booted a ball with two outs – opening the door for a two-run double that ultimately held up.

Playing Robinson at shortstop wasn’t high on Robichaux’s list of preseason plans.

RAGIN’ CAJUNS: RCAF chief Harris taking to ‘a different kind of South’

His other infield changes, however, involved moving players to positions considered alternate possibilities for them heading into the season.

Brenn Conrad went from second base, where he’s played all season, to third, where he had 14 prior career starts.

Trosclair moved from first, where the All-American also had been playing all season, to second, where he started 42 games last year.

And juco-transfer Alex Pinero went from third, where he made his first start as a Cajun on Friday, to first.

“That gives us an older, more arrogant infield,” Robichaux said.

Whether UL sticks with Robbins at short, where he has only one other career start, remains to be seen.

“It could be (permament),” Robichaux said.

Either way, teammates have high hopes for Kasuls and Atchak.

“Those guys, they’re very good, and I don’t think they know it yet,” Conrad said after the loss to Texas Tech.

“I don’t think it’s in their head yet. But I think the more games, the more at-bats, the more plays they get throughout the season, the more comfortable they’re gonna get.

“It’s up to them,” he added. “Whenever they step up, that’s gonna be huge for us.”

PHOTOS: UL vs. TCU

Robbins stepped up first for UL on Sunday, doubling to left from the leadoff spot and later scoring on Trosclair’s RBI groundout to put the Cajuns up 1-0 in the top of the first.

Rice jumped on UL freshman starter Nick Lee in the second, though, taking a 2-1 lead behind RBI doubles from Dayne Wunderlich and Cody Staab.

Lee also got into a bit of a jam in the fourth, but escaped that with his third strikeout of the night.

UL tied it in the fifth, when Brian Mills reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored on Robbins’ two-out double.

Lee retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth, sending it to the seventh still tied at 2-2.

Trosclair’s one-out blast, his first homer of the season after 16 in 2015, came after Conrad reached on an error. Cajun centerfielder Kyle Clement followed with a double, finally chasing Rice starter Blake Fox.

“(Trosclair) is a big pattern hitter,” Robichaux said. “He’ll watch what the pitchers are doing, and as the game wears on he’ll get up there and sit on something.

“He sat on a changeup, and got it out of the ballpark for us.”

Lee made it through seven complete with five strikeouts and just four hits allowed, then gave way to Jevin Huval. Lee picked up his first career win, and Huval his first career save.

“The big thing I was proud of,” Robichaux said, “was he (Lee) didn’t run when he got hit a little bit earlier.”

Huval stayed in for the ninth, and after Rice’s first batter reached on a throwing error by Trosclair he struck out one, got another to fly out to centerfield and finished by getting Staab to ground out.

LAGNIAPPE: UL returns home to face the University of New Orleans on Tuesday night. The Privateers are 6-1 – their best start since 1996.

Robbins and Lee both were named to the All-Tournament team. Arkansas shortstop Michael Bernal was named tourney MVP.