UL-Monroe started left-handed pitcher Trey Auger on Wednesday night against McNeese State.
Cowboys catcher Dustin Duhon’s offensive splits against southpaws are excellent but, still, Justin Hill went with his instincts, penciling Brett Whelton into the lineup for his second start of the season. Whelton caught all nine innings, went 1-for-5 and scored two runs.
“Plus we needed to see what we have in case something happens,” the fourth-year McNeese State baseball coach said. “That’s one thing I’ve always tried to make sure our teams are in position, if something happens are we prepared. So we just thought it would be a great time to do it.”
“Something” is now happening. The Cowboys, who begin Southland Conference play at Central Arkansas in seven days and welcome LSU to Lake Charles in five, face a slew of illnesses and injuries prior to this weekend’s tuneup series against Prairie View A&M.
Joe Provenzano, the team’s junior second baseman who carries a .387 average and 1.182 on-base plus slugging percentage across the team’s first nine games, awoke Thursday morning with a high fever. His middle infield mate, shortstop Will Fox, didn’t play against the Warhawks with a tender right tricep.
Left fielder Shane Selman, tied for the team lead among regular starters with a .387 average, exited that game with tricep tenderness of his own. Hill labels him questionable for the weekend.
Provenzano’s availability also hinges on his mystery ailment. Fox took batting practice during Thursday’s practice and was slated to play catch later that day.
“I’d like to get (Matt) Gallier a day off at third base,” Hill added along with these problems. “But you can’t do all that at once. Some of it is just going to be determined on what’s available. We’ve got some contingency plans and we’ll do some things today, but we’re not going to put anybody in a situation they’re not prepared for. We’re a little beat up now. Just all sort of happened together, though.”
Replacements if any of these players are unable to play are abound. Nate Fisbeck, who is capable of playing any infield position and could spell Provenzano at second, started in Fox’s place at shortstop Wednesday. Jake Cochran replaced Selman in left field when he left the game.
Such circumstances are never welcome but, perhaps, this is a weekend where they will be masked better. Prairie View A&M — losers in eight of its first nine games — hits .180 as a team and has a staff ERA of 8.44. This three-game set is part of a 16-game road trip to open the Panthers’ season.
Hill’s cognizant of two things — his players’ health and the fickleness of a sport where those aforementioned stats mean little when teams actually play the game.
“We’re not going to go with the Michael Jordan flu game thing, that’s not where we are,” Hill said, referring to Provenzano. “Sometimes when you played a really good tournament to start the year then you go to Arizona, then you go ‘Oh, we’re playing someone else.’ They’re good, too. And that’s the great and awful thing about baseball. It’s about who plays best that day and that’s the way the game works.”
Weather plans
Contingencies aren’t just for injuries.
Hill is closely monitoring inclement weather forecasted to impact the Lake Charles area this weekend and said he will decide Friday morning if the series schedule needs to be adjusted.
There is an 80 percent chance of rain on Sunday, according to Weather.com. Hill said the most likely consolidation is a Saturday doubleheader of two nine-inning games.
“We need to keep playing baseball and we want to get 27 innings in this weekend,” Hill said. “If we make the decision, I think we make that call tomorrow at some point.”
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