RUSTON, La. – A methodical, patient approach at the plate provided breakout hitting performances for Louisiana Tech's baseball team during its three intra-squad scrimmages over the weekend at Ruston High School Baseball Field.
 
Senior Taylor Young set the tone for the Diamond Dogs with three dominant performances at the plate over the weekend, following up a two-double performance on Friday with a 4-for-4 game on Sunday with two home runs, a double, a drag bunt for a single and a walk. He also created havoc on the base paths by drawing a balk in Sunday's matchup.
 
"Taylor went bananas on Sunday," head coach Lane Burroughs said. "The kid just knows the game, and he just comes to play every day.
 
"He has those kinds of days, and as he goes, we go."
 
Seniors Steele Netterville and Hunter Wells also showed off their ability to hit for extra bases over the weekend. Wells smacked a triple in Friday's contest before Netterville crushed a home run in Saturday's game. Sophomore Ben Brantley polished off a solid weekend at the plate with a double, a single and two walks in Sunday's matchup.
 
The Bulldogs also provided key hits in high-pressure situations. Down 3-2 with one out left in Saturday's game, senior Manny Garcia smashed a three-run home run to put his team in the lead for good.
 
Overall, the Bulldogs remained more patient at the plate in their second weekend of intra-squad matchups, forcing opposing pitchers into longer innings.
 
"One thing our hitters did this weekend was draw a lot of walks and HBPs (hit-by-pitches)," Burroughs said. "When we talk about the ingredients of a big inning, that's something we prioritize every day. Our hitters did a great job of being more selective.
 
"For the most part, I was just proud of our guys."
 
Senior Alex Ray flashed the leather throughout the weekend, making stellar plays at shortstop. Netterville also showed off his arm in right field, raising his number of outfield assists to five in just six intra-squad matchups.
 
On the mound, returning starting pitchers Jarret Whorff and Jonathan Fincher delivered strong starts on Saturday. Newcomer Tanner Knight pitched well in relief on Saturday, while Cade Gibson, Landon Tomkins and Mason Kelley all shined on Sunday.
 
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Burroughs on the pitching performances over the weekend:
"I thought every guy that threw on Saturday was really good. Whorff and Fincher were doing what they do, hitting the zone for the most part with multiple pitches. Since Fincher has been here, he's just been so efficient and so consistent. Tanner Knight was outstanding. He had some tilt and angle to his pitches and was down in the zone. His secondary stuff was competitive. Cade Hodges was really good as well."
 
"Cade Gibson and Landon Tomkins for a second straight week were outstanding. Tomkins was sinking the ball at a high level and getting beneath our guys' barrels, and you could see it because he was getting a lot of big-hop, pull-side ground balls. And when you see that against good hitters, you can tell he's getting beneath the barrels. Cade's stuff was electric. Mason Kelley, a freshman who doesn't say a whole lot, pitched two innings at the end on Sunday. They really didn't challenge him at all in the first so we put him out for a second. We set up a situation for him where a runner was on first and he had to come in on a save situation. He got a double-play ball there, but we didn't turn it that time."