RUSTON, La. – As the fall quarter winds to a close at Louisiana Tech, head coach Lane Burroughs and his coaching staff were pleased with another competitive weekend of practice at Ruston High School Baseball Field.
 
The Bulldogs played their final two fall intra-squad scrimmages before Thanksgiving this past weekend. Senior Taylor Young continued his hot streak with two home runs in Friday's game for the blue team. Junior Philip Matulia also delivered a long ball in Friday's contest, drilling a home run over the wall in right center.
 
Senior Steele Netterville and redshirt sophomore Adarius Myers also stood out offensively for Tech on Friday. Netterville went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Myers stole two bases. Left-handed pitcher Nick Ellis pitched well for the blue team out of the bullpen on Friday.
 
On Sunday, senior Parker Bates recorded a double, a single, two RBI and three runs scored. Redshirt sophomore Bryce Wallace and senior Manny Garcia both tallied three RBI apiece. Sophomore Ben Brantley notched a pair of doubles with an RBI as well.
 
Senior Kyle Crigger, who underwent Tommy John surgery over the summer, has been consistently putting together quality at-bats as a position player. Crigger smacked two doubles and drove in three runs in Sunday's game.
 
On the mound, junior Landon Tomkins shined once again in a relief appearance for the red team, punching out two batters with good command of his fastball.
 
For all of the latest on Louisiana Tech Baseball, including any updates to the fall schedule, fans are encouraged to follow @LATechBSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
 
Burroughs on how fall practice has gone over the past month:
"We're an older club, so a lot of these guys have been through multiple falls. Right now is a great time for a break with some guys banged up. It's a little different this year, and we're asking them to do it with a lot of energy and a smile on their faces. We're very pleased with the effort and energy. When you go through multiple falls with the same team, it's easy to get complacent with it, but our older guys have been outstanding."
 
Burroughs on Kyle Crigger:
"Kyle Crigger had Tommy John surgery, and he's a position player, too. He hasn't been able to pitch, but he's started hitting now and is playing a solid third base. He puts together three, four or five quality at-bats together every time we play. He's going to push some people. He's swinging the bat at a much higher level than he did last year. When you talk about Kyle, he's just a competitor. He brings it every day, and he loves to play. He never has a bad day, and for him, this fall has been outstanding because offensively he's been great. You can put him everywhere on the field."
 
Burroughs on his team's energy and growth at the plate:
"One positive this fall from an offensive standpoint is all the at-bats our guys have gotten this fall, which is good because we missed this past season and had some guys miss the summer. The positive there is that we've gotten more plate appearances offensively than you normally would. It's just been a clean fall because the guys know what to expect. We're also blessed that we have some extremely hardworking young men, and they beat us to the field. You pull up to the stadium and you can hear that ball hitting off that tin wall at Ruston High School. The energy has been good, and I'm excited about the season."