Division II Diamonds

Minutes after Louisiana Tech’s 4-1 loss to Charlotte in the 2023 Conference USA Tournament, Lane Burroughs laid out the vision for the 2024 Bulldogs.

In what others would have left to be a basic recap of a disappointing season, looking to get away from the cameras as soon as possible, Burroughs chose to put an early stamp on who he wanted Tech to become this season.

“We will be a much better team,” Burroughs said on May 26, 2023, after that defeat to Charlotte. “We will be a tougher team. We’ll be much better.”

The descriptor of “tougher” would need to be built with players who had to fight for their shot, were cast aside, or needing a fresh start. Less than a month later at a Bulldog Blitz event in town, Burroughs expanded on the vision.

“We’re looking at more of the D-II, NAIAs and guys that have history, guys that have numbers,” Burroughs said in summer 2023. “I have a theory, and always have. Been in baseball my whole life. If you hit at 20, you probably hit at 12, you probably hit when you were six. You need to get guys that have numbers, they have history, they have a lot of at bats, and those are the guys that are hungry.

“That’s who we are as a baseball team, that’s who Louisiana Tech is. It’s a chip on your shoulder,” he added. “It’s blue collar. And those are the kids we want.”

After searching for players who fit the stated description, the Bulldogs landed on D-II infielder Michael Ballard and D-II pitcher Sam Brodersen – two players with the perfect combination of edge, competitiveness, and talent Tech believed it needed.

Ballard, hailing from Eckerd College, had proven to be a productive infielder in his time at the D-II level, while Brodersen, coming from Wingate University, put together a 3.72 ERA with 212 strikeouts in his four years with the D-II Bulldogs.

Projection was part of bringing Ballard and Brodersen into the program, with neither ever competing at the D-I level. But in Burroughs’ mind, baseball is baseball. Labels only matter to an extent.

“Number one, I played Division II baseball,” Burroughs said. “I was a JUCO guy and then played D-II. Those guys don’t get on charter jets. They have to work on the field. Nothing is given to those guys. They brought that here. As you play that many years at that level, it kind of hardens you and stuff doesn’t bother you.

“I’m telling you right now, I think those two have brought an edge and an essence to our team that we were lacking, and they just mesh so well with our guys,” Burroughs added. “Transfers, sometimes it takes them a while. But they’ve just come right in, and I think they’re such great teammates and kids.”

The bet paid off big time for Tech.

Ballard ranks fourth on the team in average (.320), starting every single game this year at second base. In 59 games, Ballard has committed a single error in 272 chances, leading Tech with 31 double plays. At the plate, he’s third on the team in hits (72) to go with 36 RBIs and 4 home runs.

Brodersen leads Tech in strikeouts (95) in just 54 2/3 innings pitched, earning All-CUSA First Team honors in the process. In 32 appearances, the crafty righthander has allowed just 14 earned runs with opponents hitting just .154 against him.

For context, Jonathan Fincher led Tech in 2023 with 84 strikeouts in 89 innings.

“We knew he was good. We knew we had good stuff. I think the unknown factor was just the makeup," LA Tech pitching coach Cooper Fouts said. "The makeup is so good. He’s a professional. I don’t think we had an idea he was going to be this good. We knew he had good stuff but his makeup, competitiveness and preparation is off the charts.”

From the first call he had with Burroughs, Brodersen knew coming to Tech wasn’t just about his arm talent. Tech needed his grit. And he’s been happy to oblige.

“Coming up D-II, you don’t have a ton of big offers out of high school, and you’ve always been taught you have to work harder than everybody else and you gotta bring something extra to make yourself stand out,” Brodersen said. “I think sometimes if the offense has sputtered for a couple innings or I feel like we need to get the momentum back on our side, I’ll consciously think about getting the team hyped up. I think it’s just how Mike and I know how to play.”

Brodersen’s approach has been described as “big-league” by Burroughs and with good reason. With a 95 mph fastball and a wipeout slider, Broderson’s stuff is as good as Tech has had in a while.

But even before he takes the mound, Burroughs never worries about where his bullpen ace is. If the sun is up, you’ll find the D-II Dog in the facility putting in the work that got him on this stage in the first place.

“That guy is at our facility all the time. I literally have never walked in there and he’s not doing something,” Burroughs said. “ Even when other guys are throwing bullpens, he’s watching and he’s building them up. And you don’t see that from first-year guys. He’s got leadership qualities and is an ultra-competitive and tough young man.”

While Ballard also commits to routine, even called an endearing complement of “field rat,” Burroughs said his second baseman’s love for the game is unlike anyone he’s coached in his time at Tech.

“I said this about him to the Liberty people, ‘He’s the kid walking down the street with his bat over his shoulder and a glove on the bat. He’s the little leaguer that just can’t get enough of it,’” Burroughs said of Ballard. “ I’ve never seen a guy love baseball as much as he does.”

Ballard’s joy comes from being grateful to play at this level, and win, at Tech. After four years at Eckerd, whose last winning season came in 2019, Ballard craved to be part of a program pursuing a championship.

So, when Tech outfielder Brody Drost reached out, Ballard listened.

“Coming here, they said we were going to be good. I had known Brody (Drost) when I played summer ball with him before. He just said, ‘We’re missing a few pieces and if you come here, we’ll win.’ He was selling me that,” Ballard said. “And honestly, I was talking to coach Burroughs when we won and I was like, ‘ I’ve never won this much in college.’ My last two schools were sub-.500 for both of my last two years. I’m just enjoying the moment. It’s been great.”

Now, Ballard has his best fielding season ever and is an essential piece in the Bulldogs’ turnaround.

Tech likes to describe its players as junkyard dogs, labeled as hard workers and willing to out-hustle the other team.

For both Brodersen and Ballard, that’s been an identity they could get behind – because maybe that’s who they’ve always been.

“There are going to be more talented teams than us. We’ve played more talented teams. But they don’t play with the toughness we play with or the heart we play with and I think that’s why we win a lot more games than they do,” Brodersen said.

Ballard takes that mission statement as seriously as anyone.

“I think it’s just the edge of he (Sam) knows how good he is, and he had to work for it, and likewise,” Ballard said. “Whenever we do something good for our team, we just know we worked for it, and we earned it and that’s why it comes out.”