MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 20, 1999

HAMMOND – Macky Waguespack is having a senior year that most players can only dream about.

Three games into South-eastern Louisiana Univer-sity’s 1999 season, the Paulina native launched a two-run home run in the second inning of the Lions’ 13-11 victory at Louisiana Tech.

The home run was the 34th of his career at SLU, passing Jeremy Gross atop the school’s all-time home run list. Waguespack had entered theseason tied with Gross.

“I knew it was going to happen this season sooner or later,” Waguespack said. “I’m just happy it happened sooner. It’s a good feeling coming to aDivision I school and before you know it, you’re its home run leader. It’s abig accomplishment.”Less than three weeks later, Waguespack had an even more memorable 24- hour period. Waguespack homered in the opener of the Lions’ four-gameseries against Northwestern University Fri-day night. In the first game ofa doubleheader Saturday, Waguespack launched two solo shots in a 10-6 victory.

Waguespack was not through. In the nightcap, he homered his first twotimes to the plate. After being intentionally walked his third time up,Waguespack launched another shot in the seventh inning, bring his 24-hour total to six home runs.

For the three games, Waguespack batted .583 with six home runs, a double,11 runs batted in, eight runs scored and a slugging percentage of 2.167.The story goes on that Saturday night, one of the Lions’ parents held a tailgate party and fed players from both teams Louisiana-style cooking.

One of the parents asked a Northwestern player whether he wanted jambalaya, red beans and rice or gumbo.

“I don’t know what any of that stuff is,” the Northwestern player replied.

“Just give me what Waguespack eats.””They were throwing to me, kept feeding me fastballs and I was seeing them well,” Waguespack said. “I was hitting everything hard andfortunately they got out of the park. The pitching was good. To play in thatleague (the Big 10), you have to be kind of good.”Waguespack was honored for the accomplishment later that week by being named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week. He joinedformer Lion Robbie Rhea who received the honor after going 5-for-5 with four home runs and 10 RBIs against Illinois Wesleyan in 1997.

“You don’t see many things like that here,” Waguespack said of the award.

It was exciting.”Waguespack showed his potential during his high school career at St.

Charles Catholic. Playing under coach Paul Burgard, Waguespack batted.420 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs while being named all-state, all-district, all-metro and all-River Parishes. He capped his prep career bybeing named the MVP of the 1994 Louisiana High School Coaches Association’s Baseball All-Star game.

“I had a good time,” Waguespack said of his prep career. “We had a goodteam and a good coach. It was really fun.”Waguespack said the offer was right to go to Southeastern. He knew theplayers and coaches at Southeastern and the Lions gave him an opportunity to come in and play as a freshman.

Waguespack played 32 games as a freshman, starting 26, and batted .225with three home runs. But with the Lions having a number of seniorscoming back and eventual all-TransAmerican Athletic Conference first- teamer Edward Nodhturft holding down first, SLU head coach Greg Marten decided to redshirt Waguespack his sophomore year.

“I thought it was in his best interest and he thought so too,” Marten said.

“It was a mutual deal. We did not want him to waste a year.”Waguespack agreed that the year off really helped him. He hit the weightroom and focused on working to get his starting job back.

“You have to realize that at this level there are players as good or better than you and you have to work that much harder,” Waguespack said. “Ireally got in the weight room and set my mind to get a starting spot.”Waguespack was in the starting lineup in the Lions’ 1997 season opener against McNeese State and promptly hit the first pitch he saw for a home run.

It was the start of a season that saw him hit .294 and finish second onthe team with 14 home runs, 47 RBIs and a .576 slugging percentage whileleading it in walks with 29. He was honored after the season as a secondteam Louisiana Sportswriters Association All-Louisiana selection as a designated hitter.

Waguespack followed that up in 1998 with a .292 average, 16 home runsand 51 RBIs while leading the team in walks and on-base percentage. Hishome run total tied him for fifth in the Southland Conference. Waguespackalso fielded his position flawlessly, accepting 327 chances without an error, and was one of four Lions to start every game.

Through the first 26 games this season, Waguespack is leading the team with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs while batting .366. He is on pace to breakthe school’s single season record for RBIs and home runs.

“I am having a better start this year than I did last year,” Waguespack said. “I am swinging at better pitches. I am looking to hit the ball theother way and seeing the ball a lot better.”Marten has also noticed the development of Waguespack since his freshman year.

“When he came as a freshman, he was just a power guy,” Marten said. “Hewanted to over power the ball over the fence. But he has adjusted andlearned. He was always a good hitter but now he is an outstanding hitter.”Waguespack has a chance to break a number of school records. He iscurrently second in career RBIs, fourth in at-bats and hits and fifth in runs. He also needs nine home runs to break the Southland Conferencerecord. And if he breaks at least three more career records, he would ownmore career hitting records than any other SLU player.

Waguespack has been hampered lately by a hamstring pull he suffered against Lamar two weeks ago and aggravated against McNeese State this weekend. Marten has been playing him mostly at designated hitter until hegets better. Waguespack played through the injury and had a 2-for-3performance in the Lions’ 3-2 victory over Loyola Tuesday night.

In that game, Waguespack doubled into the left-center field gap to lead off the bottom of the second and eventually came around to score the first run of the game on a wild pitch.

After flying out to deep right in the fourth, Waguespack hit a chopper to the left side of the mound and beat it out for an infield single with the score tied at 2 in the seventh.

That play showed Wagues-pack’s determination to help the team any way he can. While he is hoping to get the chance to play pro ball after hiscollegiate career is over, this season is foremost on his mind.

“To win the conference, get to the conference tournament, win it and get to the regionals,” Waguespack said of the goals for the rest of the season.

“I want to do anything possible to help the team win and get to the tournament and get the ring.”

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