MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 19, 1999

NEW ORLEANS – In 1925, New York Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp complained of a headache and was given a day off. Starting in his placethat day was a young player from Columbia University. That game would bethe second of 2,130 straight games Lou Gehrig would play in.

Three decades later, Milwaukee Braves outfielder Bobby Thomson went down with a broken ankle. Stepping into the lineup was a rookie fromMobile with quick wrists. Hank Aaron would go on to hit 755 lifetime homeruns.

Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. But an injury can also give aplayer an opportunity that they would not ordinary get. And as has beenshown in the past, an injury may also change the course of history.

Lutcher native and former Riverside Academy star Ryan Lousteau is trying to make the most of an opportunity created by injuries in the University of New Orleans outfield.

Senior center fielder Mac Harer, a second-team all-Sun Belt selection and the Privateers’ leading hitter in 1998, suffered a hamstring injury March 20 at Louisiana Tech and has played in only one game since. Then thePrivateers lost senior outfielder Brandon Williams indefinitely to a knee injury suffered April 7 against Nicholls State.

With UNO in the midst of Sun Belt Conference play, the Privateers needed someone to step up. Now Lousteau, a redshirt junior, is trying to help UNOget a berth in the NCAA regionals for the first time since 1996.

“We’ve had a couple of injuries and its allowed a couple of more guys to play,” UNO coach Tom Schwaner said. “And Ryan has responded very well.”A year ago, Lousteau was wondering if he would get his chance. Lousteauwas redshirted after transferring from Delgado Community College. It wassomething he wanted to do but a decision that he began having doubts about. Now Lousteau said he realizes it was the right decision.”I’ve got another year after this and I’m starting to get playing time this year,” Lousteau said. “I feel it was a good decision and now one I am glad Imade.”Schwaner agreed that the decision helped Lousteau.

“I think it gave him a good evaluation of what it takes to succeed at this level,” Schwaner said.

Lousteau has played in 17 games, starting eight, this season and is splitting time with freshman outfielder Donnie Bollich. Schwaner saidearlier in the season he would bring in Lousteau in the late innings for defensive purposes because of his string arm.

Schwaner said Lousteau has been coming around with the bat. He is batting.314 with two home runs and 19 runs batted in and has not made an errorin the outfield.

Lousteau’s first home run came at Louisiana Tech last month. Lousteau hithis second home run, a three-run shot over the left field fence off a low, inside fastball from Brad Rachal, to cap off a seven-run first inning in the Privateers’ 12-8 victory at home against Southeastern Louisiana Wednesday night.

Lousteau also walked and scored in the third and legged out a double into the right-center field gap in the seventh. On defense, he made a slidingcatch on a ball hit to right by the Lions’ Adrian Newell to open the game.

That victory improved to the Privateers to 15-22 on the season. With theSun Belt Conference regular season coming to an end, the Privateers realize they have to start preparing for the conference tournament, which they will host at Zephyr Field May 18-22, if they want to make it to a regional.

“We have to go out and win the tournament and take it from there,” Lousteau said.

Lousteau came to the Privateers from Delgado where he started two years and led the team his sophomore year with a .394 average, 43 hits, 31 runsand a .500 on-base percentage while being named all-conference. Thatsame year, Delgado came within one game of the championship game.

“I had a great time,” Lousteau said. “It was a great group of guys. It was agood program and I loved the city.”That experience was not the first time that a team Lousteau played for made it deep into the playoffs. Lousteau helped Riverside to the 1995Class 2A state baseball championship his senior year, batting .417 with17 RBIs. His coach at Riverside, Tommy Fernandez, said that Lousteau,Kenny Cambre and Travis Duhon, the three seniors on that team, were the glue that led the Rebels to the championship.

Fernandez said that Lousteau was the model student-athlete, pointing out that he started in center field for the Rebels for five years. Fernandezsaid he was the type of player who did whatever was needed for the team, pitching some in relief in his senior year, including the state semifinal game.

“Ryan, I thought, was the complete player, on the field and off the field and in the classroom,” Fernandez said. “He was an inspiration to histeammates in practice. All the superlatives you can say about a student-athlete, you can draw the line at what he did. He’s the benchmark. “More than anything, he is a player who took the talent God gave him and used it to its fullest. He is an example of what results if you work hard,accept your role and do right by your teammates, your coach and your school.”Lousteau also played football and basketball and ran track at Riverside.

In 1994, he quarterbacked the Rebels to the Class 2A state championship game, passing for 1,433 yards while being named the district’s outstanding offensive player. He was also named to the Class 2A all-Stateteam in both baseball and football his senior year.

“It was great playing for coach Fernandez,” Lousteau said, who followed the 1998 version of the Rebels football team through the playoffs and into the Superdome where they played West St. John for the state title. “I havehad a lot of great coaches. I’ve been very lucky, every place I’ve played I’vebeen very happy.”Lousteau’s goal is to follow in those coaches’ footsteps. While beingredshirted last year, he would sit with the coaches to learn more about the game. After graduating, his goal is to become a graduate assistant andhopefully one day get to coach on the collegiate level.

“The coaches here are great,” Lousteau said. “I’ve learned so much.”Lousteau related in the UNO Media Guide that his craziest ambition goes a step above the managerial level, however. He wants to own a pro sportsfranchise, to be the next Ted Turner.

‘That would be awesome,” Lousteau said. “That’s the life. To be able towatch your own team on the field.”

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