Toward the end of his freshman season with the Louisiana-Lafayette baseball team, former Catholic High outfielder Matt Goulas got hot and improved his batting average to second on the team, also finishing second in hits, RBIs, stolen bases and total bases.

With a summer spent in the Clark C. Griffith Collegiate Baseball League, Goulas is hoping to help the Ragin’ Cajuns even more next season. He is leading the league in RBIs and is second in runs scored through games played Friday as an outfielder for the league-leading Vienna (Va.) Senators.

“I just wanted to play summer ball,” said Goulas in a telephone interview on Friday. “I don’t want to take a break. I just wanted to keep playing.

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“I’m concentrating on being more disciplined, getting more walks. I came in to college just hoping to make the team. If I continue on and play well and continue to improve, hopefully I can make it to the major leagues.”

That’s still some time away, though. For now, Goulas is working on his batting average and his bunting, among other things. Goulas, 19, is hitting .281 overall in 38 games, sixth on the Senators, but is hitting .300 in 34 league games, good for 18th overall in league play.

For the Senators, Goulas is third in slugging percentage (.479) and first in runs scored (34), RBIs (37), hits (41), doubles (8), total bases (70), hit by pitch (5), stolen bases (10 in 11 attempts), at-bats (146), plate appearances (162) and games played (38) and started (36).

He also is tied for second on the team in home runs (7) and is third with two sacrifice flies

Goulas is most proud of his league RBI total (34), which leads the entire CGL. He’s currently second in runs scored (32) and third in hits (39) in the conference play.

A three-time selection to The Daily Iberian’s Best of the Teche Baseball Team while in high school, Goulas bats second in the lineup, something he did for much of the college season with the Cajuns as well, though he also hit fifth at times.

“Hopefully the leadoff guy gets on (base) the most,” said Goulas. “The two-hole guy has to move him over, either with a bunt or hit or walk.

“That’s another thing (the Cajuns coaches) wanted me to work on was my bunting skill. I’ve got five bunts for base hits. Before I left, coach (John) Szefc really wanted me to work on that, especially if I’m going to stay in the No. 2 hole.”

Szefc, whose duties on the UL-Lafayette baseball staff include instructing hitters, got Goulas in touch with Senators manager Chris Burr, a former Tulane coach who has led Vienna to eight CGL championships and three All-American Amateur Baseball Association national titles.

Goulas said he didn’t know any of his current teammates before arriving in Virginia this summer. Among those also on the roster are Tulane outfielder Nick Boullosa, pitcher Mason Griffin and infielder Seth Henry, and Southern University outfielder Juan Mujica and utility player Mario Williams.

“I came up here knowing nobody,” said Goulas. “It’s a great experience. I’m meeting new friends. We’ve played just about every day for two weeks, so we are playing a lot more games than we do (in college).

“It’s some very good ballplayers. There are some older players, some juniors and seniors, so there are a lot of (major league) scouts, mostly to look at those guys. We’re going to continue picking up players through the year-end tournament (starting Aug. 1 in Wichita, Kan.)”

Burr has impressed Goulas. The coach played at James Madison High in Vienna, and at nearby George Mason University before playing in the Texas Rangers organization. He coached collegiately at George Mason, George Washington University and Tulane.

“He’s a great coach,” said Goulas. “They play serious baseball here.”

And Goulas, the son of Donna and Jeff Goulas, is serious about the game. Getting to play in college has been something he always hoped to do, and now he has the chance to work on improving throughout the summer to prepare for next season.

“I always dreamed (of playing in college) but never knew it would happen,” he said.