RUSTON, La. — As Louisiana Tech heads into the stretch run of the 2010 baseball season, it will do so without one of its top pitchers.

The university says senior Jamey Bradshaw, of Choudrant, was ruled ineligible Friday by the NCAA after failing a drug test and is out for the rest of the season.

Bradshaw led the Bulldogs pitching staff with 73.1 innings and was 4-2 with a 5.77 earned run average this year.

Tech officials say Bradshaw contends he took medication a friend gave him in the winter to alleviate back pain that began plagueing him in May 2009. The medication, however, was not approved by the NCAA.

He says he takes full responsibility for his actions, adding that he regrets not first asking the team's trainers about the medication before using it.