No. 23 Louisiana (21-9, 3-0 Sun Belt) vs. App State (15-8, 0-1 Sun Belt)
Dates: Friday-Sunday, March 24-26, 2023
Location: Lafayette, La.
Stadium: Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park (2,790)
Series Schedule:
Fri., March 24 – 6:00 p.m. (CDT)
Sat., March 25 – 4:00 p.m. (CDT)
Sun., March 26 – 11:00 a.m. (CDT)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Season Stats (PDF): Louisiana [ragincajuns.com] | App State [appstatesports.com]
Rosters: Louisiana [ragincajuns.com] | App State [appstatesports.com]
Schedule/Results: Louisiana [ragincajuns.com] | App State [appstatesports.com]
Television: ESPN+ | Talent: Dan McDonald, PxP; Yvette Girouard, analyst
Radio: 103.3 FM The Goat and Varsity Network | Talent: Cody Junot, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Live Video: Game 1 [espn.com] | Game 2 [espn.com] | Game 3 [espn.com]
Live Audio: Game 1 [thevarsitynetwork.com] | Game 2 [thevarsitynetwork.com] | Game 3 [thevarsitynetwork.com]
Live Stats: Game 1 [statb.us] | Game 2 [statb.us] | Game 3 [statb.us]
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSB [twitter.com]
TEAM INFORMATION
LOUISIANA Ragin' Cajuns
NFCA: 25 | USA: 23 | SBA: -- | D1S: 24 | RPI: 11
Head Coach: Gerry Glasco [ragincajuns.com] (Illinois, '80)
Record at Louisiana: 226-62 (6th season)
Career Record: Same
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .301 / .472 / .381
Team ERA: 2.68
APP STATE Mountaineers
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SBA: -- | D1S: -- | RPI: 90
Head Coach: Shelly Hoerner (Canisius, '96)
Record at App State: 132-122 (6th season)
Career Record: 670-573 (23rd season)
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .260 / .373 / .326
Team ERA: 2.89
LEADING OFF
>> No. 23 Louisiana Softball is set for its first home weekend at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park in the month of March, having spent the previous three weekends of the month on the road.
>> The March 24-26 series with App State marks Louisiana's Sun Belt Home Opening Weekend and is also Alumni and Louisiana Salutes Weekend.
>> Last weekend the Ragin' Cajuns collected their 74th consecutive Sun Belt series victory - and first 3-0 start since 2019 - with a three-game sweep of Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
>> Louisiana, which has played 22 of 30 games away from Lamson Park to date, is set to enjoy its first full weekend at home since Opening Weekend (Feb. 10-12).
>> App State is making its first appearance at Lamson Park since the 2018 season. The Ragin' Cajuns hold a 6-0 edge at home against the Mountaineers.
>> The Ragin' Cajuns streak of 74 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won is the nation's longest active streak of consecutive conference series won. The incredible feat began nearly 10 years ago back on March 29, 2013 with a doubleheader sweep of FIU.
>> Louisiana seeks to carry over the offensive momentum gained on Sun Belt Opening Weekend at Southern Miss, the squad piling up 30 runs on a .356 average during the weekend set in Hattiesburg.
PROMOTIONS
LOUISIANA SALUTES (Friday and Saturday)
- All veterans and active military can get a discounted ticket at the Lamson Park box office throughout the entire series.
EASTER EGG HUNT (Saturday)
- Gameday sponsor Dudley DeBoiser is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt after the conclusion of play.
ALUMNI HOME RUN DERBY (Saturday)
- Following Saturday's Easter Egg hunt, Louisiana Softball alumni in attendance will participate in a home run derby.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads, 13-1
Sun Belt Regular Season Games: Louisiana leads, 13-1
Last Meeting: 4/24/22 // LA 10, APP 1 (Boone, N.C.)
At Lamson Park: Louisiana leads, 6-0
Last Time at Lamson Park: 3/18/18 // LA 7, APP 0
Streak: Louisiana, +2
>> Series began with App State's entry into the Sun Belt Conference in 2015.
>> This weekend's series marks the third matchup at Lamson Park (previous came in 2016 and 2018).
>> Louisiana claimed each of the first 11 meetings in the series, including three shutouts in a sweep at Lamson Park in 2018.
>> App State captured its first win over Louisiana in the 2022 series opener in Boone.
>> The Ragin' Cajuns-Mountaineers series has been interrupted on three occasions, limiting the number of meetings: a winter storm warning canceled Louisiana's trip to Boone in 2017, the 2020 scheduled series at Lamson Park was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, then COVID-19 scheduling modifications left the teams off each other's schedule in 2021.
>> In the programs' first-ever meeting in April 2015 in Boone, Ragin' Cajuns catcher Lexie Elkins finished a combined 8-for-10 at the plate with five home runs, 13 RBI and six runs scored as the No. 9-ranked Ragin' Cajuns swept a doubleheader from the Mountaineers.
THIS 'N THAT
>> Louisiana is 7-1 at Lamson Park in the 2023 season, last defeating McNeese, 6-2, on Wednesday, March 8. The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff has surrendered just nine (9) runs at home (outscoring foes 54-9).
>> The Ragin' Cajuns were weathered and tested for Sun Belt play, having faced eight ranked teams in the early portion of non-conference action.
>> In pre-conference tournament play, Louisiana claimed three wins over ranked teams, six wins over Power 5 foes and nine wins over Top 100 RPI teams.
>> To date, Louisiana has played the third (3rd) toughest schedule in D1 Softball based upon games already played. The teams faced thus far have a combined 518-248-5 (.675) record.
>> In the NCAA's latest official release of the RPI (Wednesday, March 22), the Ragin' Cajuns were ranked No. 11 - the highest ranking among Sun Belt programs.
>> In a strong finish to pre-conference tournament action, the Ragin' Cajuns finished 4-1 at Florida's Bubly Invitational recording three Power 5 wins, pitching three shutouts (including No. 12 Florida) and turning in a streak of 23-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
>> The Ragin' Cajuns twice overcame a deficit in sweeping the Sun Belt opener at Southern Miss, capped off by a nine-run sixth inning on Sunday to erase a 2-1 deficit.
>> Karly Heath [ragincajuns.com] stood out on Sun Belt Opening Weekend at Southern Miss posting four extra base hits, scoring a series-high seven runs and hitting for the doubleheader cycle on Saturday, earning her the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week award on Tuesday, March 21.
>> For the season, Karly Heath [ragincajuns.com] is the Ragin' Cajuns leader in home runs (7), total extra base hits (12), RBI (24) and runs scored (25). The senior utility player is batting .338, slugging .688 and is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 22 innings in the circle.
>> Freshman Lauren Allred [ragincajuns.com] has become an emerging impact player over the past three weeks. Since March 1, Allred is batting .452 (14-of-31) with a double, triple, three home runs and 15 RBI. She posted home runs against No. 11 Texas and No. 12 Florida.
>> Despite missing 10 games with a hand injury following Opening Day, freshman Mihyia Davis [ragincajuns.com] has already swiped 26 stolen bases (in 28 attempts) with her elite speed. Since returning to play on Feb. 25, Davis is hitting .419 (26-of-62) with 23 stolen bases and 19 runs scored over the last 19 games.
>> Mihyia Davis [ragincajuns.com] is one of collegiate softball's most electrifying center fielders as is evidenced by her diving catch into the wall on Feb. 25 at LSU. Davis, whose play is comparable to former LSU outfielder Aliyah Andrews, already has 29 putouts and four outfield assists including throwing out a McNeese runner attempting to score the last outing at Lamson Park.
>> Louisiana is set to have staying power in the national landscape in coming years, as the lineup typically features a combination of at least six to eight freshmen and sophomores. The last two recruiting classes were ranked Top 15 by Extra Inning Softball.
>> The Ragin' Cajuns handed then-No. 14 LSU (currently 24-5, 2-4 SEC) its only non-conference loss of the season back on Feb. 25 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge (won 5-4) and handed then-No. 12 Florida its first home loss of the 2023 season.
>> The TaxAct Clearwater Invitational-opening 4-1 win over Indiana marked Louisiana's 1,800th all-time win in program history - 5th most in NCAA D1 Softball history (joining UCLA, Arizona, Florida State, Texas A&M).
DIAMOND NOTES
>> Louisiana was preseason ranked in three major national polls: No. 20 in D1Softball, No. 22 in Softball America and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll. The Ragin' Cajuns were receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA poll, third in line from No. 25.
>> Louisiana, the three-time defending regular season and tournament champions, was the unanimous selection as the favorite to win the 2023 Sun Belt Conference title in a vote of the league's 12 head coaches. The Ragin' Cajuns have a history of dominating the Sun Belt, having won 18 regular season titles and 17 conference tournament titles since the inception of the league in 2000.
>> In the pitcher's circle, the Ragin' Cajuns returned all 47 victories posted in the 2022 season headlined by the trio of Sam Landry [ragincajuns.com] (20), Meghan Schorman [ragincajuns.com] (17) and Kandra Lamb [ragincajuns.com] (9) who combined for all but one of the triumphs.
>> A year ago, Louisiana's pitching staff ranked Top 25 nationally in ERA (2.17), shutouts (16), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.97) and was one of only three units in Division I Softball to amass 500-plus strikeouts (504).
NUMBERS TO KNEAUX
1: Louisiana's pitching staff has lowered its ERA over one full point since the Clearwater Invitational (from 4.13 to 2.68).
2: Number of shutouts pitched vs. ranked teams by Meghan Schorman [ragincajuns.com] (no-hit UCF, three-hit blanking of Florida).
4: As of March 22, Mihyia Davis [ragincajuns.com] ranked No. 4 nationally in stolen bases with 26 swipes.
4: Number of home runs hit by Karly Heath [ragincajuns.com] in the 2022 series at App State.
5: The Ragin' Cajuns offense has produced at least five base hits in all but two of the season's first 30 games.
10: There are 10 different players who have posted at least one home run for the Ragin' Cajuns.
15: Number of times (in 30 games) that the Ragin' Cajuns have scored in the first inning.
17: Number of non-conference games against Power 5 competition (six matchups at the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational).
23: Number of times the Ragin' Cajuns have scored the game's first run (19-4 record).
26: Number of stolen bases for Mihyia Davis [ragincajuns.com] in only 19 games of action.
32: Louisiana's offense generated 32 base hits on Sun Belt Opening Weekend (at Southern Miss).
35: Combined Sun Belt regular season (18) and tournament (17) championships for the Ragin' Cajuns.
1,816: Louisiana's number of all-time program victories (1981-present) which ranks No. 5 in NCAA D1 Softball history.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
No. 23 Louisiana travels to Harrisonburg, Virginia to meet James Madison in Sun Belt Conference play for the first time. The Ragin' Cajuns and Dukes are scheduled to play a three-game series from Friday-Saturday, March 31-April 2 at JMU's Veterans Memorial Park.
Louisiana and JMU are set for a series of afternoon games during the weekend set, starting at 1:00 p.m. (CDT) on Friday, continuing at 11:00 a.m. (CDT) on Saturday and concluding at 2:00 p.m. (CDT) on Sunday.
The Friday and Sunday games are airing on ESPN+. Radio coverage of all three games is slated for 103.3 FM The Goat and the Varsity Network.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNSFollow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB [facebook.com]), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB [twitter.com]) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB [instagram.com]) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here [apps.apple.com] for iOS/Apple platforms and here [play.google.com] for Android platforms.
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