2013 Louisiana Softball Louisiana Tech
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#22 Louisiana vs 2013 Louisiana Softball Louisiana Tech Contact: Nick Ross • E-Mail: [email protected] • Office: (337) 482-6329 • Cell: (651) 808-2743 What’s Next? Ragin’ Cajun Notes #22 Louisiana (16-9, 1-2 SBC) WHAT’S ON TAP? The 16-9 Ragin’ Cajuns softball team seeks to bounce back from a Sun Belt series loss to WKU, when they return to non-conference action and take on vs. in-state foe, Louisiana Tech on Wednesday, March 13 at Lamson Park. The Cajuns Louisiana Tech (12-10, 0-0 WAC) are 15-7 in non-conference action this season and only have 10 non-conference Lamson Park games remaining. Wednesday, March 13 4:00 P.M. (Doubleheader) CAJUN UPDATE: The Cajuns dropped a three game series with Western Kentucky, ESPN 1420-AM two games to one, over the past weekend. After a 10-0 victory in game one, the Lady Toppers rebounded to defeat the Cajuns in game two 12-2 and then won the Sunday matinee 3-2 to take the series over the Cajuns. Sara Corbello had an RBI in each game for her first career RBI streak, now at three games. Projected Louisiana Starting Lineup THE LADY TECHSTERS: The 12-10 Lady Techsters are coming off of a weekend Pos. No. Player Avg. HR RBI sweep of Southern in which they won by the mercy rule twice. They are led by senior CF 23 Brianna Cherry .375 7 27 pitcher Michelle Jones (8-5, 2.50 ERA, and junior outfielder Erin Kipp (.413 - 1 HR - 14 LF 22 Shellie Landry .338 6 32 RBI). The Cajuns hold a 44-30 all-time series lead over La. Tech, defeating them last C 24 Sarah Draheim .391 6 25 season in a five-inning 9-0 game at the Mardi Gras Invitational at Lamson Park. The 2B 27 Matte Haack .286 4 15 Cajuns are 24-14 when facing La. Tech at home. 1B 25 Sara Corbello .381 1 11 SS 21 Samantha Walsh .300 2 10 FIRST-YEAR FOCUS: With three freshmen in the starting lineup for every game this DH 14 Cassidy White .500 0 0 season the future is bright for the Cajuns. Shellie Landry, Sara Corbello and Samantha RF 17 Leandra Maly .255 0 5 Walsh have had a strong impact on the team in their first year of competition combining for nine HR and 53 RBI. First-year players as a whole are batting .320 on the season 3B 3 Natalie Fernandez .303 0 5 Off the bench... (82-for-256) with 57 RBI, 10 HR, and 53 runs scored. Last season a Cajuns veteran Pos. No. Player Avg. HR RBI squad didn’t send a freshman to the plate. OF 19 Shelbi Redfearn .059 0 4 CHERRY BOMBS: Senior center fielder Brianna Cherry has anchored the Cajuns’ IF 28 Kelsey Vincent .182 1 2 offense through the first 25 games this season. She is batting .375 with 27 RBI, and IF 12 Gabrielle Felps .143 0 0 a team-high 26 runs and seven home runs. Her seven home runs tie her career high Pitchers R/L No. Player W-L ERA K that she set last season. RHP 7 Jordan Wallace 9-5 2.15 109 HOME RUNS...HOME RUNS EVERYWHERE: With 29 home runs in the first 25 RHP 16 Christina Hamilton 2-1 3.85 20 games, the Cajuns lead the Sun Belt Conference in home runs by a margin of 14 RHP 32 Victoria Brown 3-0 4.67 15 (South Alabama, 15). Individually, Louisiana holds down the top three spots with LHP 10 Kristin Martinez 2-3 3.63 27 Cherry at seven, and both Landry and Draheim at six a piece. If you combine the three, they have more home runs than all the teams in the league. The Cajuns also rank 21st in the nation for home runs per game (1.13/game) Weekend Sun Belt Series #22 Louisiana (16-9, 1-2 SBC) DOMINATING THE DISH: Senior catcher Sarah Draheim has been a huge presence at both behind and at the plate for the Cajuns this season. She leads the team with 161 putouts, and has started every game at catcher. She is batting .375 on the season with South Alabama (21-4, 0-0 SBC) six home runs and 25 RBI. Draheim batted .250 in her first three seasons. Jaguar Field Saturday, March 16 - 1:00 P.M. (DH) NEARLY PERFECT: Sophomore pitcher Jordan Wallace faced just 16 batters in a five- ESPN 1420-AM inning shutout against WKU on Saturday. She allowed just one batter to reach base, a single in the second inning, with no walks and nine strikeouts. Earlier this season, Sunday, March 17 - 1:00 P.M. Wallace took a perfect game into the sixth inning of what became a six-inning mercy ESPN 1420-AM rule victory for the Cajuns. She lost the perfect game from an error to lead off the sixth, and eventually gave up a hit. 33rd Season • 1,375 wins • 208 Sun Belt victories • 11 Sun Belt Championships • 22 National Tournament Appearances 1993 • 1995 • 1996 • 2003 • 2008 Women’s College World Series 2013 Louisiana Softball 2013 Louisiana Softball Contact: Nick Ross • E-Mail: [email protected] • Office: (337) 482-6329 • Cell: (651) 808-2743 Contact: Nick Ross • E-Mail: [email protected] • Office: (337) 482-6329 • Cell: (651) 808-2743 Ragin’ Cajun Notes LET’S GET IT STARTED: The Cajuns have scored in the first inning SOLID COMPETITION: The Cajuns schedule features nine teams in 13 of their 25 games this season, and are 9-4 in those games. The that were either ranked in the top 25 or received votes in NCAA polls, Cajuns have scored first in 19-of-25 games and hold a record of 14-5 including ESPN.com number one, Oklahoma (April 3rd). They have when scoring first. gone 1-5 when facing teams in the Top 25 and are 0-4 against Top 10 ranked teams. SINGLING OUT FERNANDEZ: Third baseman Natalie Fernandez led the Ragin’ Cajuns squad with 75 hits and a .436 average last CLEARING THE BENCH: 29 different players have seen time at the season. All of the 75 hits were singles. Thus far in 2013 she has gone plate or on the base paths this season for the Cajuns. In all of 2012, 23-for-76 with 23 singles. In her career, Fernandez has 133 hits, just 12 players saw action in the field, not including pitchers. including 132 singles and one double. Her only extra base hit came on February 12, 2011 as her last 130 hits have been singles. CHERRY NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Brianna Cherry was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week of Feb. 25 after a powerful NO SENIOR SLIDE: The five seniors, Brianna Cherry, Sarah Draheim, weekend at the plate in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The honor is the Matte Haack, Nerissa Myers and Megan Waterman combine for a first of her career, and second this season for the Cajuns. Jordan .358 batting average (95-for-265), with 87 runs scored, 81 RBI and Wallace won Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 18. Cherry went 7-for-19 at 19 home runs with a slugging percentage of .690. the plate with eight RBI with seven runs scored and four home runs, helping the Cajuns win the NFCA Leadoff Classic. She drove in runs FRESHMAN FIREPOWER: Outfielder Shellie Landry hit her first in every game, and scored in every game but one. career grand slam against Southern on Feb. 26, and has now homered in back-to-back games this season twice. Her 32 RBI not LOVING LOUISIANA: The 2013 schedule features six teams from only lead the team, but the entire Sun Belt Conference and she is inside the Louisiana Border. McNeese State, Southern, Louisiana second on the team with six home runs. Tech and UL-Monroe. The Cajuns are 2-0 thus far against in-state opponents with victories over McNeese and Southern already. WATERMAN OFF THE WALL: In just her fourth career at-bat, senior Megan Waterman doubled off the left field wall, missing a home run by mere feet on Friday, February 15. On Saturday, February 16th she would get another pinch hitting opportunity, this time clearing the wall for her first career home run. HOW DO THEY RANK? Louisiana is ranked 22nd in the USA Today/ NFCA Coaches poll and 25th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball polls General Information released on March 12, down seven spots from last week when they Name of School .....................University of Louisiana (at Lafayette) were ranked 15 and 18th, respectively. The Cajuns started the season City/Zip ............................................................ Lafayette, La. 70504 ranked 11th, and were the unanimous selection to win the Sun Belt. Founded....... 1898 (as Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute) The highest they have been ranked this season was the preseason Enrollment........................................................... 16,687 (Fall 2012) ranking of 11th. Nickname ...................................................................Ragin’ Cajuns DEFENDING CHAMPS: Louisiana will attempt to defend their throne School Colors .................................................. Vermilion and White at the top of the Sun Belt Conference, a spot they have held in 11 of Affiliation .................................................................NCAA Division I the past 12 seasons, including five straight. They will also attempt Conference .........................................................................Sun Belt to extend a streak of 14 straight NCAA Regional tournament berths. President............................Dr. E. Joseph Savoie (Louisiana, 1976) Director of Athletics ............Scott Farmer (Georgia Southern, 1986) ATTENDANCE AUTHORITIES: Lamson Park has held the highest Faculty Athletics Representative........................... Anita Hazelwood attendance in the Sun Belt Conference for the past 13 seasons, and Athletics Main Phone ...............................................(337) 482-5393 set school records last season with an average attendance of 1,287, Ticket Office Phone .................................................(337) 265-2357 for 29,171 all season.