What Softball Fans Should Keep An Eye Out For This Weekend

Contact: Cory Weigel

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Ragin' Cajuns softball team is two days away from hosting their first regional since 2002. UL will open up against No. 4 seed Mississippi Valley State on Friday and will also be joined in the tournament by No. 2 seed Stanford and No. 3 seed Baylor.

The Cajuns have been very successful in key areas of the game, which have contributed to their success this season. Here is a look at five areas that fans should keep an eye out for this weekend.

Stolen Bases

Base stealing will play a large part in producing runs this weekend and put pressure on the defense with speed on the base paths. UL has swiped 102 bags this season, which is good for 10^th most in the country. The “relay team” of Katie Smith, Nerissa Myers, Natalie Fernandez and Erikka Murphy has combined to steal 73 bases this year and pose a threat to any team when they are on base.

Baylor features speed as well in their lineup, totaling 94 steals on the season. Kathy Shelton leads the squad with 28 and Kayce Walker is not far behind her with 20.

Stanford has stolen 47 bags and Mississippi Valley State has 27 on the year, two teams capable of wreaking havoc on the bases.

“The ability to steal a base allows the offense to get one less hit to produce a run,” co-head coach Michael Lotief said. “The art of stealing a base is a science and doesn't depend all on speed. There are different factors that go into successfully stealing a base like when to leave, what the count is, and the cover of the defense.”

Leadoff Hitter Getting on Base

Getting the leadoff hitter on to open the inning is very important because it gives any team an opportunity to score in multiple ways instead of relying on homeruns and extra base hits.

Katie Smith has done a tremendous job for the Cajuns in the leadoff role, leading the team in hitting at a .425 rate. The Ruston, La. native leads the team in hits (74) and is second on the squad in on base percentage (.495).

“When the leadoff hitter gets on base, some teams will sac the runner to second,” Lotief stated. “It brings an issue for the defense because you don't know whether or not the offense will try to move the runner up or attempt to get a base hit. It gives the defense more to think about and keeps them on their toes.”

Something to watch for this weekend will be can the Cajuns continue to have players step up in the leadoff role each inning because Smith is only guaranteed to leadoff the first time she comes to bat. So far this season UL hitters have reached at a .512 rate when leading off an inning.

Runners in Scoring Position

Hitting with runners in scoring position is an aspect of the game that separates the good teams from the great teams. Being able to come through in clutch situations can be the difference between a win and a loss and is a big reason why the Cajuns were able to get off to a program record, 28-0 to start the season.

With Louisiana trailing 4-2 in the seventh against Kentucky (3/3), Myers stepped to the plate with two runners on and two outs. The junior shortstop lifted a pitch over the right center wall, giving the Cajuns a 5-4 victory and improving their record to 13-0 record. That is one of many examples, in which UL has come up with clutch hits this season and will play a large part this weekend if they will be moving on to the super regional.

“When a hitter comes to the plate in those types of situations, the adrenaline flows a little faster in both the hitter and the pitcher,” Lotief mentioned. “It puts pressure on the defense and the atmosphere becomes more intense. It's what the game of softball is all about. It's the same as when basketball players dream of taking the last shot in a game, that type of moment of the game.”

Recovering From an Error

Errors can be dreadful for teams and can lead to long and disastrous innings. Teams have to stay composed after committing an error or the wheels could come off and lead to a seven or eight run inning.

The Cajuns have been on the positive end of those situations for the most part this season, including a nine-run fourth inning against Mississippi Valley State (2/12), where the Devilettes booted the ball three times in the frame.

However, UL is coming off a defeat against South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference title game last weekend, which they are determined to learn from. The Cajuns made a costly error in the fifth inning of the game that led to a three-run blast to propel the Jaguars to a 3-1 victory.

“Pitchers have to be able to cover up after their defense has made an error and pitch out of jams,” co-head coach Stefni Lotief said. “The key is working ahead of counts so you don't put yourself in a position where you have to make the perfect pitch. Defensively you have to stay composed and move on to the next play. Our teammates have to have each other's back and pick each other up.”

Crowd Atmosphere

Last but certainly not least is the crowd. The Cajuns finished the year with just one loss at home and have won 41 of their last 42 games at Lamson Park, including a stretch of 39 straight wins. The Ragin' Cajuns are averaging 1,041 fans a game and they are going to need every bit of support this weekend to keep their season alive.

“First off, the whole purpose of home field advantage is to pack the stands,” M. Lotief said. “Secondly, is for the fans to support and fight for the kids every pitch no matter what the score is. Lastly, make it difficult for the opponents so it doesn't feel like it's nine on nine but they are fighting against 3,000 people as well.”

--Ragin' Cajuns--

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

What Softball Fans Should Keep An Eye Out For This Weekend

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