University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Weekly Notebook: Homestand Ends This Weekend With Louisiana Classics
2/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The fifth-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team closes out its season-opening homestand this weekend as the squad hosts the 19th Annual Louisiana Classics softball tournament Friday-Sunday, Feb. 18-20 at the Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette (8-0) is hosting Mississippi Valley, Nicholls State and Purdue in the four-team, five-game round robin tournament. Each team is guaranteed five games over the three-day weekend set, weather permitting.
The Ragin' Cajuns begin tournament play on Friday by hosting in-state foe Nicholls State at 4:30 p.m., which will be immediately followed by a 7 p.m. game with Mississippi Valley. The actual tournament itself begins at 11 a.m. with Purdue meeting Nicholls State.
The Ragin' Cajuns are looking to extend the best start under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief which is currently 8-0. Prior to this season, the best season-opening stretch under the Lotief's was 3-0 done in 2002. The best undefeated start in program history is 14-0, accomplished during the 1993 season – that team went on to advance to the Women's College World Series. The 2005 team is six wins away from equaling the 1993 team's start.
Louisiana-Lafayette will also be looking to protect its homefield winning streak which currently stands at 14 straight games following last weekend's 3-0 record in games with McNeese State and Mississippi State during the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational. Under the Lotief's, Louisiana-Lafayette is 104-11 (.904 win percentage).
Both Purdue and Mississippi Valley will be making their Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park debuts while Nicholls State makes its lone trip to the facility this season.
The Louisiana Classics is the last of three straight tournaments at home for the Cajuns who have yet to play a road game this season.
The Cajuns pitching staff will look to continue its dominant ways this weekend. Through 50 innings of play and eight games total, the trio of ace Brooke Mitchell, Heather Bobbitt and Ashley Kirchberg have combined to allow just two earned runs. The staff started the season going 48 2/3 innings without an earned run allowed until Mississippi State plated two runs off of three doubles in the sixth inning last Saturday.
Offensively, the Cajuns have been on a roll. As a team, Louisiana-Lafayette is batting a collective .371 and already has piled up 27 extra base hits. Several players will look to keep lengthy hitting streaks alive this weekend – Lacy Bertucci (8 games), Brittany Bryant (8 games), Ashley Evans (7 games) and Danyele Gomez (7 games).
The weekend set also serves as the final tuneup for the Cajuns before heading to the prestigious NFCA Leadoff Classic Feb. 25-27 in Columbus, Ga. There the Cajuns are assured of meeting some of the nation's top teams, giving the squad a preview of the 2005 NCAA Regionals scene.
Fans can track the progress of the 19th Annual Louisiana Classics by accessing the Louisiana-Lafayette LIVE STATS page -
www.louisiana.edu/softball.THIS WEEKEND'S SCHEDULE (Louisiana-Lafayette games only)...
19th ANNUAL LOUISIANA CLASSICS
Friday-Sunday, Feb. 18-20, 2005
Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park - Lafayette, La.
Friday, Feb. 18, 2005
4:30 p.m. – #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Nicholls State
7 p.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Mississippi Valley
Saturday, Feb. 19, 2005
1:30 p.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Purdue
4:30 p.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Nicholls State
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
11 a.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Purdue
ON DECK…
The Ragin' Cajuns will travel to Columbus, Ga., next Thursday for what will be the team's toughest challenge to date this season and first games outside the state of Louisiana in 2005.
No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette will see its first action away from the friendly confines of Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park as the Ragin' Cajuns participate in the 10th Annual National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic at South Commons Stadium and Complex. This prestigious tournament is considered to be the crown jewel of all softball in-season events and will provided the Cajuns with games against several teams ranked in the Top 25 polls.
The Ragin' Cajuns will be participating in the Leadoff Classic for the first time since the 2000 season. Previous Louisiana-Lafayette appearances in the event occurred in the 1996, 1997 and 1999 seasons. Then-USL won the NFCA Leadoff Classic in 1999.
Louisiana-Lafayette is scheduled to play DePaul (Feb. 25), San Diego State (Feb. 25) and North Carolina (Feb. 26) in pool play before bracket play begins on Saturday, Feb. 26 at either 3:30 p.m. or 6 p.m.
For more information on the 10th Annual NFCA Leadoff Classic please visit the NFCA's web site at
http://nfca.org/classic/division1.19TH ANNUAL LOUISIANA CLASSICS SCHEDULE OF GAMES (all games listed)
Results will be posted on the tournament's web site at:
http://www.ragincajuns.com/softball/Stories/2005/19thlouisianaclassics.htmLive Stats can be accessed via the World Wide Web at (FOR ALL GAMES):
http://www.louisiana.edu/softballFriday, Feb. 18, 2005
Game 1 - 11 a.m. - Nicholls State vs. Purdue
Game 2 - 1:30 p.m. - Purdue vs. Mississippi Valley
Game 3 - 4:30 p.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Nicholls
State
Game 4 - 7 p.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Mississippi
Valley
Saturday, Feb. 19, 2005
Game 5 - 11 a.m. - Mississippi Valley vs. Nicholls State
Game 6 - 1:30 p.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Purdue
Game 7 - 4:30 p.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Nicholls
State
Game 8 - 7 p.m. - Purdue vs. Mississippi Valley
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
Game 9 - 11 a.m. - #5 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Purdue
Game 10 - 1:30 p.m. - Nicholls State vs. Mississippi
Valley
CAJUNS HOLD STRONG AT NO. 5 IN LATEST ESPN.COM POLL; MOVE UP TO NO. 5 IN NFCA POLL…
Another undefeated weekend allowed the nationally ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team to hold on its No. 5 ranking in the latest edition of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll, which was released on Tuesday.
The Ragin' Cajuns (8-0) began the season ranked No. 7 and moved up two spots to No. 5 last Tuesday after beginning the season 5-0 in the 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Classic Feb. 4-6. This week's ranking marks the second straight week for Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 5.
The ranking is Louisiana-Lafayette's highest regular season mark under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief.
The Cajuns remained the highest ranked team in the state of Louisiana for the third straight week (LSU is now No. 10) and are the second-highest ranked team amongst the NCAA Midwest Region schools trailing only No. 3 Texas.
The Ragin' Cajuns garnered 416 points and finished a mere nine (9) points behind No. 4 UCLA (7-2) and 16 points ahead of No. 6 Stanford (6-1).
Louisiana-Lafayette is ranked ahead of Washington, Tennessee, Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Alabama and Oregon to name a few of the teams from larger conferences.
The ranking assured the Cajuns of being a member of the Top 10 for the third straight week.
Arizona, which visits Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park March 25-27, sits atop the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll after being declared co-No. 1's with Pac 10-rival California just a week ago. The Wildcats picked up 12 of the 20 first place votes to edge Cal by only three points for the No. 1 ranking.
The Cajuns made a four-spot jump in the latest version of the NFCA Top 25 poll which was released Wednesday, Feb. 16. Louisiana-Lafayette jumped from No. 9 to No. 5, giving the squad the same ranking in both polls.
TRAVEL CONFLICTS ALTER FRIDAY'S LOUISIANA CLASSICS SCHEDULE…
Travel conflicts for Mississippi Valley and Nicholls State have forced an alteration in Friday's schedule of games for the 19th Annual Louisiana Classics softball tournament being held at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park Friday-Sunday, Feb. 18-20.
Game matchups remain the same; just the time for those games will change.
No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette will now face Nicholls State at 4:30 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. and the Ragin' Cajuns will meet Mississippi Valley at 7 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m., in the evening portion of Friday's action.
Friday's afternoon session was also altered because Mississippi Valley could not make it to the field in time for its originally scheduled 11 a.m. contest. As a result, the tournament opener will now feature Purdue and Nicholls State at 11 a.m., to be immediately followed by Purdue and Mississippi Valley at 1:30 p.m.
The schedule remains unchanged for Saturday's games.
On Sunday, the fifth-ranked Ragin' Cajuns will meet Purdue at 11 a.m. instead of the originally scheduled 1:30 p.m. meeting, a change that was announced on Monday.
MOVING UP THE CAREER VICTORIES LIST…
Brooke Mitchell is just eight (8) wins shy of becoming the Ragin' Cajuns Softball program's all-time winningest pitcher. Kyla Hall currently holds the record with 104 wins; Mitchell starts this weekend with 97 career triumphs.
When she reaches her 100th career victory (win No. 9 of the 2005 season), Brooke will join Hall as the only pitchers in program history to reach the milestone.
Mitchell trails only Hall who ended her career with 104 victories against just 20 losses.
Mitchell enters the 19th Annual Louisiana Classics with an overall career record of 97-20 which includes a 25-3 mark in the month of February.
Career
Victories Top 5
1. 104 Kyla Hall (1991-94)
2. 97 Brooke Mitchell (2002-present)
3. 84 Melissa Coronado (1999-02)
4. 78 Stefni Whitton (1987-90)
5. 76 Jennifer Clendenin (1993-97)
MUSICAL POSITIONS…
Pay careful attention to three positions in the field for the Ragin' Cajuns as players may be swapped in and out between innings.
First base, third base and left field feature the “musical chairs” theory.
Lacey Bertucci, Ashley Evans and Tara Hamilton each rotate at first base. Evans and Hamilton swap out at third base with Hamilton going to DP and Evans to third or Evans to first base and Hamilton to third base. When Hamilton or Evans takes over at first base, Bertucci is slid into the DP slot.
Out if left field, Crystal George and Hillary Guidry are sharing duties. Occasionally they will change defensively between innings and both will get a turn in the batting order. George has started five games while Guidry has taken three starts.
MAKING THEM PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKES…
Last Saturday's 7-2 win over Mississippi State proved that Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team will punish you if you give them an “extra out” by committing an error in an inning.
Mississippi State found out the hard way – a throwing error by second baseman Callye Williams kept the fourth inning alive for the Ragin' Cajuns. On the very next at bat, Jill Robertson delivered the first of two, two-run homers for the Cajuns when she ripped a line drive home run over the center field fence for a 4-0 lead. Two batters later, after Danyele Gomez singed up the middle, Brittany Bryant extended her career-best hitting streak to eight games with a two-run job of her own which stretched the Louisiana-Lafayette lead to 6-0.
Those four RBI came with two outs. This season, the Cajuns have collected 31 two-out RBI proving that the Cajuns don't mail it in when there is two outs on the scoreboard.
A SUPPORTING CAST DEVELOPING FOR BROOKE…
Last weekend's Ragin' Cajuns Invitational provide Cajuns fans with a glimpse of what the pitching staff has to offer after Brooke Mitchell. Both Heather Bobbitt and Ashley Kirchberg provided solid innings allowing Mitchell some rest.
Bobbitt had an eye-catching weekend. The sophomore from Vidor, Texas, dominated the McNeese State batting order striking out 16 MSU hitters and allowing just one hit in eight innings. On Friday, Bobbitt struck out the first seven batters she faced in succession. Then on Saturday, she helped pave the way for the Cajuns first no-hitter of the season by striking out eight Cowgirls in five innings.
Bobbitt has fanned 21 batters through 11 innings this season and opponents are hitting a paltry .079 against her. Kirchberg has 14 strikeouts in eight innings.
The two have accounted for 19 of the 50 innings pitched by the Cajuns pitching staff. This is a good early sign after Brooke Mitchell pitched over 75 percent of the innings during the 2004 season.
HAVING NO MERCY ON THEM…
The Ragin' Cajuns have already posted four mercy-rule decisions through eight (8) games this season.
Louisiana-Lafayette topped Northwestern State 12-0 in five innings, Prairie View A&M 15-0 in five innings and Sam Houston State 8-0 in six innings during the Mardi Gras Classics and downed McNeese State 10-0 in six innings last Friday in the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational.
LAYING THE (GOOSE) EGGS…
Louisiana-Lafayette's pitching staff has posted six shutouts this season through just eight games played. The Cajuns have allowed just two earned runs in 50 innings to start the season and the pitching staff has a microscopic ERA of 0.28.
Junior ace hurler Brooke Mitchell has crafted one (1) complete-game shutout and has combined for four more. Mitchell shut down Ole Miss 3-0 in the season opener striking out 14 Rebel batters. Heather Bobbitt and Ashley Kirchberg combined on a no-hitter in last Saturday's 6-0 win over McNeese State.
Last season (2004), the Cajuns pitching staff crafted 29 shutouts. Brooke Mitchell accounted for 14 of those shutouts (solo) while combining for 10 other shutouts.
HIT STREAKS NEARING DOUBLE-DIGITS…
Four players on the Cajuns roster are flirting with lengthy hitting streaks which could reach double figures this weekend.
Both Lacey Bertucci and Brittany Bryant will carry eight game hitting streaks into the Louisiana Classics while Danyele Gomez and Ashley Evans will enter the weekend set with seven-game hitting streaks respectively.
The hitting streaks are career-bests for Bertucci, Bryant and Evans. Gomez's career-best hit streak is seven games set in both her freshman and sophomore seasons.
The school-record hitting streak is 25 games set by Kelli Bruce from March 16, 1999 through April 23, 1999 – a streak which ranks 16th in NCAA history.
EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE TO PLAY…
With the recent tear that the Ragin' Cajuns have been on, co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief have been given plenty of opportunity to give playing time to several players on the bench.
A total of 16 players have seen action in at least six games this season. Counting pitchers Brooke Mitchell, Ashley Kirchberg and Heather Bobbitt, then that number climbs to 19 out of a possible 22 players.
These experiences should help the Cajuns when it comes to crunch time and the bench needs to be a deciding factor.
THE MIDDLE INNINGS IS WHEN THEY WARM THE ENGINE UP…
Over the past four seasons under the coaches Lotief, the Ragin' Cajuns have been a team this is quick to start. For instance, last season Louisiana-Lafayette outscored opponents 169-44 in the first three innings.
This season, the Cajuns are taking a liking to the middle innings. In the third and fourth innings combined Louisiana-Lafayette is outscoring its opposition 36-2.
SCORING FIRST USUALLY MEANS A VICTORY FOR THE CAJUNS…
Louisiana-Lafayette is 185-9 (.954) under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief when scoring first. This season, the Ragin' Cajuns are 8-0 when scoring first.
COULD IT BE ANOTHER DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN STREAK???
Louisiana-Lafayette is riding a season-opening eight-game win streak leaving the squad two wins away from a double-digit win streak.
Last season, the Ragin' Cajuns posted three double-digit win streaks and under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief, have went on double-digit runs 10 times.
CAJUNS VS. MIDWEST REGION TEAMS…
Louisiana-Lafayette is off to a 4-0 start this season against teams from the NCAA Midwest Region. The Midwest Region includes teams from the Big 12, Missouri Valley, Southland and Sun Belt Conferences.
This weekend, the Ragin' Cajuns will have two more games against MW Region teams, playing Nicholls State twice.
Louisiana-Lafayette has 29 more games scheduled against Midwest Region teams following this weekend's Louisiana Classics.
Games against teams from the MW Region will go a long way in determining the Cajuns status for the NCAA Regionals, considering the fact that the Sun Belt has no automatic bid.
THIS N' THAT…
*** Top hitters on the team through eight games include – Lacey Bertucci (.542, 13-for-24, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 11 RBI, 1.000 SLG%, .621 OB%), Brittany Bryant (.464, 13-for-28, 10 runs scored, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 11 RBI, .857 SLG%, .484 OB%), Danyele Gomez (.478, 11-for-23, 10 runs scored, 2 doubles, 4 RBI, .565 SLG%, .536 OB%), Tara Hamilton (.400, 8-for-20, 6 runs scored, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 8 RBI, .650 SLG%, .519 OB%).
*** Both Lacey Bertucci and Brittany Bryant have each picked up at least one hit in each game this season and will carry eight-game hitting streaks into this weekend's tournament. The hit streak is a career-best for both.
*** Other hitting streaks going into this weekend's tournament include: Ashley Evans (7 games) and Danyele Gomez (7 games).
*** The Cajuns pitching staff has allowed just 24 hits over 50 innings – that's only one hit allowed every other inning.
*** The Cajuns pitching staff has surrendered just two earned runs over 50 innings of work this season. The staff ERA after two weekends of play is 0.28.
*** Not many teams have advanced runners to or past second base on the Cajuns this season. As a result, the opponents have had just 31 chances with runners in scoring position as opposed to 89 opportunities by the Cajuns.
*** Louisiana-Lafayette sports a .415 team batting average when there is two outs on the scoreboard. Lacey Bertucci is 6-for-10 in two-out situations while Danyele Gomez is 5-for-7.
*** The Cajuns pitching staff has posted double-digit strikeouts in all but one game this season. Against Sam Houston State on Saturday, Feb. 6, the staff only notched seven strikeouts – the season-low thus far.
*** Continuing a trend from recent seasons, the Cajuns have already racked up 31 two-out RBI. Lacey Bertucci is leading the charge with 10 two-out RBI.
*** Cajuns pitching has held the opposition to a paltry 3-of-31 (.097) with runners in scoring position. Conversely, the Ragin' Cajuns are hitting 34-of-89 (.382) with runners in scoring position.
*** Middle innings have been deadly for the Cajuns' opponents thus far. Louisiana-Lafayette has scored 36 of its 67 runs in the third and fourth innings combined.
*** The Cajuns 6-2 win over Ole Miss last Saturday was the 100th victory at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief. The Cajuns are currently 104-11 at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
*** Louisiana-Lafayette has won 14 straight home games dating back to the final six home games of the 2004 season (which includes the Sun Belt Tournament).
*** Should the Cajuns sweep this weekend's tournament action, then the 2005 team would be off to the second-best undefeated start in program history at 13-0. The record for most consecutive wins to start a season is 14 set by the 1993 team. The Cajuns would then need two more wins at the NFCA Leadoff classic to set the program record for the best undefeated start.
STARTING OFF IN THE TOP 10…
For the second straight season, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team began the regular season ranked in the Top 10 of the national polls.
Louisiana-Lafayette, the four-time defending Sun Belt Conference champion with All-American ace Brooke Mitchell returning in the pitching circle, entered the 2005 season ranked No. 7 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason collegiate poll – the program's highest preseason ranking under the direction co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief.
This season's ranking is the highest for the program in the poll which debuted in February 2003. Last season, the Cajuns debuted at No. 9.
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 listed the Ragin' Cajuns at No. 9, giving the Cajuns a Top 10 preseason ranking in both of the major softball polls.
SHE'S BACK…
All-American pitcher Brooke Mitchell (45-5, 0.82 ERA, 524 strikeouts in 2004) returns for her senior season in 2005.
She enters her senior season listed as one of the top players to watch during the 2005 NCAA Division I softball campaign.
Mitchell, who led the nation in victories (45) and shattered the Louisiana-Lafayette single-season and career strikeout marks with 524 strikeouts en route to first-team Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American honors, has been selected to the watch list for the fourth-annual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award.
The Pasadena, Texas, native was a Top 10 finalist for the national award during the 2004 season, and is considered to be one of the Top 10 pitchers in the nation this season. Mitchell, the 2003 Sun Belt Conference and Louisiana Pitcher of the Year, was the only player from the Sun Belt named to the initial watch list.
Last season, Mitchell posted a 45-5 record - accounting for 75 percent of the Ragin' Cajuns 60 victories – and posted double-digit strikeouts in 29 outings on her way to the fourth-highest total in NCAA Division I history (524). The eight-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, Mitchell also tossed five complete-game, no-hitters including one of Big 12-member Missouri, and had five complete-game one-hitters in 2004.
THE REST OF THE TEAM IS BACK TOO…
How many teams around the nation can claim that their entire roster from the previous season is back in uniform this season? Not many, but Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns can lay claim to that distinction.
Co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief's 2005 Ragin' Cajuns softball squad returns 14 of 16 players which saw action in 2004, a total which includes eight out of a possible nine position starters plus their ace pitcher - this from a team that won a school-record 60 games during the 2004 season and clubbed a school-record 88 home runs.
The only missing pieces that would have kept the entire 2004 team intact are Holly Tankersley (being redshirted in 2005) and Christine Collins (left for personal reasons). Tankersley, who set a school record with 21 home runs last season, will be the more noticeable of the two losses.
Louisiana-Lafayette returns 66 of its school-record 88 homers from a year ago, 74 of 89 doubles and 310 of its 379 runs scored.
Add in a crew of eight quality newcomers and the 2005 Ragin' Cajuns softball roster includes 22 names and faces.
HOMETOWN HERO BACK FOR A FINAL HURRAH…
After sitting out the 2004 season with a torn ACL, redshirt senior Jill Robertson is back in a Cajuns uniform for the 2005 season.
Robertson, a two-time All-Sun Belt standout, will only make an already potent offense stronger. Before last season's season-ending mishap, the Lafayette native had back-to-back seasons of double digit home runs and was always good for 50-plus runs scored.
Robertson, a two-year starter at second base and one-year starter at shortstop, will likely be tried in the outfield this season. The coaching staff has her penciled in with Hillary Guidry in the center field slot.
BROOKE MITCHELL REACHES HISTORIC MILESTONE – ONE THOUSAND NO-NO'S…
Senior ace hurler Brooke Mitchell picked up the 1,000th strikeout of her career in the bottom of the first inning of last Sunday's game with Sam Houston State when she struck out Erin Lindsey swinging to end the inning.
Mitchell, who entered the game with 998 career strikeouts, became the first player in the history of the Ragin' Cajuns softball program to reach 1,000 career strikeouts and became the 28th player in NCAA Division I history to reach the milestone.
Mitchell enters this weekend's set the owner of 1,004 career strikeouts – a tally which currently ranks 28th in the NCAA Division I record books. Her next target is No. 27 Nicole Neuerburg (Texas State-San Marcos) who finished her career with 1,018 strikeouts.
Mitchell is the career strikeouts leader at Louisiana-Lafayette after breaking Kyla Hall's previous school record of 820 on April 14, 2004, last season.
BACK TO WHERE SHE STARTED…
With the absence of Holly Tankersley, junior Danyele Gomez is returning back to the outfield after spending the 2004 season at third base.
Gomez spent her freshman season in right field and proceeded to hit a then-school record 20 home runs. The Metairie native will once again be roaming out in right field as she is going to take Tankersley's place.
HOME, SWEET HOME…
There's no doubt that the Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park has been the perfect home for Louisiana-Lafayette softball.
Now in its 21st season of service to the nationally recognized program, UL Lafayette has posted a 440-72 (.859) record all-time at the park.
Under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief, the Ragin' Cajuns have posted a 104-11 mark (.904) in the friendly confines – reaching 20-plus victories in each of the past four seasons.
Dating back to the 1999 season, Louisiana-Lafayette has gone 156-15 at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park for a .912 winning percentage.
Louisiana-Lafayette's 22 home wins last season marked the sixth straight season that the Cajuns posted 20 or more home wins.
Louisiana-Lafayette has never had a losing season at home in 20 seasons.
CAJUNS PICKED AS SUN BELT FAVORITES ONCE MORE…
With one of the best pitchers in the country returning, Louisiana-Lafayette was a unanimous pick to win the Sun Belt Conference softball title according to a coach's poll, it was announced on Wednesday.
The Cajuns, who came within one win of making their second straight trip to the Women's College World Series last year, received all six first-place votes from the Sun Belt softball head coaches.
The reason was pretty simple: Not only will the Cajun return a powerful offense, but they also bring back two-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Brooke Mitchell.
Mitchell, a first-team All-American last year, went an astounding 45-5 with a 0.82 earned run average last season. Backing up Mitchell will be a potentially explosive lineup.
Position players returning include 2003 All-American Danyele Gomez (13 home runs, 43 RBIs last year) and Jill Robertson, a two-time All-Sun Belt standout who missed last season with a knee injury.
SUN
BELT CONFERENCE SOFTBALL COACHES POLL
As voted on by the league's 6 head coaches
** First-place votes in parentheses
Team Pts.
1. Louisiana-Lafayette (6) 36
2. Florida International 25
3. Middle Tennessee 24
4. North Texas 15
5. New Mexico State 14
6. Western Kentucky 12
THE SUN BELT'S DYNASTY…
Like the Chicago Bulls of the early and late 1990s or Tennessee and Connecticut in women's basketball, Louisiana-Lafayette is quickly becoming the dynasty of the Sun Belt Conference's softball league.
Since the league began play in 2001, the Ragin' Cajuns have won the regular season and tournament titles each year – the only champion that the league has ever known.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 65-5 (.929) all-time in Sun Belt play and has posted a 16-0 record in the league's postseason tournament.
The Ragin' Cajuns have participated in 17 Sun Belt series since joining the league and have never lost one. The only time UL Lafayette failed to win a series was when the Cajuns split a four-game set at FIU during the 2003 season.
Last season, the Cajuns became the first team in league history to march through the regular season schedule undefeated. Louisiana-Lafayette finished the 2004 SBC slate at 18-0.
The Ragin' Cajuns will enter the 2005 season riding a 21-game regular season winning streak in Sun Belt games – the last conference loss coming on May 3, 2003 at Western Kentucky (L, 2-3 in 8 innings).
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE YEAR-BY-YEAR SUN BELT RECORDS
2001 19-1
2002 15-1
2003 13-3
2004 18-0
Overall 65-5
MITCHELL DONNED THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE LAST SUMMER…
Louisiana-Lafayette senior ace pitcher was a member of the 2004 USA Softball Elite Team, participating with the squad over the summer months in the Canada Cup and Champions Cup.
In the two tournaments combined, Mitchell went 3-1 with a 0.91 ERA against some of the top talent in the world.
She made seven appearances, striking out 33 batters over 23 innings. She had the lowest ERA among the regulars, besting Arizona's Alicia Hollowell who had a 0.96 ERA.
Mitchell joins former Cajuns All-American shortstop Alana Addison as the only two players in program history to participate with the USA Elite Team in the Canada and Champions Cup.
A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY...
When it comes to the NCAA Division I Women's Softball Championships, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball program has been a fixture over the past decade.
In 2004, the Cajuns made their sixth straight NCAA Regionals appearance and 14th in the last 15 years. Since 1990, UL Lafayette has missed the “Field of 64” only once (1998).
ENJOYING THE COMFORTS OF HOME…
Louisiana-Lafayette will open its 2005 season with three straight weekend tournaments at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park. The Cajuns host the 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Classic Feb. 4-6, Ragin' Cajuns Invitational Feb. 11-13 and the 19th Annual Louisiana Classics Feb. 18-20.
Once all is said and done, the Cajuns will compete in a total of 34 games at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park this season – a school-record. The Cajuns have 21 playing dates scheduled for Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park, highlighted by a three-game weekend series against perennial powerhouse Arizona March 25-27.
A “SPECIAL” SENIOR CLASS…
The 2005 senior class – Crystal George, Tiffany Hebert, Brooke Mitchell, Jill Robertson and Joy Webre – will always have a special place in the hearts of co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief.
Four of the five (George, Hebert, Mitchell and Webre) were each a part of the Lotief's first recruiting class after the completion of the 2001 season. They will be a part of the first senior class to finish four seasons under the Lotief's.
Robertson wasn't a part of the 2002 class, but was recruited by the Lotief's prior to their debut season in 2001.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS - YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS ONE…
Of all the games to be played at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park this season, none will be more special than an Easter Weekend series with national power Arizona March 25-27.
The Wildcats, preseason ranked No. 2, and the Ragin' Cajuns will square off in a three-game series that should draw plenty of spectators to the Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
Last season, at the NCAA Regional in Tucson, Ariz., Louisiana-Lafayette posted a 5-0 victory in the semifinals of the tournament that eliminated Arizona from the Women's College World Series for the first time since the 1987 season snapping a string of 16 consecutive appearances by the Wildcats at the WCWS.
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE VS. ARIZONA
SERIES
Friday, March 25 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 26 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 27 11 a.m.
DID YOU KNOW???
The Ragin' Cajuns softball team has appeared in the NCAA Regionals in 14 of the last 15 seasons and the last six straight (1999-present)…UL Lafayette appeared in the 1993, 1995, 1996 and 2003 Women's College World Series…The 2003 appearance in the WCWS marked the fourth in program history and first under head coach Stefni Lotief.
DID YOU KNOW???
The Louisiana-Lafayette softball program has produced 33 All-Americans and 14 Academic All-Americans since the 1989 season…Current head coach Stefni Lotief was the first All-American in Cajuns softball history and was the first first-team member as well…Last season, Brooke Mitchell was named a first team All-American marking the sixth straight season that the Cajuns have had at least one All-American and 15th in the last 16 seasons.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
