University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns & Red Wolves Open Sun Belt Play
3/11/2010 11:14:00 PM | Baseball
After three weekends of competition to get their lineup set, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns start Sun Belt Conference play this weekend hosting Arkansas State in a three-game series which runs Friday-Sunday, March 12-14.
The Ragin' Cajuns (8-4) have reached the midpoint of their current 10-game homestand. Louisiana is 3-2 during the homestand, having won the last three outings.
The Cajuns and Red Wolves (8-4) meet on opening weekend for the third straight season.
Louisiana will send Zach Osborne (Fri), Justin Robichaux (Sat) and T.J. Geith (Sun) to the mound. ASU counters with Andy Ferguson (Fri), Ross Humes (Sat) and Jacon Lee (Sun).
Louisiana is coming off a two-game sweep of Alcorn State. In the series opener on Tuesday, the Cajuns sent 15 batters to the plate and pushed across 10 runs in the fifth inning to put away the Braves in an 18-1 rout. On Wednesday, Michael Cook combined with Blake Wascom and Ryland Parker on a two-hit shutout as UL won 11-0.
Arkansas State split a pair of midweek games, falling to IPFW 2-1 in Joesboro on Monday and then clubbing Murray State 17-8 on Tuesday. Like the Cajuns, ASU has played 10 of its first 12 games at home.
Left fielder Alex Fuselier carries a career-best, nine-game hitting streak into the Sun Belt opener. During the stretch he is hitting .344 (11-of-32) with four doubles, five stolen bases and seven runs scored.
The Cajuns are riding a string of three consecutive games with 10-plus runs scored. UL is outscoring the opposition 39-7 during the stretch.
The UL pitching staff has surrendered only 17 earned runs over 92 innings at "The Tigue" this season. Take away the Southern Miss series and opponents have scored just five earned runs in seven games. The staff enters this weekend on a string of 21 1/3 consecutive innings without an earned run allowed.
UL head coach Tony Robichaux enters the weekend set with ASU just three wins shy of his 550th as the Cajuns' skipper.
Louisiana leads the all-time series 64-29, including a 37-11 mark at home. This is the Cajuns' third-oldest series amongst all Sun Belt Conference teams.
Louisiana is 18-8 at "The Tigue" vs. the Red Wolves in the Tony Robichaux Era. ASU has won six of the past seven meetings and has claimed the weekend series the past two seasons. UL's last series victory came in 2007 (took 2-of-3 at "The Tigue").
Fans can listen to all of the action on NewsRadio 105.1 FM. During the season ALL SUN BELT GAMES will be carried on 105.1 FM. To find the webstream visit www.kpel1051.com.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
