University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Set for Opening Weekend
2/10/2011 5:23:00 PM | Softball
The No.17 Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team will get the 2011 season underway this weekend as it hosts the 25th Annual Louisiana Classics at Lamson Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Cajuns will welcome Arkansas, Prairie View A&M, Rhode Island and Sam Houston State to town for the three day event.
On Friday, UL will kick-off the 2011 season with a pair of games against Rhode Island. The Cajuns and Rams are set for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch followed by another contest at 4:30 p.m.
The Cajuns will take on Arkansas and Prairie View A&M on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.
UL will close out its opening weekend on Sunday with a 3:00 p.m. contest against Sam Houston State.
All five of the Cajuns' games can be heard on ESPN Radio KPEL 1420AM with Steve Peloquin calling the action from Lamson Park.
For the full Louisiana Classics schedule, along with parking and ticket information, CLICK HERE. Live stats will be available for every game of the tournament via the tournament central page.
Gameday Storylines
- The Cajuns will look to continue their dominance of the Louisiana Classics in this, the 25th installment of the tournament. UL is 96-11 in the tournament all-time, including a 45-2 mark since Stefni Lotief was named head coach in 2001. The Cajuns haven't lost a Louisiana Classics game since 2005, including a 5-0 record last season.
- Both Stefni and Michael Lotief will be looking for milestone victories. Stefni enters the weekend with 497 career wins while Michael comes in with 396. There is a chance that their 500th and 400th career wins could come on the same day.
- This weekend's contests will mark the first games at the newly renovated Lamson Park. Arakansas and Prairie View A&M will christen the new-look facility on Friday morning before the Cajuns take the field for their opener.
- The Cajuns are 27-3 all-time in season openers, including 9-1 since Stefni Lotief took over in 2001. That record also includes nine consecutive season-opening wins. The Cajuns have opened at home in each of the last three seasons. In fact, they have opened away from home only three times in school history.
Scouting the Opposition
Rhode Island
- The Rams enter 2011 after posting a 19-35 record in 2010. The Rams have been picked to finish seventh in the A-10 this season. URI returns 12 letterwinners and eight starters from a 2010 squad that finished sixth in the A-10 with an 8-12 league record.
- Returning for the Rams are all four of their starting pitchers from a season ago, including junior Alison Hartzell who finished 2010 with a team best 2.82 ERA. Also returning is URI's top hitter from 2010, junior catcher Nicole Massoni. The Bay Shore, N.Y., native hit .324 last season in 49 starts.
- The Cajuns are 3-0 all-time against Rhode Island. All three contests came on a neutral field. The Cajuns have outscored the Rams in those three games by a score of 31-7. The most recent contest was an 11-4 UL victory in Tallahassee, Fla. on March 6, 2004.
Arkansas
- The Razorbacks posted a 28-29 overall record in 2010, including a 10-18 SEC record which put them in fourth place in the SEC West at the end of the season. Arkansas returns 15 letterwinners and six starters from that squad. The Razorbacks are predicted to finish in that same place again in 2011.
- Arkansas welcomes the return of their top two pitchers in Hope McLemore and Layne McGuirt. McLemore posted a 3.01 ERA in 35 appearances a year ago while McGuirt recorded a 3.56 ERA in 30 appearances. The Razorbacks top hitter from a year ago, Jessica Bachkora (.373), has graduated.
- UL leads the all-time series over Arkansas 1-0. That meeting came last season at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville where the Cajuns won by a final score of 5-2.
Prairie View A&M
- The Lady Panthers went 2-36 a season ago, with both wins coming in SWAC play. They finished 5th in the SWAC's West Division. Prairie View returns eight letterwinners and five position starters from that team. They also return four pitchers.
- UL leads the all-time series 4-0, with all four wins coming in the Lafayette. The Cajuns and Lady Panthers last played in 2005 when UL won by a score of 15-0. UL has won the four games by a combined score of 38-1.
Sam Houston State
- The Bearkats were 21-28 a season ago, including a 12-15 mark in Southland play, placing them seventh in the league at the end of the season. Sam Houston has been picked to finished ninth in the Southland in 2011. Eleven letterwinners and seven starters return from the 2010 squad.
- The Bearkats have lost their top pitcher from a season ago, Morgan Mikulin. She posted a 2.63 ERA in 39 appearances in 2010. Three time All-Southland shortstop Hailey Wiginton does return for the Bearkats, a season after hitting .315.
- UL leads the all-time series over Sam Houston 16-9, including a 14-1 mark in Lafayette. The Cajuns and Bearkats last met in 2007 at the College Station Regional. Sam Houston won that game by a final score of 2-1, ending the Cajuns season.
