University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
One More at "The Tigue" Before Road Trip
2/28/2011 11:17:00 PM | Baseball
THE MIDWEEK GAME
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Location: Lafayette, La.
Site: M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field (3,755)
Time: 6 p.m
Opponent: Southern (3-4)
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL)
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com
STARTING PITCHERS
RHP Jordan Nicholson (UL) vs. RHP Belfred Pryer (SU)
Catch 'Em While You Can: Following Tuesday's game with Southern the Ragin' Cajuns hit the road for eight straight games. UL won't return to M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field until Tuesday, March 15 when Alcorn State visits for a midweek game.
Home, Sweet Home: Louisiana has won five straight games at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field after opening with back-to-back losses to Southeast Missouri. In the 34th season at "The Tigue", the Cajuns are 738-284-2 (.722) all-time in the park and 245-91-1 (.728) since 2000.
Clean Sweep: The Ragin' Cajuns enter Week 3 of the season coming off a three-game sweep of Siena. Cajuns pitching posted a 2.25 ERA in the series and allowed only three extra base hits in 28 innings.
Winning the Close Ones: All five games that the Cajuns played last week were decided by one run. UL went 4-1 in those contests.
The Southern Series (UL leads 44-22-1): It's an old series - 67 games old - but only eight meetings have taken place since 1988. A total of 59 meetings were played from 1988 and before. The programs wouldn't meet again until 2001. The Cajuns hold a 7-1 edge in games played in the Robichaux Era. After a brief hiatus from 2006-08, the series resumed in 2009 at "The Tigue". Louisiana has won the last five meetings, overall, and is 5-0 vs. Southern at "The Tigue" under Tony Robichaux.
Wise Beyond Their Years: Both Louisiana head coach Tony Robichaux and Southern head coach Roger Cador rank in the Top 30 amongst active winningest Division I coaches. The two coaches have combined for 52 years of head coaching experience and 1,615 career victories.
Emerging Leader: The star of the Cajuns pitching staff in Week 2 was Taylor Hubbell. Hubbell took over with one out in the first inning of Tuesday's game with Nicholls State and already three runs having crossed the plate. He ended the Colonels early uprising and finished the final 8 2/3 innings allowing only one run on seven hits. Then he came back on Sunday of the Siena series and tossed a complete game shutout.
Steady Bullpen: In 34 innings of work this season the Ragin' Cajuns bullpen has allowed just six runs and 20 hits. Closer Matt Hicks has appeared twice this season and surrendered only one base hit in 8 2/3 innings of work. Opponents are hitting a paltry .038 off of Hicks.
Stingy Pitching: For the season, Cajuns pitching has limited opponents to eight extra base hits and a paltry .233 average. The staff has issued just 19 walks and allowed 61 hits over 72 2/3 innings resulting in a 1.10 WHIP.
Shining Defense: The Cajuns defense has posted double figure assists in all but one game this season. UL has tallied 107 assists in eight games (13.4 per game). The defense fielded cleanly in the Siena series converting all 129 chances. This season, UL has committed only four errors in 329 chances for a fielding percentage of .988.
Mr. Clutch: Greg Fontenot has been UL's clutch hitter so far this season. Last week, Fontenot tallied a team-best five runs scored and five RBI. He punched a two-out single in 6th for win over Nicholls and bases loaded clearing double to break a tie Saturday vs. Siena
Headed to Hattiesburg: This weekend, the Ragin' Cajuns will play their first road weekend series of the 2011 season. Louisiana and Southern Miss will meet at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., March 4-6. Game times are set for 6 p.m., 2 p.m., and 1 p.m. It's the third straight season the Cajuns and Golden Eagles meet in a weekend series. USM won two-of-three in the weekend series each of the past two seasons (2009 & 2010).
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
