University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Set for Lady Toppers and Senior Day
4/29/2011 5:49:00 PM | Softball
The 23rd ranked Ragin' Cajuns softball team takes the field this weekend as they entertain the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers in a three-game Sun Belt series.
The Cajuns (39-9, 13-5) and Lady Toppers (26-22, 7-11) begin the series with a Saturday doubleheader that begins at 1:00 p.m. The two squads finish the series with a single game on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
This weekend's series marks the final regular season home games of the season for the Cajuns, making Sunday's contest Senior Day, in which UL will honor its lone senior, Gabriele Bridges.
Sunday's contest will air on MyKLAF in the Lafayette area. All three games can be heard on ESPN Radio 1420-AM, or at the above link. Fans can also follow live stats for all games via RaginCajuns.com at the link above.
Game Day Storylines
- The Cajuns play their final home regular season games this weekend, including Sunday's Senior Day in which Gabriele Bridges will be honored.
- Bridges, the lone senior on the Cajuns' squad, enters the weekend tied for the national lead with 21 home runs. She also sits third in the country with 67 RBI.
- First in the nation in RBI is teammate Christi Orgeron, who currently sits tied for the UL and Sun Belt single-season record with 79. Orgeron also sits tied for third in the nation with 20 home runs.
- The Bayou Bombers (Bridges and Orgeron) have combined for 41 home runs, the most by any duo in the country and more than seven entire Sun Belt teams. They have also combined to produce 72 extra base hits, 68 walks and 101 runs.
- The Cajuns enter the weekend as the leader in the Sun Belt, two games ahead of second-place Florida Atlantic in the loss-column. The Cajuns have six Sun Belt games remaining in the season compared to the Owls two.
- The Cajuns lead the Sun Belt in hitting with a .333 team batting average and pitching with a 1.64 staff ERA.
Scouting the Opposition
Western Kentucky
- The Lady Toppers enter this weekend's contests after sweeping La.-Monroe at home last weekend. The Toppers currently sit in seventh place in the Sun Belt standings.
- Offensively, Karavin Dew leads the squad with a .385 batting average. She is one of five WKU players that come in hitting at or above .300. Kelsi Mattox, who sits at .300, leads the squad with seven home runs and 28 RBI.
- The Lady Toppers leader in innings pitched is Mallorie Sulaski who has posted an 11-7 record and a 2.33 ERA in 132.0 innings of work. Kim Wagner has thrown 117.1 innings and has a 10-11 record with a 4.00 ERA.
- The Cajuns are 33-9 all-time against Western Kentucky, including a 13-4 mark in Lafayette. Last season the Cajuns took of three from the Toppers in Bowling Green.
Last Time Out
Northwestern State
- The Cajuns got offense from a familiar place in a 10-0 win over Northwestern State at Lamson Park on Wednesday night. The Bayou Bombers (Gabriele Bridges and Christi Orgeron) combined for eight RBI in the five-inning win.
- Orgeron posted three of the RBI, giving her 79 on the season, tying the UL and Sun Belt single-season record set by Alana Addison in 2001. Her three-run home run moved Orgeron into a tie for third place in the country with 20 home runs.
- Bridges hit her third grand slam of the season, tying an NCAA record, as she posted five RBI and moved her nation-leading home run total to 21.
- Lost in the offensive explosion was Christina Hamilton who threw a complete-game shutout, striking out five.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
