University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Conclude Long Break, Host FIU
4/5/2011 8:21:00 PM | Softball
The 19th ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team sees its season-long nine-day layoff come to a close on Wednesday when FIU comes to town for a three-game Sun Belt series.
The Cajuns (27-5, 5-1) have not played since Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27, when they swept a Sun Belt series against Troy. The Panthers (21-16, 7-2) come to town after taking two of three from Troy at home this past weekend.
The two sides are set for a doubleheader at Lamson Park on Wednesday beginning at 5:00 p.m. before they close out the series with a single game on Thursday at 5:00 p.m.
The three contests mark the first half of six conference games that the Cajuns will play in five days. After the home tilt with FIU, UL travels to Mobile, Ala. for a three-game set with South Alabama on Saturday and Sunday.
The Cajuns currently sit atop the Sun Belt standings, but tied for second place are both of this week's opponents, FIU and South Alabama.
All three games of the FIU series can be heard on ESPN Radio 1420-AM with Steve Peloquin calling the action. Fans can also follow live stats for all three games at www.RaginCajuns.com. Links to the radio broadcasts and live stats are available above.
Also, both Top 25 polls were released on Tuesday, with the Cajuns falling one spot to 19th in the USA Today/NFCA poll and remaining at 19th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
Game Day Storylines
- After a nine-day layoff, the Ragin' Cajuns return to the diamond this week with six Sun Belt games in five days, beginning with a home series against FIU on Wednesday and Thursday.
- The three-game set sees the top two Sun Belt teams from a season ago square off. UL won the regular season and tournament titles while FIU finished second in the regular season. UL and FIU were the only Sun Belt schools in NCAA postseason play a year ago.
- The Cajuns are 14-0 at Lamson Park thus far in 2011, including 3-0 in Sun Belt play thanks to a sweep of Troy in their last outing.
- Last season, the Panthers took two of three from the Cajuns in Miami. However, the pitcher of record in all three of those games for FIU, Kasey Barrett, was a senior in 2010.
- Christi Orgeron, who led the Sun Belt last year with 56 RBI, needs just one more to tie that mark with 23 games still to play in 2011. She currently has 55 RBI, which averages to 1.72 per game, the highest average in the nation.
- Gabriele Bridges has drawn a team high 35 walks, which averages to 1.09 a game, the second highest average in the nation. That high number has allowed her to post a .633 on base percentage, the best in the country.
Scouting the Competition
FIU
- The Panthers enter this week's series after taking two-of-three from Troy at home last weekend. The Panthers have won all three of the Sun Belt series that they have played thus far (Middle Tennessee, North Texas and Troy).
- FIU finished in second place behind the Cajuns in the final Sun Belt standings in 2010. They were the only Sun Belt team other than UL to qualify for NCAA postseason plays.
- FIU is led offensively by Ashley McClain who is hitting .438 with 32 RBI and a .714 slugging percentage. Reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, Jenn Gniadek, has pitched more innings than any other Panther, going 9-8 in 17 starts with 116.0 innings pitched. She has a 2.35 ERA with 93 strikeouts.
- The Cajuns are 37-10 all-time against the Panthers, including a 16-5 mark in Lafayette. Last season, FIU took two of three from UL in Miami.
Last Time Out
Troy (3-0))
- The Cajuns last played on March 26-27 when they swept a three game series against Sun Belt for Troy. The Cajuns will enter Wednesday's contest after a season-long nine day layoff.
- Game 1: The Cajuns trailed for four and a half innings and were held scoreless for five, however a five-run sixth inning was all UL needed to take a 5-2 win. Ashley Brignac threw a complete-game, giving up just one earned run. Sarah Draheim had a two-RBI triple while Brianna Cherry began a weekend to remember with her first career home run, a two-run shot to cap of the big sixth inning.
- Game 2: Ashley Brignac threw her second consecutive complete-game, this one a shutout in UL's six-inning 8-0 win. She gave up just two hits while Cherry continued to roll. The Petal, Miss., native went 3-for-3 with her first career triple. Christi Orgeron also posted a three-hit performance.
- Game 3: The Cajuns posted a second consecutive six-inning victory, this one by a score of 9-1. Orgeron was brilliant yet again, going 3-for-3, falling just a single short of the cycle. Shelbee Rodgers gave up just five hits in five innings, picking up the win for UL.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
