University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Houston
Busy Week For UL Starts With Midweek Tilts vs. UH and McNeese
3/5/2012 8:06:00 PM | Baseball
Contact: Matt Hebert
Game Notes
MIDWEEK #1
Date: Tuesday, March 6
Location: Lafayette, La.
Site: M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field
Time: 6 p.m
Opponent: Houston (6-5)
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL)
Internet Audio Feed: ESPN 1420-AM
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com
STARTING PITCHERS
RHP Kendall Mayer (UL) vs. RHP Austin Pruitt (UH)
MIDWEEK #2
Date: Wednesday, March 7
Location: Lake Charles, La.
Site: Cowboy Diamond (2,000)
Times: 6:30 p.m
Opponent: McNeese State (3-8)
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL)
Internet Audio Feed: ESPN 1420-AM
Live Stats/Video: www.McNeeseSports.com
STARTING PITCHERS
TBA (UL) vs. TBA (MCN)
What's On Tap: Louisiana has five games on the docket this week. The Cajuns host Houston on Tuesday and visit McNeese State on Wednesday in mid-week action. Over the weekend, UL welcomes Southern Miss for a three-game series at “The Tigue”. The USM series marks the final non-conference weekend series of 2012.
Quick Reset: The Cajuns are coming off a 1-2 weekend at the UTSA Classic in San Antonio. Gonzaga broke UL's four-game winning streak by scoring six runs off of Jordan Nicholson in a 6-1 win on Friday. Derek Howell was great out of the bullpen for UL throwing 5.2 innings of one-hit relief to keep the Cajuns in the contest. On Saturday, the Cajuns plated three runs off four hits in the fifth inning to open a 7-2 lead on Kansas and held off a late Jayhawks rally for the victory. Caleb Kellogg tossed the final 1 1/3 innings to collect the save. On Sunday, the game got away from Austin Robichaux and the Cajuns in the fifth inning as UTSA used a bases-loaded single to open a 4-1 lead.
Houston Series (UH leads 36-11-1): First meeting since a home-and-home series in 2009. Teams split the season series that year, with the home team winning each game. UL ended the Cougars' seven-game win streak in the series with a 6-1 win on March 3, 2009 at “The Tigue”. The Cajuns-Cougars series dates back to 1948, a time before Louisiana joined Division I (joined in 1972). The only decade the programs haven't met since that time was the 1960s.
McNeese State Series (UL leads 84-62): Louisiana and McNeese State take the field for the 147th time when they meet at Cowboy Diamond on Wednesday. The series is now the most played in Cajuns history, surpassing the 146 meetings vs. UNO. Series has been an annual recurrence since 1988. UL holds a 21-16 edge during the Tony Robichaux era. UL has won nine of the last 11 meetings, overall.
Perfect at Home: Louisiana is off to a 4-0 start at “The Tigue” which is the best at the facility since beginning the 2007 home slate with the exact same mark. The 2007 squad started 15-0 at “The Tigue”.
The Show Stopper: Sophomore pitcher Caleb Kellogg played a key role in both of the Cajuns victories last week. He tossed two innings of scoreless relief vs. Alcorn State to allow the Cajuns to rally for a 6-4 win. He struck out the side in the ninth to complete the victory. On Saturday vs. Kansas at the UTSA Classic, Kellogg ended the Jayhawks' rally in the eighth with a strikeout and induced a double play in the ninth to lock up the save. Kellogg's two relief appearances of the week totaled 3.1 innings and featured six strikeouts.
Defense Shines: The Cajuns are coming off their best week defensively, committing only two errors through 153 chances. The squad had committed 13 errors over the season's first two weeks.
Leonards Remains Hot: Ryan Leonards is off to a fast start, leading the team with a .415 overall average, six multi-hit games and a .519 average vs. right-handed pitching.
Holding 'Em On: Senior catcher Chris Sinclair has held the opposition close to the bag. Opponents have only attempted 11 steals through 11 games and Sinclair has gunned down five of the 11 potential base stealers.
The Countdown Continues: Head coach Tony Robichaux needs 23 wins to reach 900 career wins. His career record currently stands at 877-591-1.
Good Eye: Chase Compton has struck out only three times in 46 plate appearances.
Hometown Hero: Freshman Jace Conrad, who prepped at Lafayette High School, has started all but one game at second base (Alcorn). Conrad played on the very first Lafayette Little League team to play in Williamsport, Pa. (August 2005).
Shorthanded: UL will be without the services of catcher Michael Strentz (elbow injury) for the remainder of the season. He'll receive a medical hardship and return as a redshirt sophomore in 2013.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
