Cajuns Visit Southern Seeking to Extend Win Streak

Contact: Matt Hebert

Game Notes

THE MIDWEEK GAME
Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Site: Lee-Hines Field
Time: 6 p.m
Opponent: Southern (17-14)
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL)
Internet Broadcast Link: www.espn1420.com
Live Stats: www.RaginCajuns.com

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
RHP Joe Zimmermann (UL) vs. RHP Daniel Garcia (SU)

Take a Little Trip: Louisiana plays the lone road contest of the current stretch in which seven of eight games are at “The Tigue” when the squad ventures east on Interstate 10 to Baton Rouge to face Southern at Lee-Hines Field on Tuesday, April 10. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

Leave the Bags at Home: It's back to “The Tigue” following Tuesday's game at Southern. This weekend, Louisiana is hosting FIU in a three-game Sun Belt series Friday-Sunday, April 13-15.

We Meet Again: The Cajuns go for the season sweep of Southern. UL downed Southern 6-5 on March 13 at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. The two programs are completing a home-and-home, midweek series for the third straight season – Cajuns swept the Jaguars in 2010 and 2011.

Keep It Going: Jordan Harrison's complete game one-hitter Sunday vs. WKU secured a second consecutive victory for the Cajuns. UL now has a win streak after snapping a season-high, eight-game losing streak on Saturday behind the combined shutout effort of Chris Griffitt and Caleb Kellogg.

Quick Reset: Louisiana bounced back from a Friday night defeat to Western Kentucky and claimed the weekend series from the Hilltoppers by using outstanding pitching efforts on Saturday and Sunday. It marked the Cajuns first Sun Belt series victory since the opening weekend of league play (at La.-Monroe March 16-18). UL dropped the opener to WKU as the squad fell victim to the Hilltoppers' two-out hitting. WKU produced five runs in two-out situations, the final blow coming in the seventh inning when the Toppers used a two-out triple and subsequent single to plate three runs and extend their lead to 6-2. On Saturday, a Brian Bowman sacrifice fly gave UL the lone run needed as Chris Griffitt and Caleb Kellogg combined for a shutout. On Sunday, Jordan Harrison fired a one-hitter – the lone hit coming on a solo home run – at WKU and Brian Bowman provided the heroics with a walk-off single through the right side in the ninth inning to plate Ryan Leonards who had reached on an infield single with two outs in the previous at bat.

The Southern Series (UL leads 47-22-1): It's an old series – 70 games old – but only 11 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 10-1 edge in games played in the Tony Robichaux Era. After a brief hiatus from 2006-08, the series resumed in 2009 at “The Tigue”. Louisiana has won the last eight meetings. This is the third straight season the two programs meet at Lee-Hines Field. When UL visited on May 11, 2010, in marked the first trip to Lee-Hines Field since April 2002.

Harrison Honored: Jordan Harrison pitched a complete game, one-hitter to lead Louisiana to a 2-1 win on Easter Sunday which claimed the series victory over Western Kentucky and on Monday was rewarded for his efforts by being named Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week. The Porter, Texas, native was one pitch shy of tossing a no-hitter as the only hit he allowed was a solo home run by WKU's Ryan Huck in the second inning. Harrison allowed only three baserunners the rest of the way – two walks and a hit by pitch – following Huck's solo home run.

Pitching Prowess: In the four game stretch last week, which began with Austin Robichaux's gem on Tuesday vs. SLU, the Cajuns' pitching staff worked 36 innings, limited opponents to 21 hits, nine runs and a .172 batting average. The pitching staff's ERA for the week was 1.75 – the lowest one-week total since a 1.70 mark the week of Feb. 20-26.

Pitching Prowess, Part 2: Louisiana pitching has held the opposition to single digits in runs in 30 of 31 games. Sunday vs. WKU extended the current streak of the staff holding the opposition to single digits runs to 15 games since allowing 11 to Southern Miss on Sunday, March 11.

Triumphant Return: Caleb Kellogg, whom coach Tony Robichaux calls a “difference maker”, made his first appearance since March 17 at La.-Monroe when he tossed 2 2/3 innings to post a save in relief of Chris Griffitt on Saturday vs. WKU. Kellogg has been dominant out of the bullpen this season, holding opponents to 10 hits in 19 2/3 innings of work. He's given up only four runs, a .152 average and tallied 25 strikeouts.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Cajuns Visit Southern Seeking to Extend Win Streak

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