Cajuns Headed to Hattiesburg for First Road Outing

Contact: Matt Hebert

Game Notes

THE WEEKEND SERIES
Dates: Friday-Sunday, March 8-10, 2013
Location: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Site: Pete Taylor Park (3,266)
Times: 6:00 p.m. (Fri) | 2:00 p.m. (Sat) | 1:00 p.m. (Sun)
Opponent: Southern Miss (6-6)
Radio: News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Television: None
Internet Broadcast Link: 96.5 KPEL-FM
Live Stats: www.RaginCajuns.com

STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: RHP Chase Traffica (UL) vs. RHP Andrew Pierce (USM)
Saturday: LHP Cody Boutte (UL) vs. LHP Jake Drehoff (USM)
Sunday: RHP Austin Robicahaux (UL) vs. RHP Conor Fisk (USM)

PLAY BALL
The Ragin' Cajuns baseball team takes in its first road games of the 2013 season Friday-Sunday, March 8-10 in Hattiesburg, Miss., taking on Southern Miss at Pete Taylor Park. Louisiana (11-2) began the season with a 13-game homestand that kept the squad at home the season's first three weekends. The USM series is the lone non-conference road series and marks the final weekend before Sun Belt play begins March 15-17 vs. ULM at “The Tigue”.

RESTING UP FOR THE BATTLE
The postponement of Tuesday's UNO contest (Privateers unable to travel due to midterm exams) gave the Cajuns a full week break from game action heading into the USM series. The Golden Eagles (6-6), meanwhile, traveled to Mobile, Ala., to face South Alabama on Wednesday.

THE SOUTHERN MISS SERIES (Louisiana leads 19-18)
The series dates back to 1981 and is 37 meetings old. The two schools have increased their meetings as of late, having played 22 games since 2000 and at least twice in every season dating back to 2007. The Cajuns are 9-13 vs. USM under Tony Robichaux. The last series in Hattiesburg came in 2011 with the Cajuns and Golden Eagles splitting a doubleheader on Sunday, March 6, 2011 as part of a rain-shortened weekend set. The two schools first met with a three-game series in Hattiesburg in April 1981.

THE RIVALRY CONTINUES
Louisiana and Southern Miss meet in a three-game, non-conference weekend series for the fifth straight season and sixth time in the past seven seasons (2007-present).

QUICK RESET
Louisiana closed out its season-opening homestand with a sweep of Sacred Heart. Chase Traffica threw seven innings and struck out a career-high eight and freshman Blake Trahan broke a 2-all tie with an RBI single in the seventh inning of a 4-2 win in the opener. Caleb Adams' three home runs and five RBI catapulted the Cajuns to an 8-2 win in the middle game on Saturday. On Sunday, Louisiana trailed until a three-spot erased a 3-1 deficit in the eighth inning. Tyler Girouard tripled, Nick Thurman recorded a sacrifice fly and Chase Compton executed a suicide squeeze bunt to key the Cajuns comeback in a 4-3 victory. Matt Hicks picked up his second save in the series.

MR. DEPENDABLE
Matt Hicks made his seventh appearance of the 2013 season last Sunday vs. Sacred Heart. For the seventh time – without a defeat – he left with either a win or a save. Hicks collected his fifth save by retiring SHU in order after his teammates erased a 3-1 deficit in the eighth inning.

ROCK SOLID INFIELD
The Cajuns infield defense has been a strong point and was impressive in last Tuesday's LSU contest, turing four double plays. The infield combination of Chase Compton (1B), Jace Conrad (2B), Blake Trahan (SS) and Sam Carriere (3B) has committed only seven errors in a combined 228 chances. Trahan has shored up the shortstop position, fielding all but one of 52 chances successfully (23 PO, 28 A, 1 E).

WINNING MULTIPLE WAYS
A glance at the Cajuns results shows the squad has gabbed its 11 victories in a variety of ways. Louisiana has won when scoring double figure runs (CMU, NSU, UTSA). The Cajuns have won the games pitchers dominated (Feb. 24 vs. UTSA/Feb. 27 vs. Nicholls). And, the squad has rallied to win in the final at bat (Feb. 16 vs. CMU/March 3 vs. SHU).

STRENTZ SIDELINED
Michael Strentz, the Cajuns starting catcher, suffered a hand injury after being hit by a pitch in the second inning on Sunday vs. Sacred Heart. The redshirt sophomore, who missed all but eight games in 2012 with Tommy John, is day-to-day for the USM series. The coaching staff is targeting the ULM series (March 15-17) for his return.

EARLY RETURNS ARE UP
Louisiana has scored five runs or more eight times through the season's first 13 games. Last season, the Cajuns reached the five-run plateau 27 times in 53 games (51%).

STRETCHING THE BENCH
A total of 16 Cajuns made at least one plate appearance in the CMU series, once again on Feb. 20 vs. Northwestern State and a third time in the UTSA series opener.

INSTANT OFFENSE, SWIFT BLOW
Three times already the Cajuns batting order has flexed its muscle to put away an opponent. In the season opener, a seven-run sixth inning stretched the lead to 12-3 over CMU. UL turned the lineup over and registered nine runs in turning a 3-2 lead over Northwestern State into a double digit lead in the fourth inning back on Feb. 20. In the UTSA series opener, the Cajuns scored seven runs off of six innings to stretch out a 3-2 lead over the Roadrunners.

THIS 'N THAT

Jace Conrad has made 50 plate appearances and an opposing pitcher has yet to record a strikeout
Caleb Adams' three home runs last Saturday vs. Sacred Heart made him the first Cajun with three home runs since Kolin Hatfield hit three at FIU on March 31, 2007
Five saves for Matt Hicks marks a new personal single-season best (previous was four in 2012)
Chase Traffica recorded eight strikeouts in the Sacred Heart opener, the most by a Cajuns pitcher this season
Counting his two-year junior college stint (one season at both LSU-Shreveport and LSU-Eunice), Cody Boutte has recorded 19 career victories. Boutte has earned a victory in each of his three starts this season
Head coach Tony Robichaux is one of 22 active Division I head coaches with 900 career victories (905-618-1)
After three weeks of play, the Ragin' Cajuns hold a +30 run differential over the opposition outscoring foes 88-58
Louisiana has produced 39 runs in the middle innings of the first nine games and has outscored the opposition 39-20
Ryan Wilson is tied for the team lead with 4 multi-hit games. He doubles as a pitcher and outfielder. Last Wednesday, he threw 7 innings and held Nicholls to 1 run (2/27)
Seth Harrison carries the longest active hitting streak into the USM series. Harrison has an eight-game hitting streak that began on Feb. 22 vs. UTSA.
Tyler Girouard started 2 of 3 games of the Sacred Heart series at third base. Half of his eight hits have gone for extra bases (2 triples, 2 HR)
Freshman Nick Thurman is taking place of injured Michael Strentz (hand injury). He has six appearances and one start (2/17 vs. CMU). Hit sacrifice fly to tie SHU finale and scored winning run on Chase Compton's squeeze bunt
Dylan Butler, a starter in right field last season, has made six of eight starts at designated hitter. Butler ranks second on the squad with 13 RBI (led team in RBI with 45 a year ago)

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Cajuns Headed to Hattiesburg for First Road Outing

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