Cajuns Head to Gulfport for Final Early Season Tournament

2014 NFCA Leadoff Classic
Date: Feb. 28-March 2
Location: Gulfport, Miss.
Radio: ESPN 1420
Live Stats: www.RaginCajuns.com

Times
Friday
11 a.m. vs. UTSA
5 p.m. vs. #12 Baylor

Saturday
2:30 p.m. vs Chattanooga
5:30 p.m. vs Ohio

Sunday
10:30 a.m. vs Memphis

Contact: Nick Ross

What's On Tap?: The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team will finish up their early-season tournament schedule at the Gulfport College Classic in Gulfport, Miss. The Cajuns will open the tournament on Friday with UTSA at 11 a.m., and Baylor at 5 p.m. They will return to the field on Saturday for a pair of games against Chattanooga and Ohio at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively, and finish up the tournament on Sunday against Memphis at 10:30 a.m.

NFCA Leadoff Classic Rundown: The Ragin' Cajuns went 3-2 over the past weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, picking up wins against Illinois State, Hofstra and Rutgers. The Cajuns opened the weekend with a 10-4 win over Illinois State on Friday, before playing half of a game against James Madison, eventually conceding to the rain. The Cajuns returned on Saturday morning to finish up their game with James Madison, falling, 3-0. They rebounded later in the day with a 7-4 win over tournament champion, Hofstra, before finishing the day out with a 8-5 loss to South Florida. The Cajuns finished the tournament and weekend on a high-note, defeating Rutgers, 4-3.

Leading off Strong: Freshman outfielder Haley Hayden continued her very strong season, earning an all-tournament team selection, batting .563 (9-for-16) with two home runs and seven RBI. Both of her home runs came on Sunday against Rutgers, as she provided the entire offense in the game for the Cajuns, driving in all four runs. Senior Natalie Fernandez also provide a spark for the Cajuns at the top of the batting order, reaching base 10 times and scoring seven runs in the process.

All the Single Ladies: Natalie Fernandez is currently riding a 133 game starting streak, dating back to her sophomore season. As the only four-year senior on the Ragin' Cajuns roster she has the most experience on the team, playing in 191 career games with 161 career starts. Her 133 starting streak isn't her only streak, she also has 189 career hits and just one extra base hit, singling with her last 187 career hits, dating back to her fourth career game on Feb. 12, 2011 against Prairie View A&M. Her singles-only streak has spanned four seasons.

Not A Slapper Anymore: Despite standing at five-feet even, freshman infielder Corin Voinché launched two home runs at the Ragin' Cajuns invite on Feb. 14-16. She started against Michigan but did not see her first plate appearance until the sixth inning, and made the best of it, sending a 1-and-1 pitch just over the left field wall. She repeated that feat just hours later in the second game of the day against Valparaiso, this time sending a 1-0 pitch six rows into the bleachers in center field. Before Feb. 14, she had never hit a home run in her life.

Where Do They Rank? The Ragin' Cajuns come into the Gulfport College Classic as the 24th ranked team in the nation according to the NFCA/USA Today polls, and 25th in the ESPN/USA Softball polls, both released on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The Cajuns have picked up a win against No. 6/4 Michigan and will face No. 12/12 Baylor this weekend.

I've Got the Power: The Cajuns hold a commanding lead in the Sun Belt home run chase, slugging 26 home runs in 15 games and holding an eight-home run lead over ULM (18). The Cajuns have over one-fourth of the conference's home runs, with the other seven teams combining for 69 homers. The Cajuns also hold down the top three spots in the conference for home runs. Haley Hayden leads the way with seven homers, Sara Corbello is in second in the conference with five, and Lexie Elkins and Shelbi Redfearn are in a tie for third, along with Hollie Letourneau of ULM with four homers a piece.

Opponent Rundown: The Cajuns will take on one ranked team this weekend in No. 12 Baylor, along with UTSA, Chattanooga, Ohio and Memphis. The Cajuns have already faced Memphis this season, defeating the Tigers, 13-2, in the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational, and will face Baylor again in a weekday doubleheader on April 22. This will be the first time the Cajuns have ever faced Ohio, the eighth time they will see UTSA, 14th time they will face Baylor, fifth time they will face Chattanooga and 16th time they will see Memphis.

Pinch-Hitting Power: Of the Cajuns' 26 home runs this season, three of them have come from the bench. Sarah Arceneaux, Gabby Felps and Linzey Cifreo have all homered as pinch hitters. Arceneaux did so against Central Arkansas, a two-run homer, giving the Cajuns a 4-0 lead. Felps hit a solo-homer against Hofstra to give the Cajuns' the eventual game-winning run, and Cifreo hit hers against Memphis, in the Cajuns' 13-2 defeat of the Tigers.

Brown's Back: Sophomore pitcher Victoria Brown is back in the circle for the Cajuns after missing the first 10 games of the season, recovering from off-season surgery. She made her season-debut in relief of Jordan Wallace on Feb. 21 against Illinois State, tossing 2.2 innings, allowing one unearned run on one hit and striking out three. She started the next game on a 30-minute break, throwing the first two innings against James Madison, allowing two earned runs on four hits and picking up the loss. She got her first win of the season in her third appearance, coming in relief of Christina Hamilton and throwing three innings while allowing two earned runs on one hit against Hofstra..

Welcome To Cajun Country, Lexie: Sophomore catcher Lexie Elkins stormed onto the Ragin' Cajuns softball scene over opening weekend in the Louisiana Classics and earned Sun Belt Player of the Week honors along with being named the tournament MVP. The Victoria, Texas native batted .474 with three home runs and nine RBI, leading the team in RBI, hits, home runs and total bases through the first five games. Elkins is a transfer from Texas Tech, playing with the Red Raiders as last season.

Coming Through in the Clutch: Sophomore Gabby Felps came through in her only at bat of the weekend, driving a two-out double off the top of the wall in the seventh inning against Purdue on Feb. 9, to help send the game into extra innings. Felps also had a plate appearance against Texas in a pinch hitting effort and walked.

A Great Relief: Junior pitcher Christina Hamilton picked up her first win of the season on Feb. 8 against North Carolina, coming in relief of Macey Smith. Hamilton tossed six no-hit innings, while striking out four batters and walking one. She set down the side in order in her final three innings, all coming in extra innings.

Our Very Own Bo Jackson: Freshman outfielder Kassidy Zeringue made her Ragin' Cajuns softball debut on opening weekend, but it was not her Ragin' Cajuns debut. The Lutcher native played in 16 games for the Ragin' Cajuns soccer team this fall, scoring one goal while taking five shots on goal. She was an all-Louisiana selection in both sports at Lutcher High School.

Family Affair: This year's freshman class features two younger sisters of former Ragin' Cajuns All-Americans in outfielder Kendall Smith and infielder Ciarra Cherry. Smith is the sister of outfielder Katie Smith (2008-12), and Cherry is the younger sister of outfielder Brianna Cherry (2009-13) and cousin of infielder Nerissa Myers (2009-13). Current Ragin' Cajuns outfielder Shellie Landry also has incoming family ties in her younger sister Jaime, a member of the 2014-15 Ragin' Cajuns freshman class that signed in the fall.

What's Next? The Cajuns return home for a pair of midweek games against McNeese State (March 5) and Lamar (March 6) at Lamson Park, before their first off weekend of the season. The Cajuns will follow that up with a midweek game at Louisiana Tech (March 12), making up a rained out game from February 12. The Cajuns will return to Lamson Park that on March 14-15 to take on the defending national champion, Oklahoma in a three-game series.

-- www.RaginCajuns.com --

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Cajuns Head to Gulfport for Final Early Season Tournament

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