University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Alabama
Players Mentioned
Softball: Alabama Preview
2/26/2015 9:55:00 AM | Softball
Saturday, Feb. 28 (DH) • 1 p.m. (CST) • Rhoads Stadium (3,940) • Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Sunday, March 1 • 1 p.m. (CST) • Rhoads Stadium (3,940) • Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Game Notes: Louisiana | Alabama
Radio:Â ESPN 1420-AMÂ Â
Live Stats (RollTide.com): Saturday (1) | Saturday (2) | Sunday
Live Video (WatchESPN): Saturday (1) | Saturday (2) | SundayÂ
Rosters: Louisiana | AlabamaÂ
Statistics: Louisiana | AlabamaÂ
Ragin' Cajuns Twitter: @ULRaginCajuns | @RaginCajunSB
Opponents Twitter: @AlabamaSB
THE COACHES
Louisiana:Â Michael Lotief (Louisiana, 1985)
Career Record:Â 610-147-1 (13th season) Â Â Record at Louisiana:Â Same
Alabama:Â Patrick Murphy (Northern Iowa, 1988)
Career Record:Â 883-249 (18th season) Â Â Record at Alabama:Â 855-229 (17th season)
TRADITIONAL POWERS SET FOR BATTLE
No. 5 Louisiana visits No. 4 Alabama for a three-game series at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 28-March 1, that features two storied programs that have been mainstays in the NCAA Championships. The Ragin' Cajuns and Crimson Tide are two of an elite group of nine programs to have appeared in the NCAA Championships each year since 2000.
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NEW SURROUNDINGS
The series in Tuscaloosa marks the first road games of 2015 for the Ragin' Cajuns who began the season with a 14-game homestand.
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JORDAN'S BACK
After three weekends of play it's clear that Jordan Wallace has regained the ace-like qualities of her freshman (2012) and sophomore (2013) seasons, after an abnormal junior campaign a year ago. She began the year with 38-1/3 scoreless innings pitched. She's tossed a no-hitter and three seven-inning, one-hit shutouts.
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HERE COMES CHRISTINA
After battling offseason shoulder ailments, All-American and reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Christina Hamilton is beginning to return to form. Last weekend, Hamilton turned in her heaviest workload of the season. She pitched a total of 14-2/3 innings during the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational which featured key relief appearances against Iowa (5-2/3 IP, 3 H) and McNeese (4.0 IP, 1 H) plus her first start of the season (5.0 IP vs. Hofstra).
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MIGHTY SWINGS
Louisiana has hit 28 home runs over the season's first 14 games. Haley Hayden and Shellie Landry top the squad with seven home runs apiece. Louisiana has homered in all 14 games and hit multiple home runs nine times.
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AMAZING ALEAH
Redshirt freshman Aleah Craighton has hit the ground running in her debut season. She leads the squad in hits (23) and average (.489) after three weeks. Craighton topped the team in hits during the Louisiana Classics (7) and Mardi Gras Classic (10), then cranked two triples during last week's Ragin' Cajuns Invitational.
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SOLID DEFENSE
The Cajuns have committed just seven errors through the first 332 chances. A lot of credit goes to the sterling efforts of Haley Hayden (2B), DJ Sanders (SS) and Kelli Martinez (CF) - each debuting at their position - who have solidifed the "spine" of the team's defense.
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UP NEXT
No. 5 Louisiana returns to Alabama, traveling to Mobile to open Sun Belt Conference play with rival South Alabama. The series is set for Saturday-Sunday, March 7-8 at Jaguar Field on the USA campus. The Cajuns and Jaguars have split the last 12 meetings and met for the SBC Championship two of the last three years (2012, 2014).
Series Record: Tied 3-3
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 2-0
In Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Alabama leads 2-0
Neutral: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: 3/4/11 in Kissimmee, Fla.
(Louisiana 1, Alabama 0)
Last Meeting (March 4, 2011 - Citrus Classic)
Ashley Brignac and the Cajuns used a two-hit shutout and a Christi Orgeron home run to defeat No. 3 Alabama (17-1), handing the Crimson Tide their first loss of the 2011 season. Brignac went the distance, striking out six and giving up just two hits. The Cajuns managed four hits off of Crimson Tide ace Kelsi Dunne. UL would break the tie in a pitchers duel on Orgeron's home run in the sixth inning. Brignac closed strong the final four innings, retiring 12 straight to finish off top-ranked Alabama.
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Series Notes
Team last met in Tuscaloosa in March 2007 during the Easton Spring Fling - that's Louisiana's lone prior visit to Rhoads Stadium...Louisiana has shutout Alabama three times, including the last meeting on March 4, 2011 in the Citrus Classic held in Kissimmee, Fla. (W, 1-0)...Four of the six meetings have featured a shutout...Lone postseason matchup came at 2008 Women's College World Series (Tide won 3-1 to eliminate Cajuns)...First meeting came in February 1997 when Alabama visited Lamson Park for the 11th Annual Louisiana Classics tournament.
DIAMOND NOTES
• #SelectCompany: The Ragin' Cajuns joined the Top 5 of the NFCA Top 25 poll for the first time since 2012, marking a climb in the poll for a third straight week.
• #OnTheMove: Since the season's opening weekend, Louisiana has risen to No. 7 (Feb. 10), No. 6 (Feb. 17) to current No. 5 (Feb. 24), in succession, in the NFCA poll.
• #NextTime: The Ragin' Cajuns and Crimson Tide plan to meet at Lamson Park during the 2017 season.
• #OnARoll: At 14-0, Louisiana is off to the best undefeated start since beginning the 2012 season a program-record 29-0.
• #BringsBackMemories: A pair of ace pitchers such as Jordan Wallace and Christina Hamilton is similar to past combos in recent years for the Cajuns: Melissa Coronado/Brooke Mitchell (2002); Ashley Brignac/Donna Bourgeois (2008-09); Brittany Cuevas/Donna Bourgeois (2010); Ashley Brignac/Christina Hamilton (2011); Ashley Brignac/Jordan Wallace (2012).
• #GettingStarted: After being held without a home run during opening weekend, Lexie Elkins has ripped off six home runs the past two weekends.
• #ComboPower: They have taken turns leading the team in home runs frequently. Haley Hayden (7) and Shellie Landry (7) are also the driving force behind the Cajuns power surge, combining for 14 of the team's 28 home runs.
• #TurningTheTable: Freshman Kelli Martinez, batting ninth, has helped turn over the lineup hitting .389 and collecting 14 hits over the first three weeks. Has showed she is capable of replacing Natalie Fernandez as the featured slap hitter in the lineup.
• #DepthOnDisplay: Louisiana has utilized four pitchers in the circle. Alex Stewart and Kylee Jo Trahan have stepped up while Jordan Wallace and Christina Hamilton (shoulder ailments) began the season working on pitch counts.
• #SameFaceNewPlace: Haley Hayden, last season's center fielder, has moved to second base. Shellie Landry, in right field a year ago, is back in left field where she starred as a freshman.
• #SteppingInAtShort: A knee injury has 2014 starting shortstop Corin Voinche sidelined indefinitely. Freshman DJ Sanders, recently selected to the U.S. Junior National Team, is handling shortstop duties in Voinche's absence.
 #GeauxCajuns
