Softball Preview: Troy

Games 27-29: #7 Louisiana (23-3, 8-1 SBC) vs. Troy (17-12, 3-3 SBC)
Saturday, March 21 (DH) • 2 p.m. (CDT) • Lamson Park (2,790) • Lafayette, La.
Sunday, March 22 • 12 p.m. (CDT) • Lamson Park (2,790) • Lafayette, La.

Game Notes: Louisiana
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM • Talent: Scott Prather, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, color
TV (Mar. 21 only): MyKLAF/ESPN3• Talent: Dan McDonald, PxP; Gerald Broussard, color
WatchESPN Links (Mar. 21 only): Game 1 | Game 2
Live Stats
Live Video (purchase necessary)
Rosters: Louisiana | Troy
Statistics: Louisiana | Troy
Ragin' Cajuns Twitter: @ULRaginCajuns | @RaginCajunSB
Opponents Twitter: @TroyTrojansSB

THE COACHES
Louisiana: Michael Lotief (Louisiana, 1985)
Career Record: 619-150-1 (13th season) Record at Louisiana: Same

Troy: Beth Mullins (UAB, 2004)
Career Record: 17-12 (1st season) Record at Troy: Same

HOMESTAND CLOSES WITH TROY SERIES
No. 7 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball is set to conclude a nine-game homestand Saturday-Sunday, March 21-22 welcoming Troy to Lamson Park for a Sun Belt series. Louisiana is 6-0 on the homestand, sweeping UT Arlington and Georgia Southern.

TIME IS PASSING QUICKLY
The Georgia Southern series brought Louisiana to the midway point of the 2015 regular season. The Ragin' Cajuns have now played 26 of 50 scheduled games.

HOME WIN STREAK CONTINUES
Sweeps of UT Arlington and Georgia Southern extended Louisiana's present win streak at Lamson Park to 27 games (dates back to '14 SBC tourney). It's the longest win streak at Lamson Park since a 39-game streak that overlapped the 2011 and 2012 campaigns. The record win streak at Lamson Park is 53 games set over the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

TEAM EFFORT
It's not just one "star" carrying the load for the Ragin' Cajuns. The Georgia Southern series was a testament, as in each game of the series four different players posted multiple hits and each starter had at least one base hit.

LEXIE'S ON TIME
Lexie Elkins is beginning to get her timing fine tuned at the plate. The junior catcher went 5-for-7 with two home runs and six RBI in Tuesday's sweep of Georgia Southern. She picked up her third multi-HR game of the season in the nightcap. She has quickly moved into a tie for the lead in home runs (11) and RBI (31) with Shellie Landry.

ROCK SOLID DEFENSE
Louisiana has played error-free in 16 of 26 games, including the last six straight. The Cajuns have committed only 12 errors through 640 chances (.981 FLD%). Much credit goes to Haley Hayden (2B), DJ Sanders (SS) and Kelli Martinez (CF) who, each debuting at their position, have solidified the "spine" of the defense.

JORDAN REACHES 800K, ENTERS 4TH IN VICTORIES
During the Georgia Southern series, Jordan Wallace became only the 5th pitcher in program history to reach 800 strikeouts on the last out of the second inning of game one. In the series finale, Wallace's win was career No. 84 which places her into a fourth-place tie with Melissa Coronado.

SETTLED ON LINEUP
While most teams make numerous lineup changes early in the season, head coach Michael Lotief has found a lineup that he believes gives his team the best chance to succeed. With the exception of changes at designated player, all other eight spots in the lineup have remained the same since opening day.

WALLACE CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Jordan Wallace picked up career win No. 84 in the Georgia Southern finale, tying Melissa Coronado for fourth place in program history. She trails Ashley Brignac (94) by 10 wins for third place. With 810 career strikeouts, Wallace is three strikeouts from passing Kim Eisnaugle (812) for fourth place and 11 strikeouts from moving past Kyla Hall (820) into third place.

CHRISTINA'S SUN BELT CONFERENCE STREAK
Entering the Troy series, Christina Hamilton is undefeated in her last 17 Sun Belt Conference starts (dates back to 2011 season). Hamilton is 18-1 in career starts in Sun Belt contests.

HIGH-POWERED AT LAMSON
The Ragin' Cajuns have outscored foes 180-11 at Lamson Park. Louisiana has averaged nine runs per game through 20 games in the facility in 2015.

CAN'T HOLD HALEY BACK
Haley Hayden enters the Troy series on an eight-game hit streak, the longest by a Cajuns player in 2015. She's also reached base in 15 straight games. Her career-best streaks: 14-game hit streak and 17-game reached base streak as a freshman in 2014.

SPARKLING SEASON FOR SHELLIE
Already with 11 home runs, Shellie Landry is just four shy of her personal season-best 15 home runs hit as a freshman back in 2013. Landry tops the Cajuns with 17 extra base hits (personal-best is 24 extra base hits as a freshman in 2013 – 9 2B, 15 HR).

MIGHTY SWINGS
The Cajuns have hit 45 home runs through 26 games (1.73 per game). At the present pace, Louisiana would end the regular season with 88. That would mark the sixth season with 80-plus home runs under Michael Lotief (2004, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014).

NOT AN EASY OUT
The top of the lineup – Haley Hayden, Shellie Landry, Lexie Elkins – have proven to be a tough out for opposing pitchers. The trio has combined for 91 hits and 57 walks, and adding in a combined five hit by pitch, have been aboard the base path a combined 153 times in a combined 310 plate appearances.

HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL
True freshman Kelli Martinez has turned in several "web gem" quality plays in center field, including a home-run saving catch in the South Alabama opener and a leaping catch to hold Georgia Southern to a sacrifice fly in the opening inning of game one on Tuesday. Martinez has registered 21 putouts through the first 26 games.

AMAZING ALEAH
Redshirt freshman Aleah Craighton hit the ground running in her debut season. Craighton topped the team in hits during the Louisiana Classics (7) and Mardi Gras Classic (10), then cranked two triples during the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational. Craighton led the team in hits through the South Alabama series.

JORDAN IS BACK
After the first three weekends it was evident that Jordan Wallace had 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 tossed a no-hitter and three seven-inning, one-hit shutouts.

CHRISTINA MAKING HER WAY
All-American and reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Christina Hamilton is beginning to return to form. She turned in her first complete game of the season in the series-clincher vs. South Alabama. The previous two weeks saw her heaviest workload (14-2/3 innings in Ragin' Cajuns Invite) and a five-inning stint in the Alabama series opener.

UP NEXT
The Ragin' Cajuns travel to San Marcos, Texas, for a Sun Belt series for the first time. Games with Texas State are scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, March 28-29.

LOUISIANA-TROY SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads 26-4
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 14-1
In Troy, La.: Louisiana leads 10-3
Neutral: Louisiana leads 2-0
Current Streak: Louisiana won 7
Last Meeting: 4/19/14 in Troy, Ala.
(Louisiana 9, Troy 0)

Last Season's Series (April 18-19, 2014 in Troy, Ala.)
Weather forced a delay in the start of the series, and because it was Easter Weekend the series was shortened to a two-game set with a Saturday doubleheader. Shellie Landry hit a grand slam in the opener and followed up with three RBI in game two. Christina Hamilton tossed 13 shutout innings, to lead Louisiana to a 5-0, 9-0 sweep.

Last Time at Lamson Park (April 27-28, 2013)
Louisiana took all three games with a 9-1 (5 inn.), 6-0 doubleheader sweep and 7-2 victory in the series finale. Jordan Wallace recorded a win and a save in the doubleheader and Brianna Cherry picked up four hits including a 3-for-3 showing with four RBI in game one. Nerissa Meyers drove in five of the seven runs in the finale, three coming of a home run in the second inning for the lead. Wallace struck out 13 in the complete-game effort.

Series Notes
First met in a doubleheader at Lamson Park on April 18, 1997 (then-USL won 12-0, 5-4)...Series resumed when Troy joined the Sun Belt in 2006...Met for the SBC Tournament title in Mobile in 2010 (UL won 8-0)...Cajuns have won 11 of the last 12 meetings since...Cajuns lead 14-1 at Lamson Park, including a 7-3 win in the 2011 SBC Tournament...Louisiana has an active seven-game series win streak (started in 2012).

DIAMOND NOTES

• #SixAndCounting: Louisiana's No. 7 ranking in the polls released on March 17 marked the sixth (6th) straight week inside the nation's Top 10. It's the longest stretch in the Top 10 since 2012.

• #ThreeForThree: Louisiana has won all three Sun Belt Conference series: 2-1 vs. South Alabama and sweeps of UT Arlington and Georgia Southern.

• #SweepingUpAtShort: True freshman DJ Sanders is providing a glimpse of how good defensively she will be for the Cajuns as her career progresses. She's made just one error through the first 69 chances that have come her way.

• #InTheZone: Kelsey Vincent is tied for the lead with five home runs in Sun Belt games. Since league play began, Vincent is hitting .385 with five homers and nine RBI.

• #NationsFinest: Entering the week, Louisiana ranked Top 10 in the NCAA stats in: ERA (2nd), fielding percentage (8th) and home runs (7th).

• #NothingIsFree: Jordan Wallace has surrendered just 29 hits over 82 innings covering 16 appearances (14 starts) in 2015. She entered the week leading the nation in fewest hits allowed per seven innings (2.54).

• #SecuringHerLegacy: Jordan Wallace is one of only five pitchers in program history to win 80-plus games (Brooke Mitchell-119; Kyla Hall-104; Ashley Brignac-94; Melissa Coronado-84; Jordan Wallace-84) and post 800-plus strikeouts (Brooke Mitchell-1,309; Ashley Brignac-862; Kyla Hall-820; Kim Eisnaugle-812; Jordan Wallace-810).

• #CatchMeIfYouCan: Louisiana is 21-1 when scoring first. The lone loss came on Sunday in the South Alabama series finale.

• #StartMeUp: The Ragin' Cajuns have scored in the first inning 13 times (12-1). Louisiana holds a 32-7 advantage in runs scored in the opening frame.

• #SelectCompany: On Feb. 24, the Cajuns joined the Top 5 of the NFCA rankings for the first time since 2012, marking a climb in the poll for a third straight week.

• #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 moved from center field to second base. Shellie Landry (right field in '14) 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, selected to the U.S. Junior National Team in January, is handling shortstop duties in Voinche's absence.

#GeauxCajuns

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Players Mentioned

Aleah Craighton

Lexie Elkins

Christina Hamilton

Haley Hayden

Shellie Landry

Kelli Martinez

DJ Sanders

Alex Stewart

Kylee Jo Trahan

Kelsey Vincent

Jordan Wallace

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