Softball Preview: NCAA Lafayette Regional

May 15-17, 2015: #11/11 Louisiana (39-9, 20-3 Sun Belt) in NCAA Lafayette Regional
Friday, May 15 • 8 p.m. (CDT) • vs. Weber State (38-17) • Lamson Park (2,790) • Lafayette, La.
Saturday, May 16 • 3:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. (CDT) • vs. Baylor or Mississippi State • Lamson Park (2,790) • Lafayette, La.

Game Notes (PDF): Louisiana | Weber State | Baylor | Mississippi State
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM • Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, Color
TV: ESPN3 (Games 1-3) / ESPN (Games 4-5) / ESPN2 (Game 6) / ESPNU (Game 7) • Talent: Pam Ward, PxP; Cheri Kempf, Color
Rosters: Louisiana | Weber State | Baylor | Mississippi State
Schedule/Results: Louisiana | Weber State | Baylor | Mississippi State
Statistics: Louisiana | Weber State | Baylor | Mississippi State
Ragin' Cajuns Twitter: @ULRaginCajuns | @RaginCajunSB
Opponents Twitter: @WSUSoftball | @BaylorSoftball | @HailStateSB

THE COACHES
Louisiana: Michael Lotief (Louisiana, 1985)
Career Record: 635-156-1 (13th season)   Record at Louisiana: Same

Weber State: Mary Kay Amicone
Career Record: 141-118 (4th season)   Record at WSU: 60-42 (2nd season)

Baylor: Glenn Moore (Northwestern State, 1993)
Career Record: 743-334 (18th season)   Record at BU: 604-292 (15th season)

Mississippi State: Van Stuedeman (Huntingdon, 1994)
Career Record: 140-88 (4th season)   Record at MSU: Same

COMPLETE 2015 NCAA LAFAYETTE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 15, 2015
G1 Baylor (38-15) vs. Mississippi State (35-19) - 5:30 PM (ESPN3)
G2 Louisiana (39-9) vs. Weber State (38-17) - 8:00 PM (ESPN3)

Saturday, May 16, 2015
G3 Winner G1 vs. Winner G2 - 3:30 PM (ESPN3)
G4 Loser G1 vs. Loser G2 - 6:00 PM (ESPN)
G5 Loser G3 vs. Winner G4 - 8:30 PM (ESPN)

Sunday, May 17, 2015
G6 Winner G3 vs. Winner G5 - 6:00 PM (ESPN2)
G7 Winner G6 vs. Loser G6 (if necessary) - 8:30 PM (ESPNU)

CAJUNS TO HOST NCAA REGIONAL AT LAMSON PARK
For the second consecutive season, and third time in the past four, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team will host an NCAA Regional at Lamson Park after being awarded the No. 13 seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The regional is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, May 15-17. Action begins Friday with Baylor and Mississippi State at 5:30 p.m., followed by Louisiana and Weber State at 8 p.m., on ESPN3.com.

MEET THE FIELD
The NCAA Lafayette Regional will feature the top-seeded Ragin' Cajuns (39-9), Baylor (38-15), Mississippi State (35-19) and Weber State (38-17).

THE ROAD TO OKC
The winner of the NCAA Lafayette regional will play the winner of the NCAA Auburn Regional which features No. 4 national seed Auburn (49-9), South Alabama (38-11), Chattanooga (35-13) and Tennessee Tech (32-26).

FAMILIAR FOES RETURN TO LAMSON
Baylor makes its second trip to Lamson Park this season. The Cajuns and Bears met in a doubleheader on April 11 that UL swept 3-1, 12-2 (5). Baylor makes its second trip in four years to Lafayette for the NCAA Regional round (came in 2012). Mississippi State was part of the regional field in last season's NCAA Lafayette Regional.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Louisiana has won the last two NCAA Regionals hosted at Lamson Park (2012, 2014), sweeping through the event each time. In 2012, the Cajuns defeated Mississippi Valley State in the opening round then Stanford twice to advance. Last season, the Ragin' Cajuns opened with a win over Texas Southern and used back-to-back wins over Texas to claim the regional title.

ELKINS CHASING HISTORY
Lexie Elkins is one home run shy of tying Danyele Gomez's single-season school record 30 hit in 2006. She presently leads the nation with 29 home runs. The Cajuns' backstop has homered in four of the last six games and 12 of the last 19 games dating back to March 28 at Texas State.

SINGLE-SEASON HOME RUNS
1. Danyele Gomez (2006) 30
2. Lexie Elkins (2015) 29
3. Lexie Elkins (2014) 24
4. Christi Orgeron (2011) 23
Holly Tankersley (2008) 23

LONESOME FOR LAMSON
The NCAA Lafayette Regional marks a return to Lamson Park for the Ragin' Cajuns for the first time since an April 11 doubleheader vs. Baylor. Louisiana closed out the regular season with road trips to Appalachian State (April 18-19), Oregon (April 24-25) and ULM (May 2-3). Last week, the squad was in San Marcos, Texas participating in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

FINAL CURTAIN CALL
For the six seniors on the Ragin' Cajuns softball team - Linzey Cifreo, Christina Hamilton, Marie Hoag, Leandra Maly, Taylor Meaux and Jordan Wallace - the NCAA Lafayette Regional could mark their final games at Lamson Park.

THE COMFORTS OF HOME
Louisiana's hitters have felt at ease hitting in Lamson Park. The Cajuns are hitting .362 with 50 home runs and have outscored foes 246-31 through 28 games in their home facility this season.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE REGIONAL FIELD
The four teams in the NCAA Lafayette Regional have combined for 48 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances and 111 NCAA Tournament wins. Louisiana (1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2008, 2014) and Baylor (2007, 2011, 2014) have advanced to the Women's College World Series, both reaching Oklahoma City in 2014. The Ragin' Cajuns' six trips to OKC are tops amongst the field. Mississippi State makes its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in its 19th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference. Weber State, which reinstated softball in 2010 after being dormant since 1983, appears in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

NCAA REGIONALS WIN STREAK
Louisiana carries a nine-game win streak in the NCAA Regional round dating back to the 2012 NCAA Lafayette Regional. The Cajuns finished 3-0 in the regional round in 2012 (Lafayette), 2013 (Baton Rouge) and 2014 (Lafayette). The last loss in an NCAA Regional came in 2011 in Austin, Texas to Houston on Championship Sunday.

COUNTDOWN TO 1,500
The Ragin' Cajuns enter the NCAA Tournament with 1,494 wins in program history. That leaves the storied program six wins shy of 1,500. Now in the program's 35th season, the current all-time record is 1,494-440-1 (.772).

CAJUNS COLLECT 13TH SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP
Louisiana won its last 10 Sun Belt Conference games to hold off South Alabama and claim the 2015 regular season title. Because of rain outs, the league race came down to percentage points. The Ragin' Cajuns finished with a win percentage of .870 (20-3) which was ahead of the Jaguars' .800 win percentage (16-4). Louisiana has won the SBC regular season title 13 times in the 15 years of regular season competition.

RECORD-SETTING OFFENSE
At 106 home runs and counting, the 2015 team has established a new school record for home runs. The tally bests the previous record of 102 hit by the 2006 team. The current Cajuns squad upped their season total to the new record with five home runs on Friday, May 8 against South Alabama in the Sun Belt Tournament winner's bracket final. The team entered that game one shy of the 2006 team's total.

LEAVING A MARK IN THE NCAA RECORD BOOK
The 106 home runs is already the 10th-most in NCAA Division I history with NCAA postseason play still to come. The Cajuns' current 2.21 home runs per game rate, which leads the nation by a wide margin, currently ranks second on the NCAA all-time list, behind only the 2.39 mark of Hawaii in 2010.

A UNIQUE DISTINCTION
Louisiana joins a list of softball programs with multiple 100 home runs seasons in NCAA history that includes: Arizona (1995, 2001, 2009, 2014), Florida (2010, 2011), Georgia Tech (2010, 2011), Michigan (2005, 2015) and UTSA (2004, 2005, 2006).

IT'S A TEAM EFFORT
It's not just one "star" carrying the load for the Ragin' Cajuns. Each starter in the lineup has posted at least 33 hits (ranges from 33-60). Of the seven non-slap hitters in the lineup, six have double digit home runs. Seven starters have posted 20-plus RBI.

SOLID DEFENSE
Louisiana has played error-free in 26 of 48 games and has committed only 29 errors through 1,161 chances (882 PO, 250 A, 29 E) for a .975 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.

BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS
The Ragin' Cajuns have combined strong offense with strong pitching and defense to generate success. Louisiana ranks Top 10 nationally in home runs per game (1st), slugging percentage (2nd), scoring (2nd) and batting average (7th). The squad is Top 20 nationally in fielding percentage (15th) and earned run average (18th).

TRIPLE THREAT IN THE CIRCLE
The emergence of Alex Stewart in the pitching circle during the Texas State and Georgia State series further strengthened Louisiana's pitching efforts. She registered the two wins that won both series, allowing just five runs and striking out 34 in 21 innings. Stewart, who was undefeated through her first 10 decisions/15 appearances, adds to a rotation that also includes three-time, first team All-Sun Belt pick Jordan Wallace and 2014 SBC Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-American Christina Hamilton.

LOUISIANA-WEBER STATE SERIES
Series Record: First Meeting
In Lafayette: First Meeting
In Ogden, Utah: 0-0
Neutral: 0-0
Current Streak: n/a
In NCAA Tournament: First Meeting

Noteworthy
First meeting, regular season or postseason, between the Cajuns and Wildcats.

LOUISIANA-BAYLOR SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads 12-6
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 7-2
In Waco, Texas: Tied 2-2
Neutral: Louisiana leads 3-2
Current Streak: Louisiana won 5
Last Meeting: 4/11/15 at Lamson Park
(Louisiana 12, Baylor 2)
In NCAA Tournament: Baylor leads 2-0

Noteworthy
Teams met in a doubleheader at Lamson Park on April 11 (UL swept 3-1, 12-2)...UL has won the last six meetings at Lamson Park...Met in 2009 NCAA Waco Regional, with Baylor winning both meetings (only previous NCAA Tournament meetings)...Bears were in 2012 NCAA Regional at Lamson Park, but the two teams did not meet.

LOUISIANA-MISSISSIPPI STATE SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads 12-3
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 5-2
In Starkville, Miss.: Tied 5-1
Neutral: Louisiana leads 2-0
Current Streak: Louisiana won 6
Last Meeting: 2/13/13 at Lamson Park
(Louisiana 9, Mississippi State 1)
In NCAA Tournament: Louisiana leads 1-0

Noteworthy
Only prior NCAA Tournament meeting came in 2002 NCAA Regional at Lamson Park (Cajuns won 10-3)...Louisiana has won all six meetings since Mississippi State reinstated softball (1997-present)...First nine meetings occurred from 1982-86.

DIAMOND NOTES

• #AmongTheNationsElite: Michael Lotief's squad earned a national seed for the second straight season and third time in the past four seasons. The Cajuns were seeded No. 6 a year ago, and No. 14 back in 2012.

• #InTheMix: The Ragin' Cajuns are set to appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 17th consecutive season, a streak which dates back to the 1999 season.

• #Mainstay: Louisiana makes its 25th appearance overall in the NCAA Tournament, all coming in the past 26 years. Since 1990, the Cajuns have missed the NCAA's postseason event only once (1998). The Ragin' Cajuns' 25 NCAA Tournament appearances ranks 8th in NCAA history (tied with Cal State Fullerton).

• #TheSelectFew: Louisiana is just one of nine schools to play in the NCAA Tournament every year since 2000. The list also includes: Alabama, Arizona, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA and Washington.

• #CajunHospitality: Louisiana will host an NCAA Regional at Lamson Park for the 11th time. The complete list of NCAA Regionals at Lamson Park includes: 1990-92, 1994-97, 2002, 2012, 2014-15.

• #TheFirstStep: The Cajuns are 53-31 all-time in NCAA Regional play, including a 19-4 mark in claiming regional championships and advancing to the super regional round in five of the last seven appearances (2008-14).

• #ProvenResults: The Ragin' Cajuns' all-time overall record in the NCAA Tournament stands at 65-50, representing the 11th-most wins in NCAA history.

• #NoFoolingHer: Lexie Elkins has not struck out since March 14 vs. UTA. She enters the NCAA Tournament on a string 101 consecutive plate appearances without being struck out.

• #SweepingUpAtShort: True freshman DJ Sanders has shined at shortstop this season after taking over for last season's starter Corin Voinche who is injured. She's made just four errors through the 132 chances that have come her way (65 PO, 63 A, 4 E) for a .970 fielding percentage.

• #NotAnEasyOut: Opponents have found it tough to keep Haley Hayden, Shellie Landry and Lexie Elkins off the base path. The Cajuns' 1-2-3 hitters have combined for 178 hits and 90 walks. Add in a combined 13 times being hit by a pitch, they've been on base a combined 281 times in a combined 570 plate appearances (49.3 percent).

#GeauxCajuns

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Players Mentioned

Linzey Cifreo

Lexie Elkins

Christina Hamilton

Haley Hayden

Marie Hoag

Shellie Landry

Leandra Maly

Kelli Martinez

Taylor Meaux

DJ Sanders

Alex Stewart

Jordan Wallace