Louisiana Baseball Closes Out Home Slate With First Place South Alabama In Key Series

THE WEEKEND SERIES
Dates: Friday-Sunday, May 8-10, 2015
Location: Lafayette, La.
Site: M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field (3,755)
Times: 6:00 p.m. (Fri) | 6:00 p.m. (Sat) | 1:00 p.m. (Sun)
Opponent: South Alabama (32-17, 17-7 Sun Belt)
Radio: News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM
Television: myKLAF-TV (Saturday)
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com

STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: LHP Gunner Leger (UL) vs. RHP Kevin Hill (USA)
Saturday: RHP Evan Guillory (UL) vs. RHP Austin Bembnowski (USA)
Sunday: RHP Wyatt Marks (UL) vs. LHP Jared Gates (USA)

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team will host first place South Alabama in a key three-game Sun Belt Conference series starting Friday at 6 p.m. at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field. The Cajuns currently sit in third place in the conference standings and are 2.5 games back on the Jaguars with two conference series remaining on the year.

Game two of the series is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, while the two teams close out the weekend with Senior Day on Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday will also be Mother's Day at the "Tigue". Other events taking place during the series include a fireworks show during the seventh-inning stretch on Friday and a graduation ceremony during pregame on Saturday.

All three games can be heard live on KPEL 96.5 FM with Jay Walker making the call. Saturday's contest will also be broadcast on myKLAF-TV and simulcast on ESPN3.com. Mike Mitchell will call the action with Gerald Broussard providing color.

Louisiana has paired with Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center to "Strike Out a Stroke" during the series. Lourdes will donate $100 for every strikeout recorded by a Cajuns pitcher in the series and will present a check after the series finale to the American Stroke Association in honor of Ragin' Cajuns baseball.

The Cajuns (30-17, 14-9 Sun Belt) are coming off of a series loss at Appalachian State last weekend. The Mountaineers took the opening game of the series 2-1 before the Ragin' Cajuns cruised to a 20-6 victory on Saturday. App State claimed a 7-4 win in the rubber match to take the series.

Louisiana will turn to its all-true freshman rotation of left-hander Gunner Leger (5-3, 3.01 ERA) and right-handers Evan Guillory (3-0, 4.34 ERA) and Wyatt Marks (5-1, 3.32 ERA) for the fourth straight series. Leger and Marks are tied for the team lead in wins, while Leger leads the squad in innings pitched (71.2) and strikeouts (55).

The series features the top two pitching staffs in the conference with South Alabama (32-17, 17-7 Sun Belt) boasting a league best 3.33 ERA. The Cajuns are second with a 3.50 team ERA.

The Jaguars also lead the conference in average (.285) and fielding (.975). Louisiana ranks third in hitting (.278) and sixth in fielding (.966).

The Ragin' Cajuns have won the last six games in the series despite trailing south Alabama 58-41 in the all-time series. Louisiana swept the Jaguars in Mobile, Ala. last year pulling the record under head coach Tony Robichaux to 37-38 in the series during his tenure.

The Cajuns have three of the top 10 ranked hitters in the Sun Belt led by junior shortstop Blake Trahan who is second with a .357 average. Junior second baseman Stefan Trosclair leads Louisiana with 12 home runs and 35 RBI on the year.

As a team, the Ragin' Cajuns rank top 3 in the league in average, slugging (.430), on base percentage (.367), runs (296), hits (448), RBI (262), doubles (89), home runs (45) and walks (188).

South Alabama also ranks top 3 in the conference in average, on base percentage (.380), runs (288), hits (488), RBI (244), triples (15) and walks (225).

Cole Billingsley leads the offensive attack for the Jaguars hitting .344 with seven doubles, four triples, two home runs and 26 RBI. Bud Collura is the only other South Alabama hitter with an average over .300 as he is hitting .320 with a team-best 33 RBI.

Following the series with the Jaguars, the Cajuns head on the road for the final four games of the season starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. with a contest at Nicholls State.

For updates an info on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow the squad on twitter @CajunsBaseball or check RaginCajuns.com.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Louisiana Baseball Closes Out Home Slate With First Place South Alabama In Key Series

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Players Mentioned

Evan Guillory

Gunner Leger

Wyatt Marks

Blake Trahan

Stefan Trosclair

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