Softball Preview: Sand Dollar Classic

Games 1-5: Sand Dollar Classic (Gulf Shores Sportsplex – Gulf Shores, Ala.)
Friday, Feb. 12 • 3 p.m. (CST) • Ball State • Gulf Shores, Ala.
Friday, Feb. 12 • 6 p.m. (CST) • UAB • Gulf Shores, Ala.
Saturday, Feb. 13 • 12 p.m. (CST) • Southeast Missouri • Gulf Shores, Ala.
Saturday, Feb. 13 • 6 p.m. (CST) • Samford • Gulf Shores, Ala.
Sunday, Feb. 14 • 12 p.m. (CST) • Louisiana Tech • Gulf Shores, Ala.

Radio: ESPN 1420-AM | Live Stats
Rosters: Louisiana | Ball State | UAB | Southeast Missouri | Samford | Louisiana Tech
2015 Stats: Louisiana | Ball State | UAB | Southeast Missouri | Samford | Louisiana Tech
Ragin' Cajuns Twitter: @ULRaginCajuns | @RaginCajunSB
Opponents Twitter: @BallStateSB | @uabsoftball | @SEMOsoftball | @SamfordSB | @LATechSB

THE COACHES
Louisiana: Michael Lotief (Louisiana, 1985)
Career Record: 638-159-1 (14th season)   Record at Louisiana: Same

Ball State: Megan Ciolli Bartlett (Notre Dame, 2005)
Career Record: 0-0 (1^st season)   Record at Ball State: Same

UAB: Marla Townsend (Alabama, 1986)
Career Record: 484-452 (17th season)   Record at UAB: Same

SE Missouri: Mark Redburn (Missouri-St. Louis, 1993)
Career Record: 109-202 (6th season)   Record at SEMO: 19-27 (2nd season)

Samford: Mandy Burford (Alabama, 2007)
Career Record: 102-117 (5th season)   Record at Samford: Same

Louisiana Tech: Mark Montgomery (Eastern Kentucky, 1992)
Career Record: 407-398 (16th season)   Record at La. Tech: 77-78 (4th season)

LET'S GET IT STARTED
The 11th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team begins the 36th season in program history participating in the Sand Dollar Classic at the Gulf Shores (Ala.) Sportsplex Friday-Sunday, Feb. 12-14. It's the first time since 2013 – and only second time since 2008 – that the Ragin' Cajuns begin the season away from Lamson Park.

While in Gulf Shores, No. 11 Louisiana will face Ball State, UAB, Southeast Missouri, Samford and Louisiana Tech, in succession, opening the season and tournament action with Ball State at 3 p.m, on Friday, Feb. 12 at Field 4.

ABOUT THE SAND DOLLAR CLASSIC
The Sand Dollar Classic, which debuted in 2015, is hosted by the city of Gulf Shores and The Fieldhouse. Fourteen (14) NCAA Division I softball teams representing conferences from across the country comprise the tournament field and will compete in pre-determined round robin matchups.

This is the Ragin' Cajuns first-ever trip to Gulf Shores and first appearance in the Sand Dollar Classic.

OPENING DAY SUCCESS
The Cajuns are 32-3 all-time in season openers, successful each time dating back to 2002.

MILESTONE WATCH
The Ragin' Cajuns enter the 2016 season with 1,497 wins in program history. That leaves the storied program three wins shy of 1,500. Heading into this weekend's Sand Dollar Classic action, the current all-time record is 1,497-433-1 (.776).

THE TANK REMAINS FULL
The Ragin' Cajuns return 90-plus percent in all major hitting categories (hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and total bases). The squad returns 100 percent of the home run production from 2015 (116 home runs).

A GOOD PRIMER
Four of the Ragin' Cajuns five opponents in the Sand Dollar Classic posted winning records in 2015, each one winning 30-plus games. The group includes Ball State (34-25), UAB (32-19), Samford (33-22) and Louisiana Tech (31-19). Ball State, the foe in the season opener, advanced to the NCAA South Bend Regional a year ago and knocked off No. 21 Notre Dame.

QUICK LOOK AT THE 2016 RAGIN' CAJUNS
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, ranked No. 11 in the final 2015 polls and coming off a fourth straight NCAA Super Regional appearance, return eight (8) of the nine (9) hitters from its 2015 starting lineup that produced a school-record 116 home runs headlined by first team All-America choice and reigning NFCA/Diamond Sports Division I Catcher of the Year Lexie Elkins (.426, 32 HR, 83 RBI in 2015).

Second team All-Sun Belt pitcher Alex Stewart (10-2, 2.09 ERA in 2015), who posted five of the Ragin' Cajuns final 10 Sun Belt wins that paved the way for a conference championship in 2015, leads the candidates in the pitching circle who are poised to take over for the departed Christina Hamilton and Jordan Wallace (both graduated).

FAMILIAR FACES
In the infield, Lexie Elkins (catcher), Kelsey Vincent (first base), Haley Hayden (second base), Samantha Walsh (third base) and DJ Sanders (shortstop) each started all of the Ragin' Cajuns' 54 games in 2015 – all of them return this season.

Like their counterparts in the infield, the group of outfielders will feature familiar faces patrolling the field in 2016. Left fielder Shellie Landry, is once again the veteran leader of the group. Aleah Craighton and Kelli Martinez, who like Landry started all 54 games in 2015, are also back, but trading spaces on the field (Craighton to center field; Martinez to right field). Kassidy Zeringue, a defensive sub in left field the previous two seasons, could see time as a starter in right field.

A NEW CYCLE IN THE CIRCLE
For the first time since 2011, the Ragin' Cajuns will not have either Jordan Wallace or Christina Hamilton in the circle. The duo combined for 30 of Louisiana's 42 wins in 2015 and worked a combined 245-2/3 of the 332-1/3 innings.

"We've been getting ready for those kids' graduation for the last two years, and we aren't looking too far behind us or too far ahead of us," Louisiana softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "We'll just keep our nose to the ground and see what happens."

Alex Stewart and Kylee Jo Trahan, the returners with innings from 2015, are the early favorites to be the top two options on the staff. Stewart ranked Top 50 nationally in ERA (2.09) and Top 30
in strikeouts per seven innings (8.7) last season. Trahan appeared in 14 games, starting two, in her collegiate debut season in 2015 and held foes to just five extra base hits in 23 innings pitched.

Victoria Brown, who pitched in 2013 and 2014 before missing last season with a knee injury, adds additional experience and high veloctiy to the pitching rotation. Macey Smith provides another seasoned arm, while redshirt freshman Alison Deville offers a left-handed option.

ELKINS AND LANDRY NAMED TO "WATCH" LIST
Lexie Elkins and Shellie Landry, both All-Americans in 2015, were included among the 50 players that comprised the "Watch List" for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

Elkins, named to the watch list for the second straight season, was a Top 26 finalist for the 2015 award. Landry received a nod on the watch list for the first time in her career.

A first team All-America choice and reigning NFCA/Diamond Sports Division I Catcher of the Year, Elkins generated a school-record 32 home runs in 2015, which led all levels of collegiate softball. Landry, who picked up the first All-American honor of her career in 2015, saw 37 of her 64 hits go for extra bases (58 percent) and ranked Top 50 nationally in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage.

CAJUNS ARE THE CHOICE OF THE SUN BELT
The 11th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team was selected as the favorite to finish atop the 2016 Sun Belt Conference standings and senior catcher Lexie Elkins was chosen as the Preseason Student-Athlete of the Year in the preseason picks voted on by the conference's nine head coaches and released on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

Elkins, winner of SBC Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015, will attempt to become the first player in Ragin' Cajuns and Sun Belt history to claim player of the year honors in a third straight season.

Elkins was the frontrunner at catcher on the preseason All-Sun Belt team. Teammates Kelsey Vincent (first base), Haley Hayden (second base), DJ Sanders (shortstop) and Shellie Landry (outfield) joined Elkins on the preseason All-SBC squad.

PICKING UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team spent the entire 2015 season inside the Top 15 of the national polls and that's where the team will begin the 2016 season. The Ragin' Cajuns were ranked No. 11 in both preseason editions of the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls unveiled on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

2015 REWIND
The 2015 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team captured the program's 13th Sun Belt Conference regular season championship in 15 seasons of league competition, extended the program's active streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances to 17 straight years (1999-present) and won an NCAA Regional and appeared in an NCAA Super Regional for the fourth straight year.

Louisiana led the nation in home runs per game (2.15) and ranked second in scoring offense (8.15 runs/game) and slugging percentage (.652) in 2015. During the regular season, Louisiana ranked Top 10 nationally in home runs per game (1st), slugging percentage (2nd), scoring (2nd) and batting average (7th). The squad was Top 20 nationally in fielding percentage (17th) and earned run average (20th).

UP NEXT
The 11th-ranked Ragin' Cajuns make their 2016 Lamson Park debut hosting the 30th Annual Louisiana Classics Feb. 19-21, beginning the tournament with a 2 p.m., doubleheader against No. 6 Oregon on Friday, Feb. 19.

SERIES HISTORY
Ball State (Louisiana leads 5-0): First meeting since a March 1989 contest at the Aggie Invitational in College Station, Texas…Prior four meetings were part of doubleheaders held in Lafayette in the 1984 and 1985 season openers…The 1985 doubleheader marked the first games ever played at Lamson Park (then-Lady Cajun Park).

UAB (First Meeting): The Ragin' Cajuns and Blazers meet for the first time…UAB launched its softball program in 2000.

Southeast Missouri (Louisiana leads 2-0): Third meeting overall…First meeting since April 1995…Previous two meetings took place in Chattanooga, Tenn., in the Frost Cutlery Classic…First met on April 17, 1994 at the Frost Cutlery, then again in the event on April 14, 1995.

Samford (Louisiana leads 10-0): Of the 10 prior matchups, eight were held at Lamson Park…Teams last met on March 25, 2001, in the Janette Spell Memorial at Lamson Park (Cajuns won 15-0)…Tiffany Whittall set an NCAA record with 11 RBI against Samford on April 15, 1995 and the Cajuns set a school record with 27 base hits that day...First meeting occurred in Feb. 1991 as the Bulldogs participated in the Louisiana Classics at Lamson Park.

Louisiana Tech (Louisiana leads 46-30): Louisiana has won the last 25 meetings, a streak that began with a 12-1 win in the second game of a April 25, 1999 doubleheader in Ruston…Majority of the meetings took place from 1984-2000…Programs have met 21 times in the Lotief era (Cajuns 21-0)…Louisiana Tech, along with Louisiana, was a charter member of the Sun Belt Conference's softball league which launched in 2000 (tournament only) and began regular season play in 2001 (Tech left league in 2002).

#GeauxCajuns

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Players Mentioned

Victoria Brown

Aleah Craighton

Alison Deville

Lexie Elkins

Christina Hamilton

Haley Hayden

Shellie Landry

Kelli Martinez

DJ Sanders

Macey Smith

Alex Stewart

Kylee Jo Trahan

Kelsey Vincent

Jordan Wallace

Samantha Walsh

Kassidy Zeringue

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