Softball Preview: at UT Arlington

Games 22-24: No. 5 Louisiana (20-1, 2-0 Sun Belt) at UT Arlington (21-2, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Mar. 19 (DH) • 1 p.m. (CDT) • Allan Saxe Field (622) • Arlington, Texas
Sunday, Mar. 20 • 12 p.m. (CDT) • Allan Saxe Field (622) • Arlington, Texas

Game Notes (PDF): Louisiana | UT Arlington
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM • Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, color
TV: None
Live Stats
Live Video
Rosters: Louisiana | UT Arlington
Schedules: Louisiana | UT Arlington
2016 Stats: Louisiana | UT Arlington
Ragin' Cajuns Twitter: @ULRaginCajuns | @RaginCajunSB
Opponents' Twitter: @UTASoftball

THE COACHES
Louisiana: Michael Lotief (Louisiana, 1985)
Record at Louisiana: 658-160-1 (14th season) Career Record: Same

UT Arlington: Kristie Fox (Arizona, 2007)
Record at UTA: 94-91 (4th season) Career Record: Same

CAJUNS START ROAD TRIP IN ARLINGTON
No. 5 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball (20-1, 2-0 Sun Belt) takes in the first Sun Belt road games of the 2016 season in Arlington, Texas with a three-game series at UT Arlington (21-2, 0-0 Sun Belt) scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, March 19-20. It's the start of an eight-game road trip for the Ragin' Cajuns who won't return to Lamson Park until April 2-3 vs. Texas State.

WIN STREAK AMONG NATION'S BEST
Entering the weekend, Louisiana's 14-game win streak was the third-longest active streak in NCAA Division I softball. The Top 5 win streaks included: Notre Dame (W17), Florida State (W15), LOUISIANA (W14), South Florida (W13) and Oregon (W12).

NCAA TOP 5 ACTIVE WIN STREAKS (as of March 16)
1.    Notre Dame         W17
2.    Florida State        W15
3.    LOUISIANA W14
4.    South Florida       W13
5.    Oregon W12

RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE
The Ragin' Cajuns scored first in 16 of the season's first 18 games, and trailed only three times. In the recent homestand, South Alabama and McNeese State claimed the lead in the first inning all three games. The Cajuns staged a comeback all three times. Against USA, a pair of home runs (Elkins, Craighton) erased a 2-0 deficit in Game 1 before Shellie Landry's game-winning RBI in the fifth inning. UL rallied from a 6-2 deficit in Game 2 by erupting for eight runs in the sixth inning. An RBI single by Lexie Elkins erased a 4-3 deficit vs. McNeese in the seventh inning - the second rally for the Cajuns in contest - leading to Taylor Terrio's walk-off single in the ninth.

TRACKING ELKINS' RECORD PURSUIT
Lexie Elkins moved into a tie for second place in school history with Holly Tankersley (2004, 06-08) after hitting her 71st career home run last Sunday vs. South Alabama. The senior catcher's next home run moves her past Tankersley for sole possession of second place, leaving only Danyele Gomez's 83 left to top.

RAGIN' CAJUNS SOFTBALL CAREER HOME RUNS CHART
1.    83    Danyele Gomez (2003-06)
2.    71    Lexie Elkins (2014-present)
71    Holly Tankersley (2004, 2006-08)
4.    70    Christi Orgeron (2009-12)
5.    66    Gabriele Bridges (2008-11)

ELKINS NEARING NCAA CAREER TOP 10 LIST
Lexie Elkins (71 career home runs) sits five home runs shy of entering the NCAA's career home run Top 10 list. She presently ranks 14th on the list.

NCAA CAREER HOME RUNS TOP 10
1.         95       Lauren Chamberlain, Oklahoma
2.         90       Stacey Nuveman, UCLA
3.         87       Stacie Chambers, Arizona
4.         85       Leah Braatz, Arizona
            85       Laura Espinoza, Arizona
6.         84       Shelby Pendley, Oklahoma
7.         83       Danyele Gomez, Louisiana
8.         79       Kristen Rivera, Washington
9.         76       Megan Baltzell, Longwood
            76       Jenny Dalton, Arizona
---------
T14.    71       Lexie Elkins, Louisiana

TOP-TO-BOTTOM PRODUCTION
All nine of the starters in the Cajuns batting order have produced at least 12 base hits. While the top four in the lineup (Hayden, Landry, Elkins, Vincent) have combined for 96 RBI, the remaining four non-slap hitters (Craighton, Sanders, Corbello, Gremillion) have generated 62 RBI.

CRAIGHTON CRANKS 'EM OUT
Aleah Craighton homered in both games of last Sunday's South Alabama doubleheader - the second straight weekend she hit a home run in both games of a DH (3/5 at USM). Both USA homers were key - forged a tie in Game 1 and created a four-run (10-6) lead in Game 2. She's hit at least one home run in four of the past six games.

STEWART STAYS THE COURSE
After South Alabama scored twice in the first inning of Sunday's Game 1, Alex Stewart clamped down by tossing six consecutive scoreless frames to allow her team time to complete the comeback. She also tossed five innings of relief in Game 2, allowing time for Kylee Jo Trahan to regroup and later re-enter in the sixth inning to toss two scoreless, hitless frames around UL's eight-run rally.

MIGHTY BATS
The Ragin' Cajuns have hit at least one home run in 16 of 21 games, tallying multiple home runs 11 times. The season-high tying five home runs and current season-high six home runs hit March 5 at Southern Miss marked the second and third time this season reaching five home runs (2/12 vs. UAB; 3/5 Gm. 1 at USM; 3/5 Gm. 2 at USM).

THE GOLD STANDARD
The Ragin' Cajuns have belted 43 home runs in 21 contests for an average of 2.05 per game, which leads the nation. In 2015, UL produced a nation-best 2.15 home runs per game.

A BAND OF HEROES
Lexie Elkins hit five home runs in the season-opening weekend in Gulf Shores. Kelsey Vincent tallied 12 RBI the weekend of Feb. 25-28. DJ Sanders hit four home runs and posted a series-high seven RBI at Southern Miss. Aleah Craighton hit key home runs in the South Alabama sweep, the second straight weekend she homered twice in both games of a doubleheader. Shellie Landry had a game-winning RBI and momentum-shifting single vs. South Alabama. And, Taylor Terrio slapped a walk-off single into left field to secure a 5-4 win in nine innings over McNeese State. All proof that the Ragin' Cajuns squad can have any one given player deliver key performances.

A TOUGH OUT
Ragin' Cajuns hitters have struck out only 68 times - and drawn 100 walks - in 674 plate appearances through the season's first 21 games.

CHART YOUR COURSE CAREFULLY
The No. 1-6 hitters in the Cajuns lineup pose a stern test for opposing pitchers. Four of the first five hitters (Hayden, Elkins, Vincent, Craighton) are hitting above .370. Four of the six have posted at least five home runs, led by the nation-leading 15 from Lexie Elkins. While Elkins (15 HR, 34 RBI) and Kelsey Vincent (5 HR, 21 RBI) pack a punch at No. 3-4, five-hole hitter Aleah Craighton (6 HR, 24 RBI) and six-hole hitter DJ Sanders (7 HR, 22 RBI) provide a solid backup.

ANSWERING THE CALL
The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff, spearheaded by Alex Stewart and Kylee Jo Trahan, has left little doubt they are ready to carry the torch after the graduation of Jordan Wallace and Christina Hamilton. The group - which also includes Victoria Brown, Alison Deville and Macey Smith - has combined for eight shutouts and surrendered two runs or fewer in 15 of 21 games thus far. Of the 104 hits allowed in 129 innings, only 22 have gone for extra bases.

STOPPING 'EM IN THEIR TRACKS
Kylee Jo Trahan has held the opposition to just 21 hits in 41-2/3 innings pitched in her 10 appearances (seven starts). Foes are hitting a meager .147 off of the sophomore hurler.

STOPPING 'EM IN THEIR TRACKS (Part 2)
The Cajuns' pitching staff has held foes to two runs or less in 15 of 21 games. Opponents have scored five-plus runs only twice (Feb. 19 vs. Oregon; March 13 vs. South Alabama).

UP NEXT
The No. 5-ranked Ragin' Cajuns continue their eight-game road trip Easter Weekend in Troy for a three-game series with the Trojans set for Friday-Saturday, March 25-26. The teams play a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Good Friday and close the series in a 12 p.m. single game on Saturday.

LOUISIANA-UT ARLINGTON SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads 19-4
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 8-2
In Arlington, Texas: Louisiana leads 6-0
Neutral: Louisiana leads 5-2
Current Streak: Louisiana won 11
Last Meeting: 3/14/15 at Lamson Park
(Louisiana 8, UT Arlington 0 - 6 inn.)

Series Notes
Programs first met as members of the Southland Conference (1983-87)...First meeting took place in April 1983 in UTA Invitational...Met in UTA-hosted tournaments in 1984 and 1985...Last meeting as Southland foes came in 1987 league tournament in Denton, Texas (Cajuns won 6-1 to claim tournament title)...Prior to the initial Sun Belt series, held in Arlington in April 2014, UL and UTA had last met in a March 1990 doubleheader at Lamson Park...Louisiana posted three shutouts in the first-ever SBC series, outscoring UTA 28-0 (April 26-27, 2014 in Arlington)...Cajuns swept first Sun Belt meetings held at Lamson Park last season, improving to 6-0 vs. UTA in SBC action...Louisiana outscored UTA 54-1 and posted five shutouts in the previous six Sun Belt matchups...Third Sun Belt series between the Cajuns and Mavericks (second in Arlington)...Louisiana carries an 11-game series win streak into this weekend's series at Allan Saxe Field.

Last Series (March 13-14, 2015 at Lamson Park)
Kelsey Vincent hit a school-record tying three home runs and Lexie Elkins added two of her own while posting a game-high six RBI as Louisiana won the series opener 18-0 (5 inn.). The Cajuns batted around in each of their final three at bats to pull away after a scoreless first inning. Jordan Wallace fanned a season-high 16 and yielded only one hit as the Cajuns won 4-1 in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader. Christina Hamilton fanned six UTA batters in the nightcap and a bases loaded, pinch-hit single by Sara Corbello sparked a three spot in the fourth inning that broke open a 1-0 game (Cajuns won 8-0 in six innings).

Last Series in Arlington (April 26-27, 2014)
Louisiana swept UT Arlington by a 28-0 count in the first-ever Sun Belt series. The sweep locked up the 2014 Sun Belt title. Lexie Elkins posted five RBI and Gabby Felps tallied five hits during a doubleheader sweep on Saturday (7-0, 13-0). In game two, Victoria Brown carried a no-hitter into the fifth and final inning. On Sunday, Corin Voinche led the charge at the plate going 2-for-4, with two runs and two RBI while Christina Hamilton tossed six shutout innings for the 8-0 triumph.

DIAMOND NOTES
#KsForKylee: Kylee Jo Trahan has posted at least eight strikeouts in four of her six starts that she pitched at least five innings. She struck out a career-high 10 in a no-hitter of Rutgers on Feb. 26, then followed up with nine in a perfect game vs. Alcorn State on Feb. 27.

#SteadyAlex: Alex Stewart began the season with 35 2/3 consecutive walk-free innings. She's yielded only eight walks in 65 innings pitched through her first 12 appearances (11 starts).

#GrowingUpFast: Freshman Kara Gremillion has displayed poise at the plate and the results have backed that up. Gremillion ranks second on the squad with five doubles (out of 13 hits total), one of which broke open a scoreless game vs. No. 5 Oregon on Feb. 19. She's shined on defense as well, fielding all but two of 54 chances cleanly (25 PO, 27 A, 2 E, .963 FLD%).

#CatchMeIfYouCan: Louisiana is 16-0 when scoring first. In those 16 wins, the Ragin' Cajuns have relinquished the lead only once (4th inning of Game 1 vs. Texas Tech).

#HoldingSteady: Louisiana remained No. 5 in both national polls this week. The Cajuns retained the No. 5 spot in the NFCA poll for the second straight week. It was the third straight week at No. 5 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll. Three straight weeks in the Top 5 of ESPN/USA Softball is the longest Top 5 run since four weeks in the NFCA poll Mar. 31-Apr. 21, 1999.

#EliteCompany: Dating back to the start of the 2015 season, Louisiana has been in the Top 10 of the NFCA rankings in 17 of the past 20 polls and Top 10 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll in 16 of the past 20 polls.

#DefenseBacksThemUp: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff doesn't have to pile up impressive strikeout numbers as a veteran defense plays behind them. Seven of the nine starters in the field have at least two years experience at their respective position. The defense has committed only 14 errors in 534 chances and had multiple errors only twice in 21 games.

#FamilyTies: Being members of the Ragin' Cajuns softball team has added meaning for three families. Sisters Shellie Landry and Jaime Landry are competing together collegiately for the first time (Jaime redshirted in 2015). Kara Gremillion is following in the footsteps of her aunts, Stacie Gremillion and Sandy Percle, who donned the Cajuns uniform in the mid-1980s. And, Chelsea Lotief joins her father, head coach Michael Lotief, in the dugout while suiting up for the Ragin' Cajuns like her mother, Stefni (Whitton) Lotief, did from 1987-90.

#GeauxCajuns

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Players Mentioned

Victoria Brown

Sara Corbello

Aleah Craighton

Alison Deville

Lexie Elkins

Gabby Felps

Kara Gremillion

Christina Hamilton

Jaime Landry

Shellie Landry

Chelsea Lotief

DJ Sanders

Macey Smith

Alex Stewart

Taylor Terrio

Kylee Jo Trahan

Kelsey Vincent

Jordan Wallace

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