Louisiana Hosts Texas State To Close Out Home Slate

THE WEEKEND SERIES
Dates: Friday-Sunday, May 12-14, 2017
Location: Lafayette, La.
Site: M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park (4,650)
Times: 6:00 p.m. (Fri) | 6:00 p.m. (Sat) | 1:00 p.m. (Sun)
Opponent: Texas State (24-25, 10-14 Sun Belt)
Radio: News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM
Television: None
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com

STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: LHP Gunner Leger (LA) vs. TBA (TXST)
Saturday: LHP Colten Schmidt (LA) vs. TBA (TXST)
Sunday: LHP Hogan Harris (LA) vs. TBA (TXST)

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team is set to close out the 2017 home slate this weekend with a three-game series against Texas State at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park starting Friday at 6 p.m. The series with the Bobcats wraps up an eight-game homestand for the Cajuns at Russo Park.

Game two of the series is slated for Saturday with a 6 p.m. first pitch. The two teams will close out the weekend with the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Ragin' Cajuns (30-19-1, 14-9-1 Sun Belt) will hold a graduation ceremony on the field prior to the game on Friday. On Saturday, Louisiana will honor its nine seniors with a presentation on field prior to the contest for Senior Day. Additionally, the Cajuns will honor the current player's mothers in attendance on Sunday for Mother's Day with a special first pitch ceremony prior to the game.

Fans can listen to all three contests live on News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM with Jay Walker providing play-by-play. Live stats and a free video stream are available on RaginCajuns.com with Dan McDonald and Ryan Baniewicz on the call.

Louisiana is coming off of a pair of midweek wins over Louisiana Tech 3-1 and McNeese 4-1 at home. The Cajuns are looking to bounce back in conference play having lost back-to-back series for the first time since 2015 after dropping two of three games to Georgia Southern last weekend at Russo Park.

For the second straight weekend the Ragin' Cajuns will go with the all-lefty rotation of junior Gunner Leger (9-2, 1.47 ERA) on Friday, junior Colten Schmidt (1-1, 3.21 ERA) on Saturday and sophomore Hogan Harris (3-2, 2.62 ERA) on Sunday. Texas State has yet to announce its rotation for the series.

Louisiana ranks first in the Sun Belt in pitching (3.15 ERA) and fielding (.977) and is seventh in hitting with a .267 average. The Cajuns are averaging five runs a game and have pounded out 82 doubles, 16 triples and 33 home runs.

Junior Steven Sensley comes into the series having reached base in a team-best 19 straight games tying his own mark from earlier this season. Sensley is hitting .324 with nine doubles, three triples, nine home runs and 38 RBI.

The Ragin' Cajuns hold a 19-9 edge in the all-time series with Texas State. The two teams have met 15 times in the last three seasons with the Cajuns winning 11 times. Louisiana won three of the four meetings a year ago going 2-1 at home before defeating the Bobcats 4-2 in a Sun Belt tournament winner's bracket game in San Marcos, Texas.

Texas State has lost 10 of its last 12 contests after dropping two of three to Georgia State at home last weekend. The Bobcats fell in the series opener 11-7 before evening the series with the Panthers with a 10-9 victory. Georgia State claimed the rubber match with an 11-8 win.

As a team, Texas State ranks second in the SBC in hitting (.287), eighth in fielding (.968) and tenth in pitching (5.63 ERA).

Junior Theodore Hoffman paces the Bobcat offense hitting .335 with 15 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs and 44 RBI. Hoffman ranks top 10 in the Sun Belt in average, slugging (.603), runs (45), hits (70), RBI, doubles and home runs. Jonathan Ortega is also having a good season at the plate for Texas State hitting .337 with 10 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 39 RBI.

Following the series with the Bobcats, Louisiana will head to ULM for a three-game series starting Thursday at 6 p.m. to close out the regular season.

For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow Ragin' Cajuns baseball on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.

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Louisiana Hosts Texas State To Close Out Home Slate

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Players Mentioned

Hogan Harris

Gunner Leger

Colten Schmidt

Steven Sensley

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