University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Friday, March 22
Mobile, Ala.
6 p.m.

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

at

South Alabama

Game Coverage:
TV Network Listen Live Stats
Glasco vs McNeese 3.20.19

Ninth-Ranked @RaginCajunsSB Heads to Mobile for Sun Belt Series

3/21/2019 5:47:00 PM | Softball

Game Notes (PDF)

Louisiana faces South Alabama in weekend set at Jaguar Field

No. 9 Louisiana (23-4, 6-0 Sun Belt) at South Alabama (11-15, 1-5 Sun Belt)
Dates: Friday-Sunday, March 22-24, 2019
Location: Mobile, Ala.
Stadium: Jaguar Field (1,050)
Series Schedule:
      Fri., Mar. 22 – 6 p.m. (CDT)
      Sat., Mar. 23 – 3 p.m. (CDT)
      Sun., Mar. 24 – 1 p.m. (CDT)
 
MEDIA INFORMATION
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM · Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Video: USAJaguars.com/Watch
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSB
 
SETTING THE SCENE
No. 9 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball returns to Sun Belt Conference play in a road series at South Alabama. The three-game set is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, March 22-24 at Jaguar Field in Mobile, Ala.
 
Louisiana (23-4, 6-0 Sun Belt) seeks its third conference series victory in as many weekends. The Ragin' Cajuns swept Texas State and Troy, picked second and third in the preseason coaches' poll, to begin league play.
 
The USA series is the first of back-to-back weekends on the road that lie ahead for Louisiana, with a trip to Georgia Southern coming next weekend. Winners of the past four games on the opposition's field (swept Texas State, won midweek at Nicholls), Louisiana is 8-3 away from Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns seek to bounce back from an 11-inning loss to McNeese on Wednesday and maintain their early lead in the SBC race.
 
Louisiana has an active streak of 48 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won (school and SBC record streak). The streak spans the previous five-plus seasons, dating back to a March 2013 sweep of FIU.
 
SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads, 31-11)
  • Louisiana carries a series-best, nine-game win streak into this weekend's meeting in Mobile.
  • The Ragin' Cajuns have won every matchup dating back to 2016. Last loss to USA was 2015 Sun Belt Tournament championship game.
  • Sweep of USA in 2017 was the first in Mobile since 2011 and only the second in six trips.
  • Louisiana won nine of the previous 12 Sun Belt series (split in 2007, USA won in 2009 and 2013).
  • Series began when South Alabama launched its program in 2007 and joined the Sun Belt. 
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Infield: Louisiana is anchored on the left side by two of the best infielders in the country in senior third baseman Kara Gremillion and junior shortstop Alissa Dalton – both career .950-plus fielders. Returning starting second baseman Casidy Chaumont and Keeli Milligan have taken turns starting at the position. At first base, returning starter Kourtney Gremillion and Toledo transfer Bailey Curry share time at the position.
 
Outfield: Expected to make a significant impact are Texas A&M transfers Keeli Milligan (left field) and Sarah Hudek (right field). Texas Tech transfer Raina O'Neal, who sat out due to transfer rules in 2018, is making her Louisiana debut in center field. Aeriyl Mass provides a boost with her speed and should see time in various outfield positions as a defensive replacement. Morgan Gray has rotated with Mass in filling the right field spot when Milligan starts at second base.
 
Pitchers: Preseason Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Summer Ellyson is back as Louisiana's lead pitcher. Ellyson, a 20-game winner who ranked Top 40 nationally in all major pitching categories in 2018, entered this week ranked second nationally in victories (17) and is the Sun Belt's leader in strikeouts (129). Sophomore Carrie Boswell and freshman Kandra Lamb of Australia have been the first out of the bullpen and the starting pitchers when Ellyson rests. Fifth-year senior Alison Deville and sophomore Casey Dixon add additional depth.
 
Catchers: Senior Lexie Comeaux and Northwestern State transfer Julie Rawls, converted to the position from the outfield, serve as the Ragin' Cajuns' main catchers. Comeaux fills the designated player role, and occasionally plays in the outfield, in order to keep her bat in the game. Rawls has seen the bulk of the playing time behind the plate in order to continue her development.
 
NOTABLE STREAKS AND TRENDS
  • The 2019 season marks the 39th season overall in Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball history and the second season of the Gerry Glasco era.
  • Louisiana's season-opening, 14-game winning streak marked the program's best start since the 2015 season, matching that team's start.
  • Louisiana is in its second straight week inside the Top 10 of the national polls, landing at No. 9 in the Week 6 versions of both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 polls.
  • The offense has generated multiple home runs six times in the past nine games dating back to the Texas State series. Louisiana hit multiple home runs all three games of the Troy series, netting seven off of Leanna Johnson and Annie Wilis.
  • The Ragin' Cajuns have launched 36 home runs over the first 27 games – a strong start to the expected exponential rise in power numbers (23 home runs in 57 games in 2018).
  • The Ragin' Cajuns possess one of the nation's top offenses, entering the week ranked Top 25 nationally in eight major categories. Gerry Glasco's squad was Top 10 in average (.352), slugging percentage (.602) and scoring (7.77).
  • Louisiana's offense includes eight players with 20-plus hits, eight with multiple home runs, eight with double-digit RBI and 11 hitting above .300.
  • Summer Ellyson has steered Louisiana's efforts in the circle collecting 17 victories (17-4, 1.26 ERA). She ranks second nationally in the category trailing only Indiana's Tara Trainer (18 wins).
  • Sparked by a 43-strikeout effort last week, Summer Ellyson has climbed to the top of the charts in the Sun Belt Conference and ranks Top 10 nationally. Her 11 strikeouts Wednesday vs. McNeese marked her third double-digit effort in the past two weeks.
  • Since March 1, Julie Rawls has raised her batting average from .351 to her present .484 figure. During the stretch she is batting 17-for-25 (.680) with five doubles, three homers and 16 RBI.
  • With eight home runs already to her credit, Julie Rawls is two shy of matching her career-best set a season ago at Northwestern State.
  • The Ragin' Cajuns have generated 89 extra base hits (48 doubles, 5 triples, 36 home runs) and are on the verge of surpassing the 98 posted all of last season.
  • The Ragin' Cajuns have been active on the base path, swiping 99 stolen bases in 110 attempts. Keeli Milligan leads the charge with 34 stolen bases (in 36 attempts) putting her on pace to challenge the school's single-season record of 51 set by Dorsey Steamer in 1992.
  • The Ragin' Cajuns have started fast in 2019, scoring in the first inning 14 times and being the first to light up the scoreboard in 20 of 27 outings.
  • Summer Ellyson has earned the victory all three games of each of the first two Sun Belt weekend series. In sweeps of Texas State and Troy, Ellyson yielded no more than one earned run in any of her appearances and yielded only two total in 30-1/3 innings pitched.
  • Lexie Comeaux surpassed 100 career RBI with her two-run homer on Sunday vs. Troy. Now at 101 career RBI, she also reached 20 RBI in a season for the third straight season. 
UP NEXT
No. 9 Louisiana closes out the month of March in Statesboro, Ga. in a Sun Belt Conference series at Georgia Southern. The Ragin' Cajuns and Eagles are scheduled to meet Friday-Sunday, March 29-31 at Eagle Field at GS Softball Complex.
 
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
 
SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
• Season tickets, beginning at $100, are available online at RaginCajuns.com using Account Manager, by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 265-2170 or by visiting the ticket office in person Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and extended hours during Ragin' Cajuns basketball events.
• Fans who purchase season tickets receive priority access for any potential NCAA postseason games held at Lamson Park.
• For information on premium seating and parking at Lamson Park, contact the Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation (RCAF) at (337) 851-2903. General admission parking at Cajun Field will be free for all games during the 2019 season.
 
- www.RaginCajuns.com -
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South Alabama
W, 11-7

Mar 22 (Fri)

6 p.m.
Box ScoreRecapBox Score (PDF)WatchListenPreviewLive Stats
Full Schedule

Players Mentioned

24

Casidy Chaumont

IF
/ Softball
17

Bailey Curry

1B/DP
/ Softball
22

Alissa Dalton

SS
/ Softball
18

Casey Dixon

P
/ Softball
9

Summer Ellyson

P
/ Softball
6

Morgan Gray

OF
/ Softball
39

Kara Gremillion

3B
/ Softball
35

Sarah Hudek

OF
/ Softball
53

Kandra Lamb

P
/ Softball
15

Aeriyl Mass

OF
/ Softball
4

Keeli Milligan

OF
/ Softball
2

Raina O'Neal

OF
/ Softball
23

Julie Rawls

C/OF
/ Softball

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