East Coast Road Trip for No. 10 @RaginCajunsSB Begins in Boone

No. 10 Louisiana (34-4, 15-0 Sun Belt) at Appalachian State (27-11, 11-3 Sun Belt)
Dates: Friday-Sunday, April 12-14, 2019
Location: Boone, N.C.
Stadium: Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium (1,000)
Series Schedule:
      Fri., Apr. 12 – 5 p.m. (CDT)
      Sat., Apr. 13 – 1 p.m. (CDT)
      Sun., Apr. 14 – 11 a.m. (CDT)

MEDIA INFORMATION
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM · Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP
Live Video: AppStateSports.com/Watch
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSB

SETTING THE SCENE
In a matchup of the two teams presently atop the Sun Belt Conference standings, No. 10 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball meets Appalachian State Friday-Sunday, April 12-14 in Boone, N.C.

The Ragin' Cajuns (34-4, 15-0 Sun Belt), making their first visit to Boone since April 2015, are the league's lone undefeated team and enter the series with the Mountaineers (27-11, 11-3 Sun Belt) on an 11-game win streak.

Louisiana carries another active win streak: 11 consecutive road wins. Gerry Glasco's squad ranks second in the nation with 12 true road wins.

The weekend set matches up the Sun Belt's top two pitching staffs and individual pitchers. Louisiana tops the league with a 1.51 ERA led by the nation's leader in wins Summer Ellyson (23-4, 1.18 ERA). App State ranks second in the SBC with a 2.35 ERA with Sydney Holland (10-5, 2.00 ERA) and Kenzie Longanecker (14-3, 2.08) ranked second and third in earned run average.

The trip to Boone kicks off a busy stretch for the Ragin' Cajuns who are set to play eight games over nine days beginning on Friday – and five in as many days while in North Carolina.

The Ragin' Cajuns are coming off a 7-1 midweek win over Southeastern Louisiana which pushed the team's record to a season-high, 30 games above the .500 mark.

Louisiana seeks its sixth SBC series win in as many weekends. The program's streak of consecutive league series won, which dates back to March 2013, stands at 51 straight – the longest active streak in the nation.

SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads, 8-0)

Series began with Appalachian State's entry into the Sun Belt Conference in 2015. Louisiana claimed a pair of run-rule wins in Boone that season.
First series in Boone since April 2015. Winter storm warnings canceled the Ragin' Cajuns visit in March 2017.
Louisiana claimed all of the previous eight series meetings, including three shutouts in a sweep at Lamson Park in 2018.

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: Texas A&M transfer Sarah Hudek shifted to left field at the start of Sun Belt play (March 8 at Texas State). Texas Tech transfer Raina O'Neal, who sat out due to transfer rules in 2018, is making her Louisiana debut in center field and has started each game at the position. In recent weekends, Lexie Comeaux and Kourtney Gremillion have filled the right field spot when Keeli Milligan started at second base. Morgan Gray and Aeriyl Mass provide a boost with their speed and spend time in right field as a defensive replacement.

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, is currently the national leader in victories (23) and the Sun Belt's leader in strikeouts (199). 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

For the fifth consecutive week, Louisiana is ranked inside the Top 10 of the national polls. The Ragin' Cajuns are ranked No. 10 in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN/USA Softball Top 25.
Louisiana is off to its second-best start all-time in Sun Belt Conference play at 15-0. The record start is 18-0, first established in 2001 and matched by the 2004 squad which finished with that mark.
Over the past 62 innings, the Louisiana pitching staff has allowed only five earned runs. During the stretch the staff sports a 0.56 ERA, has surrendered only four extra base hits and held foes to a .151 average.
The combined efforts of Carrie Boswell and Alison Deville holding Southeastern Louisiana to one earned run marked the 10th consecutive game the pitching staff has allowed no more than two earned runs.
Summer Ellyson's final line has included one run or fewer in 23 of 30 appearances. She has had a hand in 11 shutouts (six complete game; five combined).
The Game 1 victory over UT Arlington last Saturday allowed Summer Ellyson to match her career-high total of 23 set during the 2018 season (went 23-10).
Summer Ellyson is one strikeout shy of reaching 200 for the second straight season (recorded 220 in 2018). The junior righthander is 58 strikeouts way from career No. 500.
Keeli Milligan (40-for-44 in stolen bases) is only the second player in school history to reach 40 stolen bases in a single season. The only other player to reach the mark was Dorsey Steamer who set the single season record with 51 in 1992.
Led by Keeli Milligan (40 steals) and Kara Gremillion (18 steals), the Ragin' Cajuns have collected 118 stolen bases (in 137 attempts). The program record is 127 recorded back in 1994.
By pushing her season RBI total to 22 on Wednesday, Kourtney Gremillion becomes the eighth Ragin' Cajun this season with 20-plus RBI.
Five of the six RBI recorded by the Ragin' Cajuns on Wednesday came in two-out situations. Louisiana now has 90 two-out RBI, led by 14-apiece from Alissa Dalton and Julie Rawls.
Alissa Dalton turned in a 12-game hitting streak from March 16-April 6 in which she hit .583 (21-for-36), accounted for 12 runs, posted six extra base hits and delivered seven two-out RBI.
Sarah Hudek homered in three of the previous six games, placing her into a tie with Julie Rawls for the team lead in home runs with nine. The figure represents a career high, surpassing the eight she hit last season at Texas A&M.
With nine home runs to her credit, Julie Rawls is one shy of matching her career-best set a season ago at Northwestern State. Rawls batted .526 with four home runs and 19 RBI in the month of March bringing her into the team lead in all three categories.
For the season, Louisiana's offense includes nine players with 20-plus hits, eight with multiple home runs, eight with 20-plus RBI and 10 hitting above .300.
The Ragin' Cajuns have started fast in 2019, scoring in the first inning 18 times and being the first to light up the scoreboard in 31 of 38 outings.

UP NEXT
No. 10 Louisiana continues its Spring Break road trip traveling to Buies Creek, N.C. for a 4 p.m. (CDT) contest with Campbell on Monday. The trip concludes Tuesday in Greensboro, N.C. with a matchup at UNCG set for 5 p.m. (CDT).

Both contests will be televised on ESPN+ and can be heard on SportsRadio ESPN 1420 (Campbell) and Talk Radio 960-AM (UNCG).

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 -

East Coast Road Trip for No. 10 @RaginCajunsSB Begins in Boone

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carrie Boswell

Casidy Chaumont

Lexie Comeaux

Bailey Curry

Alissa Dalton

Alison Deville

Casey Dixon

Summer Ellyson

Morgan Gray

Kara Gremillion

Kourtney Gremillion

Sarah Hudek

Kandra Lamb

Aeriyl Mass

Keeli Milligan

Raina O'Neal

Julie Rawls

Footer

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

East Coast Road Trip for No. 10 @RaginCajunsSB Begins in Boone

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carrie Boswell

Casidy Chaumont

Lexie Comeaux

Bailey Curry

Alissa Dalton

Alison Deville

Casey Dixon

Summer Ellyson

Morgan Gray

Kara Gremillion

Kourtney Gremillion

Sarah Hudek

Kandra Lamb

Aeriyl Mass

Keeli Milligan

Raina O'Neal

Julie Rawls

Related Videos

Footer