University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Wednesday, April 24
Ruston, La.
6 p.m.

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

at

Louisiana Tech

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Sarah Hudek vs GSU 4.20.19

No. 8 @RaginCajunsSB Heads North on Wednesday to Face La. Tech

4/23/2019 7:12:00 PM | Softball

Louisiana puts win streaks on the line in first visit to Ruston since the 2008 season

No. 8 Louisiana (42-4) at Louisiana Tech (36-12)
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Location: Ruston, La.
Stadium: Lady Techster Softball Complex (550)
Time: 6 p.m. (CDT)
 
MEDIA INFORMATION
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM · Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Coverage: Video ($) | Stats
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSB
 
SETTING THE SCENE
No. 8 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball takes in its final midweek game of the season on Wednesday traveling to Ruston, La. for a matchup with Louisiana Tech.
 
Louisiana (42-4) enters the contest with its highest ranking of the season, climbing to the eight-spot in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 polls following a 5-0 week – which included run-ruling Georgia State in all three Sun Belt matchups – to reach the 40-win mark. 
 
The Ragin' Cajuns are making their first appearance at the Lady Techster Softball Complex since the 2008 season. Louisiana will be the highest ranked team to play in Ruston since No. 5 Louisiana State visited in 2016.
 
Gerry Glasco's squad brings a pair of lengthy win streaks into the contest: a season-best 19-game overall winning streak as well as a 16-game road winning streak. Louisiana leads the nation with 17 true road wins.
 
It's the beginning of the stretch run for the Ragin' Cajuns who only have seven regular season games remaining before postseason play begins.
 
Wednesday's contest features a pair of conference leaders in the Sun Belt champion Louisiana and the current Conference USA West Division front-runner Louisiana Tech (36-12). It's a chance for both squads to battle in an NCAA Tournament-type atmosphere.
 
SERIES HISTORY (Louisiana leads, 47-30)
  • First meeting since the 2016 matchup at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala.
  • Louisiana's last appearance at the Lady Techster Softball Complex came in the Louisiana Tech Tournament held opening weekend of the 2008 season. The Ragin' Cajuns and Lady Techsters met twice in the round robin event.
  • Louisiana has won the last 26 meetings, a streak which began with a 12-1 win in the second game of an April 25, 1999 doubleheader in Ruston
  • The vast majority of the series meetings took place from 1984-2000.
  • 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 the league in 2002). 
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 (29) and the Sun Belt's leader in strikeouts (258). Sophomore Carrie Boswell and fifth-year senior Alison Deville have been the first out of the bullpen when Ellyson rests. Sophomore Casey Dixon and freshman Kandra Lamb of Australia 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 Ragin' Cajuns' 19-game win streak is the third-longest active in the nation, trailing only Oklahoma's 31-game run and a 20-game streak by Arizona.
  • For the first time since the Sun Belt Conference expanded to a 24-game or more schedule, Louisiana clinched the regular season title with two weekends of league play remaining.
  • The 2019 Sun Belt Conference championship marks the 16th overall for Louisiana in the conference's 19-year history of regular season play.
  • Louisiana has reached the 40-win plateau for the 21st consecutive season. The Ragin' Cajuns were the second team in the nation to hit the mark, doing so one week after Alabama.
  • Now with 29 wins, which leads the nation, Summer Ellyson is one shy of joining the likes of Brooke Mitchell, Melissa Coronado, Cheryl Longeway, Ashley Brignac and Jordan Wallace as individuals to capture 30 wins in a season in program history.
  • Over four starts last week Summer Ellyson averaged over two strikeouts per inning, tallying at least seven each time out and reaching double digits twice. She piled up 38 strikeouts over 18 innings in the circle and recorded multiple strikeouts in 14 of the 18 innings worked.
  • Summer Ellyson posted career strikeout No. 500 on Saturday vs. Georgia State. This season, she's tallied a personal single-season best 258 strikeouts.
  • Sarah Hudek brings a 10-game hitting streak into this week's action. It's her season-high streak and the second-longest by a Ragin' Cajun in 2019 (Alissa Dalton had a 12-game streak).
  • Sarah Hudek finished 6-for-8 at the plate (.750) and reached base in eight of 10 plate appearances (.800 OB%) in the weekend set with Georgia State. She raised her season average to .364 – the highest mark since March 13 at Nicholls.
  • Lexie Comeaux's game-high four RBI in the GSU finale increased her season figure to 38, placing her within two of reaching 40 for the second time in her career (2017 as a sophomore) and from becoming the second Ragin' Cajun to hit the mark in 2019 (Julie Rawls has 46).
  • Julie Rawls' next home run will mark a new personal best for the Northwestern State transfer. She is tied with Sarah Hudek for the team lead with 10 home runs which matches her career-best output at NSU in 2018.
  • Keeli Milligan became the Ragin' Cajuns single-season stolen bases record holder last Friday, picking up No. 52 to pass Dorsey Steamer's record 51 set back in 1992.
  • Now with 54 stolen bases, Keeli Milligan has matched her personal best recorded as a freshman at Texas A&M in 2016. She's also moving closer to becoming the first-ever Ragin' Cajun to amass 60 stolen bases in a season.
  • Since March 20, Alissa Dalton has picked up 10 multiple-hit games and is hitting .516 (32-for-62) which has raised her average from .313 to a team-leading .411.
  • Louisiana's offense includes nine players with 30-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 23 times and being the first to light up the scoreboard in 39 of 46 outings. 
UP NEXT
The Ragin' Cajuns return home to Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park April 26-28 for a Sun Belt Conference series with Coastal Carolina and to celebrate Senior Weekend.
 
The series with the Chanticleers begins Friday (April 26) at 6 p.m. The Senior Day ceremony will be held on Sunday (April 28) prior to the 12 p.m. first pitch.
 
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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Louisiana Tech
W, 7-2

Apr 24 (Wed)

6 p.m.
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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
7

Jordan Wallace

P
/ Softball

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