No. 7 Louisiana Softball Begins NCAA Postseason Play in Oxford

No. 7 Louisiana (50-4, 25-0 Sun Belt) in NCAA Oxford Regional
Dates: Friday-Sunday, May 17-19, 2019
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Stadium: Ole Miss Softball Complex (1,000)
Tournament Opener:
Fri., May 17 vs. Southeast Missouri – 3:30 p.m. (CDT)
Next Matchup:
Sat., May 18 vs. Ole Miss/Chattanooga – 12 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. (CDT)

MEDIA INFORMATION
Oxford Regional Headquarters | NCAA Tournament Bracket
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM · Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Television: ESPN3 · Talent: Seth Austin, PxP; Missy Dickerson, analyst
Live Stats: NCAASports.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSB

SETTING THE SCENE
No. 7 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball appears in the NCAA Tournament for the 21st consecutive season, and 29th overall in the past 30 seasons, after being assigned to the NCAA Oxford (Miss.) Regional.

The Ragin' Cajuns, ranked inside the nation's Top 10 each week since March 12 and rated No. 17 in the latest RPI, were awarded the Sun Belt Conference's automatic bid into collegiate softball's premier postseason event.

Scheduled for Friday-Sunday, May 17-19, the NCAA Oxford Regional will feature No. 11 national seed Ole Miss (37-17), Louisiana (50-4), Southeast Missouri (45-16) and Chattanooga (37-15).

The winner of the regional will play the winner of the NCAA Tucson (Ariz.) Regional in the super regional round the following week for a trip to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Louisiana makes its first-ever trip to Oxford for an NCAA Regional. It will also be the program's first appearance in the State of Mississippi in the NCAA postseason.

Gerry Glasco's squad enters the NCAA Tournament winners of 27 straight games – the second-longest active streak in the nation and one game shy of the program record – which dates back to March 22.

The Ragin' Cajuns boast the nation's leader in wins in Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Summer Ellyson (37-4, 0.98 ERA) and are armed with a lineup which features nine batters hitting above .300 and ranks Top 10 nationally in several categories.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
29th overall appearance (1990-1997, 1999-2019)
All-Time NCAA Tournament Record: 76-59 (.563)
NCAA Regionals Record: 64-36 (.640)
NCAA Regional Championships: 11
Last Championship: 2016 (NCAA Lafayette Regional)

NOTEABLE

Louisiana is just one of nine schools to play in the NCAA Tournament every year since 2000. The list includes: Alabama, Arizona, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA and Washington.
Louisiana's 29 NCAA Tournament appearances rank eighth in NCAA history (tied with Cal State Fullerton).
The program's all-time NCAA Tournament wins total (76) represents the 13th-most wins in NCAA history.
In the previous 11 appearances (2008-18), the Ragin' Cajuns went 30-9 and claimed seven NCAA Regional titles.
Louisiana has advanced to Championship Sunday of an NCAA Regional in each of its last 11 appearances (2008-18).

TICKET INFORMATION
Purchases can be made through the Ole Miss Athletics Ticket office by visiting OleMissTix.com.

A limited number of reserved seating and general admission all-session books are available. General Admission single game tickets become available at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 16.

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 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Alissa Dalton at shortstop – both career .950-plus fielders. Second base is a position the Ragin' Cajuns have sought to solidify in order to move Keeli Milligan back to right field. Casidy Chaumont has seen the bulk of the starts at second, and recently Jolie Readeaux was getting a look 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, the Sun Belt's Newcomer of the Year, 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 all but one game at the position (and that was a day to rest). The goal was to move Keeli Milligan back to right field permanently for the postseason, but when she's needed at second base both Lexie Comeaux and Julie Rawls (when not catching) have patrolled the area.

Pitchers: Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Summer Ellyson is Louisiana's ace 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 (37), the Sun Belt's leader in strikeouts (324) and now ranked Top 10 nationally in several categories. 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 right field, in order to keep her bat in the game and leadership on the field. 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 have been ranked inside the nation's Top 10 each week since March 12. Louisiana sits at No. 7 (NFCA) and No. 9 (USA Softball) in the major polls.
The current 27-game winning streak, second-longest in program history, is one game shy of the record streak of 28 recorded by the 2012 Ragin' Cajuns.
Louisiana has recorded the program's first 50-win season since 2012 (went 53-6). It is the 12th 50-win season overall in the history of the nationally recognized program.
The Ragin' Cajuns have been one of the best road teams in 2019. Louisiana, which has an active 19-game road winning streak, has totaled 20 true road wins which is tied with top-ranked Oklahoma for the nation's lead.
Louisiana placed a league-high nine individuals on the 2019 All-Sun Belt Conference Team and claimed Player of the Year (Alissa Dalton), Pitcher of the Year (Summer Ellyson), Newcomer of the Year (Sarah Hudek) and Coach of the Year (Gerry Glasco) honors.
The 2019 Ragin' Cajuns (25-0 SBC) were only the second team in program and conference history to finish Sun Belt play undefeated, joining the 2004 group (went 18-0).
Louisiana's offense includes nine players with 30-plus hits, eight with multiple home runs, eight with 30-plus RBI and nine hitting above .300.
The Ragin' Cajuns have started fast in 2019, scoring in the first inning 28 times and being the first to light up the scoreboard in 45 of 54 outings.
Louisiana's pitching staff, led by Summer Ellyson, ranks No. 2 nationally with a 1.37 ERA and has held the opposing team to two runs or less in 42 of 54 games. Only three times since April 1 has the opposition plated more than two runs.
Summer Ellyson, the program's first pitcher to reach 30 wins since 2013, leads the Division I ranks – and the entire nation at all collegiate levels – with 37 wins.
Summer Ellyson has recorded the second-most wins (37) in a single-season in program history. She is challenging to become the first 40-game winner since Brooke Mitchell posted the record 45 wins in 2004.
Summer Ellyson has crafted a career-best 324 strikeouts, paced by 12 double-digit performances, marking the first career 300-strikeout campaign of her career.
Since the final weekend of March, Summer Ellyson has been exceptionally dominant: sporting a 19-0 mark with a 0.53 ERA, yielding just nine earned runs and 59 hits and striking out 171 over 119-1/3 innings.
Since March 20, Alissa Dalton has picked up 12 multiple-hit games and is hitting .471 (41-for-87) which has raised her average from .313 to a team-leading .403.
All three of the team-leading RBI produced by Alissa Dalton in the Sun Belt Tournament came in a two-out situation. She's turned into the team's top clutch hitter lately, possessing a team-high tying 22 two-out RBI (tied with Julie Rawls).
Julie Rawls, the Sun Belt's leader in slugging percentage, on base percentage and RBI, reaches 50 RBI with her next tally. She would be the first Ragin' Cajun this season to reach the mark.
Julie Rawls' presence behind the plate has seen Louisiana go from yielding 64 stolen base attempts in 2018 to just 30 this season. Opponents have attempted only 17 tries against her.
Senior Kara Gremillion has generated a career-best 15 extra base hits and leads Louisiana with 11 doubles. She continues to be a lockdown presence at third base with only seven errors over 149 chances.
Senior Lexie Comeaux is a driving force behind Louisiana's offensive efforts with 42 RBI, mostly hitting from the eight spot in the lineup. She's hit the 40-RBI plateau for the first time since 2017, and second time in her career, and needs one more hit for three straight seasons with 40.
A year ago, Lexie Comeaux delivered the strongest NCAA postseason performance by a Ragin' Cajun, hitting .438 (7-for-16) with two homers and six RBI in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.
Keeli Milligan ranks second nationally in stolen bases with 59 swipes, a program and Sun Belt record. She needs only five more stolen bases to surpass Southeastern Louisiana's Jaquelyn Ramon, whose season is complete, for the national lead.
Keeli Milligan has surpassed her previous personal best (54) for stolen bases recorded as a freshman at Texas A&M in 2016 and is on the verge of becoming the first-ever Ragin' Cajun to amass 60 stolen bases in a season.
Sarah Hudek's impact on the offense was felt immediately: she was the Sun Belt's leader in total bases (100) on the strength of a team-high 22 extra base hits during the regular season.
Sarah Hudek has generated a career-high 11 home runs, a figure which now leads the Louisiana lineup.
Sarah Hudek and Keeli Milligan, both transfers from the Texas A&M, provide valuable postseason experience. Both were members of the 2017 Aggies squad, who along with Gerry Glasco, advanced to the Women's College World Series.
Kourtney Gremillion enters the NCAA postseason hitting a career-best .347 in only 101 at bats, has a career-best 11 extra base hits and produced a career-best 31 RBI.
Raina O'Neal has produced 53 hits, representing her career-high total (had 41 at Texas Tech in 2017), and the first time she reaches the 50-mark.
Raina O'Neal has an opportunity to record her second double-digit home run season (12 at Texas Tech in 2017) and her first career .300-plus average season (hit .243 in debut season at Texas Tech).

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.

- www.RaginCajuns.com -

No. 7 Louisiana Softball Begins NCAA Postseason Play in Oxford

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carrie Boswell

Casidy Chaumont

Lexie Comeaux

Bailey Curry

Alissa Dalton

Alison Deville

Casey Dixon

Summer Ellyson

Kara Gremillion

Kourtney Gremillion

Sarah Hudek

Kandra Lamb

Keeli Milligan

Raina O'Neal

Julie Rawls

Jolie Readeaux

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

No. 7 Louisiana Softball Begins NCAA Postseason Play in Oxford

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carrie Boswell

Casidy Chaumont

Lexie Comeaux

Bailey Curry

Alissa Dalton

Alison Deville

Casey Dixon

Summer Ellyson

Kara Gremillion

Kourtney Gremillion

Sarah Hudek

Kandra Lamb

Keeli Milligan

Raina O'Neal

Julie Rawls

Jolie Readeaux

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