University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Thursday, May 9
San Marcos, Texas
12:30 p.m.

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

at

Texas State

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Alison Deville Pregame vs Coastal 4.28.19

No. 7 Louisiana Begins Postseason Play at Sun Belt Tournament

5/8/2019 5:24:00 PM | Softball

Sun Belt Tournament Central2019 Sun Belt Softball Tournament BracketGame Notes (PDF)

@RaginCajunsSB set to take the field in San Marcos, Texas beginning Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

No. 7 Louisiana (47-4, 25-0 Sun Belt) at Sun Belt Conference Tournament
Dates: Thursday-Saturday, May 9-11, 2019
Location: San Marcos, Texas
Stadium: Bobcat Softball Stadium (1,000)
Tournament Opener:
      Thurs., May 9 vs. Texas State/Appalachian State-ULM Winner – 12:30 p.m. (CDT)
 
MEDIA INFORMATION
Tournament Central | Tournament Bracket
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM · Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Television: ESPN+ · Talent: Matt Stewart, PxP; Francesca Enea, analyst
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSB
 
SETTING THE SCENE
Postseason play for No. 7 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball begins Thursday, May 9 at 12:30 p.m. when the squad begins competing in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in San Marcos, Texas.
 
Louisiana (47-4, 25-0 Sun Belt), the tournament's No. 1 seed after turning in only the second undefeated conference record in program and Sun Belt history, earned a bye from opening day action on Wednesday, May 9.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns opponent for Thursday's contest will be determined by results on Wednesday. Possible opponents include Texas State, Appalachian State and ULM.
 
Gerry Glasco's squad enters the postseason playing its best stretch of softball and carries the nation's second-longest active winning streak at 24 games (trailing only top-ranked Oklahoma's current 38-game run).
 
SUN BELT TOURNAMENT HISTORY
All-Time Record: 58-9 (.866)   
Championships: 14      
Last Championship: 2017 (Troy, Ala.)
 
  • Louisiana is the No. 1 seed for the 17th time in the 20-year history of the event, and has been at least a Top 2 seed in all but one of the previous SBC Tournaments (2013).
  • The Ragin' Cajuns have advanced to the winner's bracket following their tournament opener each year since 2010, and have played for the championship each of the past five years.
  • Louisiana seeks its 15th SBC Tournament title and its first since the 2017 event in Troy.
  • This is the second time that Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas hosts the tournament (2015).
TICKET INFORMATION
Purchases can be made through the Texas State Athletics Ticket office by calling 512-245-2272 or by visiting txst.com/tickets.
 
Tickets packages for all games in the tournament begin at $40 for general admission. Single day prices range from $12 (general admission) to $15 (reserved chairback). Students from Sun Belt member institutions will be granted free admission by showing a valid student ID.
 
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 seek to solidify in order to move Keeli Milligan back to right field.  Casidy Chaumont has seen the bulk of the starts at second, and now Jolie Readeaux is beginning to get 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 is 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. Morgan Gray and Aeriyl Mass provide a boost with their speed and can serve as a defensive replacement in right field.
 
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 (34), the Sun Belt's leader in strikeouts (303) 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
  • 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 Ragin' Cajuns have been ranked inside the nation's Top 10 each week since the March 12 polls. Louisiana sits at No. 7 (NFCA) and No. 8 (USA Softball) in this week's major polls.
  • The current 24-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest streak in program history, matching a run by the 1994 squad. The record streak is 28 recorded by the 2012 Ragin' Cajuns – the last team to reach 50 wins (finished 53-6).
  • 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 which went 18-0.
  • Louisiana's 25 Sun Belt wins are both a program and conference record. The previous mark was 23 recorded by the 2017 Ragin' Cajuns.
  • With 47 wins and postseason play on the way, Louisiana is on pace for the program's first 50-win season since 2012 (went 53-6). It would be the 12th 50-win season overall in program history.
  • The Ragin' Cajuns were one of the best road teams in the nation in 2019. Louisiana, which closed with an 18-game road winning streak, posted 19 road wins which was second only to Oklahoma (20).
  • Louisiana's offense includes nine players with 30-plus hits, eight with multiple home runs, eight with 20-plus RBI and nine hitting above .300.
  • The Ragin' Cajuns have started fast in 2019, scoring in the first inning 25 times and being the first to light up the scoreboard in 43 of 51 outings.
  • Louisiana's pitching staff, led by Summer Ellyson, ranks No. 3 nationally with a 1.40 ERA and has held the opposing team to two runs or less in 40 of 51 games.
  • 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 34 wins.
  • Summer Ellyson is one win shy of reaching second place on the program's single-season charts (35 by Melissa Coronado in 2001) and is challenging to become the first 40-game winner since Brooke Mitchell in 2004.
  • Four times throughout the Sun Belt schedule, including matchups with Texas State and Troy, Summer Ellyson posted the win in all three games of an SBC series. She finished 20-0 with 0.58 over 120 innings pitched in SBC play.
  • Summer Ellyson has crafted a career-best 303 strikeouts, paced by 12 double-digit performances, marking the first career 300-strikeout campaign of her career.
  • Since March 20, Alissa Dalton has picked up 11 multiple-hit games and is hitting .494 (38-for-77) which has raised her average from .313 to a team-leading .410.
  • Alissa Dalton led Louisiana's charge to the top of the Sun Belt by hitting a team-best .417 in conference play with a team-high 30 hits and 23 runs scored.
  • Julie Rawls is the Sun Belt's overall leader in slugging percentage, on base percentage, and RBI. Her next RBI gives her 50, making her the first Ragin' Cajun to reach the mark this season.
  • Julie Rawls' next home run will mark a new personal best. She is tied with Sarah Hudek for the team lead with 10, which matches her career-best output at Northwestern State in 2018.
  • Julie Rawls' presence behind the plate has seen Louisiana go from yielding 64 stolen base attempts in 2018 to just 28 this season. Opponents have attempted only 15 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 six errors over 139 chances.
  • Senior Lexie Comeaux was a driving force behind Louisiana's offensive production in Sun Belt play, totaling a team-high tying 23 RBI. The production carried her to the 40-RBI plateau for the first time since 2017, and second time in her career.
  • Keeli Millgian ranks second nationally in stolen bases with 57 swipes. The total is a school record and breaks the Sun Belt single-season record previously held by WKU's Olivia Watkins.
  • Keeli Milligan has surpassed her previous personal best (54) for stolen bases 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.
  • 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. In conference play, she was tied for the league lead in home runs, led the way in slugging percentage and ranked Top 10 in nearly every other category.
  • Kourtney Gremillion had her biggest impact in conference games, posting over half of her season hits (21 of 34) and RBI (16 of 30) totals, plus the bulk of her home run production (four of five) in league action.
  • Kourtney Gremillion enters the postseason hitting a career-best .354 in only 96 at bats, has a career-best 11 extra base hits and produced a career-best 30 RBI.
  • Raina O'Neal has produced 52 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 is on pace for a second double-digit home run season and the first career .300-plus average season of her career (hit .243 in debut season at Texas Tech in 2017).
UP NEXT
No. 7 Louisiana awaits its assignment for an anticipated appearance in the 2019 NCAA Tournament which begins with the regional round Friday-Sunday, May 17-19.
 
The field of 64 teams will be announced on Sunday, May 12 at 8 p.m. (CDT) on ESPN2. The team will gather at Pete's on Johnston to view the selection show.
 
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 -
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Texas State
W, 4-3

May 9 (Thu)

12:30 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
3

Jolie Readeaux

UT
/ Softball

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