University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Softball Seeks to Continue Upswing During Sun Belt Series at Texas State
3/31/2022 8:43:00 PM | Softball
Ragin' Cajuns increased win streak to five games after rallying to defeat No. 14 Texas in Austin on Wednesday
Louisiana (21-8, 7-2 Sun Belt) at Texas State (18-13, 5-4 Sun Belt)
Dates: Friday-Sunday, April 1-3, 2022
Location: San Marcos, Texas
Stadium: Bobcat Softball Stadium (1,000)
Series Schedule:
     Fri., April 1 – 6 p.m. (CDT)
     Sat., April 2– 2 p.m. (CDT)
     Sun., April 3– 12 p.m. (CDT)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Season Stats (PDF): Louisiana | Texas State
Rosters: Louisiana | Texas State
Schedule/Results: Louisiana | Texas State
Television: ESPN+ |Â Talent: Brant Freeman, PxP; Bill Culhane, analyst
Radio:Â ESPN Lafayette 103.3 FM // 1420 AM Â |Â Talent: Ian Auzenne, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Live Video:Â Game 1Â |Â Game 2Â |Â Game 3
Live Audio:Â Game 1Â |Â Game 2Â |Â Game 3
Live Stats:Â Game 1Â |Â Game 2Â |Â Game 3
Twitter Updates:Â @RaginCajunsSB
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THE BASICS
>> The top two preseason favorites in the Sun Belt Conference race meet in San Marcos, Texas when the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team faces off with Texas State in a three-game series scheduled for Friday-Sunday, April 1-3.
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>> Louisiana (21-8, 7-2 Sun Belt) is continuing a four-game stretch inside the state of Texas which began on Wednesday, March 30 with a 6-5 (8 inn.) win over No. 14 Texas in Austin.
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>> The win in Austin allowed Louisiana to continue building upon its most complete weekend performance in Sun Belt play – a three-game sweep of UT Arlington in which the pitching staff surrendered only one run in 16 innings and the offense batted .457 in outscoring the Mavericks 29-1 from March 25-27 at Lamson Park.
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>> The Ragin' Cajuns arrived in San Marcos with a five-game winning streak. It's one win shy of matching their season-best streak recorded during the 6-0 start to the 2022 campaign.
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>> Like Louisiana, the homestanding-Bobcats are on a recent upswing having posted a three-game Sun Belt sweep on the road at Coastal Carolina and capturing a midweek win at UTSA on Wednesday, March 30.
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>> The Texas State series opens a crucial stretch in Sun Belt Conference play for Louisiana. It's the first of three consecutive series against the league's other three NCAA participants in the 2021 season (Texas State, Troy, South Alabama).
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>> Both the Ragin' Cajuns and Bobcats are seeking to establish ground in the early stages of the Sun Belt race. Louisiana seeks to continue its progressive climb back to the top of the standings after early losses to Georgia State and Georgia Southern, while Texas State aims to continue recovering from a 2-4 start to conference play and vault higher into the top half of the ledger.
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>> Louisiana carries an active streak of 67 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won into the UT Texas State series – the nation's longest active streak of consecutive conference series won, which dates back to March 2013.Â
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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MATCHUP
Series Record:Â Louisiana leads, 41-7
In San Marcos:Â Louisiana leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: 5/14/21 // LA 4, TXST 3 (Troy, Ala. – Sun Belt Tournament)
Streak: Louisiana, +3
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>> 8th Sun Belt series, overall, and 4th in San Marcos since TXST joined the conference (2014).
>> Ragin' Cajuns won each previous series and hold a 17-4 edge in SBC regular season games.
>> Louisiana has won the last four meetings at Bobcat Softball Stadium, a streak which began with a three-game Sun Belt series sweep March 8-10, 2019 in the first visit of the Gerry Glasco era.
>> Two programs met in the SBC Tournament title game each year from 2016-18.
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RISING STARS MEET
>> The Louisiana-Texas State series features two of the league's rising talents in the pitching circle: the Ragin' Cajuns' Sam Landry and the Bobcats' Jessica Mullins.
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>> Landry carries an active streak of 14-1/3 scoreless innings pitched in Sun Belt play and is a week removed from tossing 10 scoreless innings with 18 strikeouts vs. UT Arlignton. Mullins was a first team All-Sun Belt selection and 20-game winner as a freshman in 2021 and currently ranks second in the league in wins (12) and strikeouts (146).
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ACE(S) IN OUR BACK POCKET
>> Louisiana has the luxury of having a pair of veteran pitchers to compliment Sam Landry's efforts: Kandra Lamb who was a first team All-Sun Belt selection in 2021 and Meghan Schorman who has SEC experience from three seasons at Kentucky (2019-21).
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>> Lamb leads the trio in ERA (2.20), strikeouts (78) and opposing average (.155) and she is coming off a perfect game pitched vs. UT Arlington last Saturday. Schorman was played a valuable role in relief efforts, limiting foes to 13 runs (seven earned) off 21 hits, and striking out 35 over 32 innings pitched as a reliever.
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THE CAJUNS ARE RAGIN'
>> The Ragin' Cajuns are batting .425 in Sun Belt Conference play and are averaging 9.1 runs per game through the first nine conference games.
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>> Louisiana's offense has turned in a .400-plus average in each of the last eight Sun Belt outings. The squad finished 12-for-23 (.522) at the plate in the UT Arlington series finale.
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>> Through nine games in Sun Belt play the Ragin' Cajuns have posted 48 extra base hits (28 doubles, 4 triples, 16 home runs).
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>> Six of the team's seven Sun Belt Conference wins have come via the run rule.
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THE LAST TIME IN SAN MARCOS
>> Louisiana's last appearance at Bobcat Softball Stadium came in the 2019 season, both in the regular season and Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
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>> The Ragin' Cajuns picked up their first-ever Sun Belt series sweep in San Marcos during the regular season visit, then claimed the SBC Tournament title during the return in May marking the first conference tournament title of the Glasco era.
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THE LAST TIME OUT (March 30 at No. 14 Texas)
>> Louisiana erased an early deficit on Wednesday, March 30 in Austin to capture a signature win over a ranked foe, claiming a 6-5 (8 inn.) win over No. 14 Texas.
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>> Jourdyn Campbell launched a three-run home run in the third inning to complete the recovery from a 4-0 deficit and Meghan Schorman shut down the Texas offense with five scoreless innings pitched the remainder of regulation.
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>> Sophie Piskos' second double of the game set up Louisiana with two runners in scoring position in the eighth inning, then Melissa Mayeux followed up with the would-be game-winning hit.
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NUMBERS TO KNEAUX
0: Number of earned runs surrendered by Meghan Schorman in her final 11-1/3 innings of relief pitched against Texas in the three-game season series.
1: In the 8-1/3 innings of relief that she pitched in the two matchups vs. LSU earlier this month, Meghan Schorman yielded only one run.
1: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff yielded only one run to UT Arlington the entire series – over a span of 16 innings. The Mavericks were shutout for the final 10-1/3 innings.
1.53: Earned run average for Meghan Schorman over 32 innings pitched in relief situations in the 2022 season. Schorman has limited foes to 13 runs (seven earned), 21 base hits and struck out 35 batters in her relief efforts.
2: In games from March 3 through March 9, Ragin' Cajuns pitchers yielded only two runs over 18 innings (2 runs, 10 hits, 27 strikeouts) in relief effort situations.
.207: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff has limited the opposition to a .207 average. Opponents hit sub-.200, combined, over the first five weeks of the season.
2.71: Louisiana entered the week ranked No. 1 nationally averaging 2.71 stolen bases per game (76 swipes in 28 games).
4: Louisiana has four hitters batting above .400, for the entire season, entering the weekend series: Jourdyn Campbell (.421), Maddie Hayden (.413), Stormy Kotzelnick (.412) and Sophie Piskos (.410).
5: Including last Saturday's perfect game, which was her third no-hitter of the season, Kandra Lamb has pitched five career no-hitters.
6: Number of unanswered runs that Louisiana scored in erasing an early 4-0 deficit at Texas.
6: Melissa Mayeux has totaled six RBI over the past four games – netting a multiple-RBI game three times. Â
9: Starting with the Georgia Southern series finale (March 20), Sophie Piskos recorded nine RBI in 11 plate appearances over a three-game stretch.
10: There are 10 different players who have combined to give Louisiana its 32 home runs.
11: Number of shutouts posted by Louisiana's pitching staff.
12: Louisiana's pitching staff has yielded only 12 home runs to the opposition through 178 innings.
13: There are 13 players on Louisiana's roster who have already produced double-digit base hits.
14: The Ragin' Cajuns offense has produced double-digit hits in 14 games.
14-1/3: Sam Landry has an active streak of 14-1/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched in Sun Belt Conference play.Â
18: Stormy Kotzelnick leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 18 extra base hits (10 doubles, 5 triples, 3 home run).
19-0: Louisiana's record when scoring first.
20: Sophie Piskos has generated 20 RBI in only 69 plate appearances.
30-2/3: Louisiana's pitching staff started the 2022 season with 30-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. The streak featured a school-record five consecutive shutouts to begin the season.
.380: Batting average for the Ragin' Cajuns offense in the first half of the season (28 games). The figure has been .360 or higher the entire season.
.459: Louisiana's on base percentage entering the week, which ranked No. 2 nationally and trailed only Oklahoma (.506). The Ragin' Cajuns and Sooners were the lone two teams with a .450-plus on base percentage.
100/86: The Ragin' Cajuns hitters have drawn more walks (100) than they have struck out (86).
107: Total number of extra base hits produced by Louisiana's offense (62 doubles, 13 triples, 32 home runs).
3,291: When the Texas State series begins on Friday, April 1, a total of 3,291 days will have passed since Louisiana's streak of 67 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won began back on March 29, 2013.
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A QUICK LOOK AT THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Infield: Now in her first full season as Louisiana's primary catcher, Sophie Piskos brings an infectious energy and enthusiasm to the lineup and is continuing to build upon last season's strong finish (hit .429 from April 20 onward). With an 11-game hitting streak and a .500-plus average in February, Stormy Kotzelnick penciled herself into the lineup beginning at second base. Power 5 transfer Jourdyn Campbell (Texas A&M) has remained a mainstay in the infield – opening the season at third base – with her .400-plus average (.433), and team-leading totals in home runs (5) and multiple-hit games (10). At shortstop, freshman Alexa Langeliers was the Opening Day starter and was there the entire weekend due to an impressive.429 showing at the plate which included a pair of home runs vs. UAB. Melissa Mayeux provides Louisiana with the flexibility to play all infield positions, and can even serve as backup catcher for Piskos. In a recent alignment shift, Kotzelnick moved to first base, Campbell to second base and Ari Quiñones was inserted at third base.
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Outfield: The Ragin' Cajuns "rock" in center field, Raina O'Neal, hit .300-plus and slugged .500-plus all three previous seasons with the program. O'Neal, who missed the final three months of the 2021 season due to injury, has been sidelined by a hand injury in the month of March. Freshman Maddie Hayden, the younger sister of four-time All-Sun Belt and All-Central Region performer Haley Hayden, has used her speed and a hot streak at the plate – hit .619 with three doubles, two triples and five stolen bases from Feb. 13-27 – to land a spot in the lineup. Hayden emerged in left field, but in recent weeks has covered center field with O'Neal out due to injury. Senior Jenna Kean is the team's primary speed option in the stolen base department and is the veteran of a rotation in right field that includes freshmen Kramer Eschete, Kayla Falterman and Samantha Graeter. Eschete and Falterman have risen to the forefront in right field and left field, respectively, while Graeter provides a power bat off of the bench for key pinch-hit situations.
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Pitchers: The coaching staff entered the season expecting a true "pitching staff" in the circle to be the norm throughout the season. Kandra Lamb, who pitched a three-hit shutout of LSU in her final start of the 2021 season, is ready to take her turn as the veteran leader. Kentucky-transfer Meghan Schorman and freshman Sam Landry round out the rotation of "starters" with Lamb. Schorman was off to a 7-1 start with a 1.30 ERA before the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, while Landry was the No. 4-rated recruit by Extra Inning Softball and shined in last summer's Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) High School Senior All-American Game. The staff approach played out early on, with the starting nod spread evenly amongst Lamb (9), Landry (7) and Schorman (5) prior to the Georgia Southern series. Beginning March 18-20 in Statesboro, the latest trend of Landry starting on Friday and Sunday with Lamb handling the middle game of the series began. Vanessa Foreman and Karly Heath have primarily appeared in relief assignments throughout the season, further deepening the staff approach.
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DIAMOND NOTES
ABOUT LOUISIANA
During the 2021 season, the Ragin' Cajuns reached the 40-win mark for the 22nd consecutive completed season, closing out the regular season winning 25 of the final 29 games, and advanced to Championship Sunday of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Louisiana repeated as Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions highlighted by an 11-1 record, regular season and tournament combined, against the league's other three NCAA Tournament participants (Texas State, Troy and South Alabama).
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Moving forward into the 2022 season, Louisiana is armed with the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class of the 2021 recruits by Extra Inning Softball including the No. 4-rated recruit in pitcher Sam Landry and No. 15-rated recruit in outfielder Maddie Hayden, has first team All-Sun Belt performer Kandra Lamb back in the circle seeking to pick up where Summer Ellyson left off, and welcomes back Raina O'Neal and Taylor Roman and their power bats back to the lineup.
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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.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
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Dates: Friday-Sunday, April 1-3, 2022
Location: San Marcos, Texas
Stadium: Bobcat Softball Stadium (1,000)
Series Schedule:
     Fri., April 1 – 6 p.m. (CDT)
     Sat., April 2– 2 p.m. (CDT)
     Sun., April 3– 12 p.m. (CDT)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Season Stats (PDF): Louisiana | Texas State
Rosters: Louisiana | Texas State
Schedule/Results: Louisiana | Texas State
Television: ESPN+ |Â Talent: Brant Freeman, PxP; Bill Culhane, analyst
Radio:Â ESPN Lafayette 103.3 FM // 1420 AM Â |Â Talent: Ian Auzenne, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Live Video:Â Game 1Â |Â Game 2Â |Â Game 3
Live Audio:Â Game 1Â |Â Game 2Â |Â Game 3
Live Stats:Â Game 1Â |Â Game 2Â |Â Game 3
Twitter Updates:Â @RaginCajunsSB
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THE BASICS
>> The top two preseason favorites in the Sun Belt Conference race meet in San Marcos, Texas when the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team faces off with Texas State in a three-game series scheduled for Friday-Sunday, April 1-3.
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>> Louisiana (21-8, 7-2 Sun Belt) is continuing a four-game stretch inside the state of Texas which began on Wednesday, March 30 with a 6-5 (8 inn.) win over No. 14 Texas in Austin.
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>> The win in Austin allowed Louisiana to continue building upon its most complete weekend performance in Sun Belt play – a three-game sweep of UT Arlington in which the pitching staff surrendered only one run in 16 innings and the offense batted .457 in outscoring the Mavericks 29-1 from March 25-27 at Lamson Park.
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>> The Ragin' Cajuns arrived in San Marcos with a five-game winning streak. It's one win shy of matching their season-best streak recorded during the 6-0 start to the 2022 campaign.
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>> Like Louisiana, the homestanding-Bobcats are on a recent upswing having posted a three-game Sun Belt sweep on the road at Coastal Carolina and capturing a midweek win at UTSA on Wednesday, March 30.
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>> The Texas State series opens a crucial stretch in Sun Belt Conference play for Louisiana. It's the first of three consecutive series against the league's other three NCAA participants in the 2021 season (Texas State, Troy, South Alabama).
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>> Both the Ragin' Cajuns and Bobcats are seeking to establish ground in the early stages of the Sun Belt race. Louisiana seeks to continue its progressive climb back to the top of the standings after early losses to Georgia State and Georgia Southern, while Texas State aims to continue recovering from a 2-4 start to conference play and vault higher into the top half of the ledger.
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>> Louisiana carries an active streak of 67 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won into the UT Texas State series – the nation's longest active streak of consecutive conference series won, which dates back to March 2013.Â
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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MATCHUP
Series Record:Â Louisiana leads, 41-7
In San Marcos:Â Louisiana leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: 5/14/21 // LA 4, TXST 3 (Troy, Ala. – Sun Belt Tournament)
Streak: Louisiana, +3
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>> 8th Sun Belt series, overall, and 4th in San Marcos since TXST joined the conference (2014).
>> Ragin' Cajuns won each previous series and hold a 17-4 edge in SBC regular season games.
>> Louisiana has won the last four meetings at Bobcat Softball Stadium, a streak which began with a three-game Sun Belt series sweep March 8-10, 2019 in the first visit of the Gerry Glasco era.
>> Two programs met in the SBC Tournament title game each year from 2016-18.
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RISING STARS MEET
>> The Louisiana-Texas State series features two of the league's rising talents in the pitching circle: the Ragin' Cajuns' Sam Landry and the Bobcats' Jessica Mullins.
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>> Landry carries an active streak of 14-1/3 scoreless innings pitched in Sun Belt play and is a week removed from tossing 10 scoreless innings with 18 strikeouts vs. UT Arlignton. Mullins was a first team All-Sun Belt selection and 20-game winner as a freshman in 2021 and currently ranks second in the league in wins (12) and strikeouts (146).
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ACE(S) IN OUR BACK POCKET
>> Louisiana has the luxury of having a pair of veteran pitchers to compliment Sam Landry's efforts: Kandra Lamb who was a first team All-Sun Belt selection in 2021 and Meghan Schorman who has SEC experience from three seasons at Kentucky (2019-21).
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>> Lamb leads the trio in ERA (2.20), strikeouts (78) and opposing average (.155) and she is coming off a perfect game pitched vs. UT Arlington last Saturday. Schorman was played a valuable role in relief efforts, limiting foes to 13 runs (seven earned) off 21 hits, and striking out 35 over 32 innings pitched as a reliever.
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THE CAJUNS ARE RAGIN'
>> The Ragin' Cajuns are batting .425 in Sun Belt Conference play and are averaging 9.1 runs per game through the first nine conference games.
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>> Louisiana's offense has turned in a .400-plus average in each of the last eight Sun Belt outings. The squad finished 12-for-23 (.522) at the plate in the UT Arlington series finale.
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>> Through nine games in Sun Belt play the Ragin' Cajuns have posted 48 extra base hits (28 doubles, 4 triples, 16 home runs).
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>> Six of the team's seven Sun Belt Conference wins have come via the run rule.
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THE LAST TIME IN SAN MARCOS
>> Louisiana's last appearance at Bobcat Softball Stadium came in the 2019 season, both in the regular season and Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
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>> The Ragin' Cajuns picked up their first-ever Sun Belt series sweep in San Marcos during the regular season visit, then claimed the SBC Tournament title during the return in May marking the first conference tournament title of the Glasco era.
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THE LAST TIME OUT (March 30 at No. 14 Texas)
>> Louisiana erased an early deficit on Wednesday, March 30 in Austin to capture a signature win over a ranked foe, claiming a 6-5 (8 inn.) win over No. 14 Texas.
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>> Jourdyn Campbell launched a three-run home run in the third inning to complete the recovery from a 4-0 deficit and Meghan Schorman shut down the Texas offense with five scoreless innings pitched the remainder of regulation.
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>> Sophie Piskos' second double of the game set up Louisiana with two runners in scoring position in the eighth inning, then Melissa Mayeux followed up with the would-be game-winning hit.
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NUMBERS TO KNEAUX
0: Number of earned runs surrendered by Meghan Schorman in her final 11-1/3 innings of relief pitched against Texas in the three-game season series.
1: In the 8-1/3 innings of relief that she pitched in the two matchups vs. LSU earlier this month, Meghan Schorman yielded only one run.
1: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff yielded only one run to UT Arlington the entire series – over a span of 16 innings. The Mavericks were shutout for the final 10-1/3 innings.
1.53: Earned run average for Meghan Schorman over 32 innings pitched in relief situations in the 2022 season. Schorman has limited foes to 13 runs (seven earned), 21 base hits and struck out 35 batters in her relief efforts.
2: In games from March 3 through March 9, Ragin' Cajuns pitchers yielded only two runs over 18 innings (2 runs, 10 hits, 27 strikeouts) in relief effort situations.
.207: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff has limited the opposition to a .207 average. Opponents hit sub-.200, combined, over the first five weeks of the season.
2.71: Louisiana entered the week ranked No. 1 nationally averaging 2.71 stolen bases per game (76 swipes in 28 games).
4: Louisiana has four hitters batting above .400, for the entire season, entering the weekend series: Jourdyn Campbell (.421), Maddie Hayden (.413), Stormy Kotzelnick (.412) and Sophie Piskos (.410).
5: Including last Saturday's perfect game, which was her third no-hitter of the season, Kandra Lamb has pitched five career no-hitters.
6: Number of unanswered runs that Louisiana scored in erasing an early 4-0 deficit at Texas.
6: Melissa Mayeux has totaled six RBI over the past four games – netting a multiple-RBI game three times. Â
9: Starting with the Georgia Southern series finale (March 20), Sophie Piskos recorded nine RBI in 11 plate appearances over a three-game stretch.
10: There are 10 different players who have combined to give Louisiana its 32 home runs.
11: Number of shutouts posted by Louisiana's pitching staff.
12: Louisiana's pitching staff has yielded only 12 home runs to the opposition through 178 innings.
13: There are 13 players on Louisiana's roster who have already produced double-digit base hits.
14: The Ragin' Cajuns offense has produced double-digit hits in 14 games.
14-1/3: Sam Landry has an active streak of 14-1/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched in Sun Belt Conference play.Â
18: Stormy Kotzelnick leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 18 extra base hits (10 doubles, 5 triples, 3 home run).
19-0: Louisiana's record when scoring first.
20: Sophie Piskos has generated 20 RBI in only 69 plate appearances.
30-2/3: Louisiana's pitching staff started the 2022 season with 30-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. The streak featured a school-record five consecutive shutouts to begin the season.
.380: Batting average for the Ragin' Cajuns offense in the first half of the season (28 games). The figure has been .360 or higher the entire season.
.459: Louisiana's on base percentage entering the week, which ranked No. 2 nationally and trailed only Oklahoma (.506). The Ragin' Cajuns and Sooners were the lone two teams with a .450-plus on base percentage.
100/86: The Ragin' Cajuns hitters have drawn more walks (100) than they have struck out (86).
107: Total number of extra base hits produced by Louisiana's offense (62 doubles, 13 triples, 32 home runs).
3,291: When the Texas State series begins on Friday, April 1, a total of 3,291 days will have passed since Louisiana's streak of 67 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won began back on March 29, 2013.
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A QUICK LOOK AT THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Infield: Now in her first full season as Louisiana's primary catcher, Sophie Piskos brings an infectious energy and enthusiasm to the lineup and is continuing to build upon last season's strong finish (hit .429 from April 20 onward). With an 11-game hitting streak and a .500-plus average in February, Stormy Kotzelnick penciled herself into the lineup beginning at second base. Power 5 transfer Jourdyn Campbell (Texas A&M) has remained a mainstay in the infield – opening the season at third base – with her .400-plus average (.433), and team-leading totals in home runs (5) and multiple-hit games (10). At shortstop, freshman Alexa Langeliers was the Opening Day starter and was there the entire weekend due to an impressive.429 showing at the plate which included a pair of home runs vs. UAB. Melissa Mayeux provides Louisiana with the flexibility to play all infield positions, and can even serve as backup catcher for Piskos. In a recent alignment shift, Kotzelnick moved to first base, Campbell to second base and Ari Quiñones was inserted at third base.
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Outfield: The Ragin' Cajuns "rock" in center field, Raina O'Neal, hit .300-plus and slugged .500-plus all three previous seasons with the program. O'Neal, who missed the final three months of the 2021 season due to injury, has been sidelined by a hand injury in the month of March. Freshman Maddie Hayden, the younger sister of four-time All-Sun Belt and All-Central Region performer Haley Hayden, has used her speed and a hot streak at the plate – hit .619 with three doubles, two triples and five stolen bases from Feb. 13-27 – to land a spot in the lineup. Hayden emerged in left field, but in recent weeks has covered center field with O'Neal out due to injury. Senior Jenna Kean is the team's primary speed option in the stolen base department and is the veteran of a rotation in right field that includes freshmen Kramer Eschete, Kayla Falterman and Samantha Graeter. Eschete and Falterman have risen to the forefront in right field and left field, respectively, while Graeter provides a power bat off of the bench for key pinch-hit situations.
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Pitchers: The coaching staff entered the season expecting a true "pitching staff" in the circle to be the norm throughout the season. Kandra Lamb, who pitched a three-hit shutout of LSU in her final start of the 2021 season, is ready to take her turn as the veteran leader. Kentucky-transfer Meghan Schorman and freshman Sam Landry round out the rotation of "starters" with Lamb. Schorman was off to a 7-1 start with a 1.30 ERA before the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, while Landry was the No. 4-rated recruit by Extra Inning Softball and shined in last summer's Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) High School Senior All-American Game. The staff approach played out early on, with the starting nod spread evenly amongst Lamb (9), Landry (7) and Schorman (5) prior to the Georgia Southern series. Beginning March 18-20 in Statesboro, the latest trend of Landry starting on Friday and Sunday with Lamb handling the middle game of the series began. Vanessa Foreman and Karly Heath have primarily appeared in relief assignments throughout the season, further deepening the staff approach.
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DIAMOND NOTES
- Louisiana was preseason ranked in all four major national polls: No. 19 in Softball America, No. 22 in D1Softball and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll.
- Louisiana, the two-time defending Sun Belt regular-season and tournament champion, was selected as the favorite to win the 2022 Sun Belt Conference softball title in a vote of the league's 10 head coaches.
- Kandra Lamb, Raina O'Neal and Sophie Piskos were voted onto the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason All-Conference Team.
- Kandra Lamb represented Louisiana Softball on the Extra Inning Softball Elite 100 list and Sam Landry was named on of D1Softball's Top 75 Impact Freshman. The duo was ranked among D1Softball's Top 150 Players.
- With the exception of Sophie Piskos at catcher, Raina O'Neal returning in center field and Taylor Roman at first base, the Ragin' Cajuns are using a new starter at every other position.
- For Gerry Glasco, his fifth season in Louisiana has a different look and feel: the team largely consists of players he recruited and went from being one of the oldest in the nation to one of the youngest. The Ragin' Cajuns went from a roster in 2021 that was predominantly sixth-year and fifth-year players to a group in 2022 that includes eight freshmen and 12 total newcomers.
- Louisiana is in a transition year in the pitching circle following the departure of former All-American and two-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Summer Ellyson. After working alongside Ellyson last season to lead the Ragin' Cajuns to repeat champions in the Sun Belt, Kandra Lamb takes her turn as the pitching staff's leader.
- The 2022 season has brought the much-anticipated debut for Louisiana's 2021 recruiting class, which was ranked No. 1 by Extra Inning Softball and includes the No. 4-rated recruit in pitcher Sam Landry and the No. 15-ranked prospect in Louisiana native Maddie Hayden.
ABOUT LOUISIANA
During the 2021 season, the Ragin' Cajuns reached the 40-win mark for the 22nd consecutive completed season, closing out the regular season winning 25 of the final 29 games, and advanced to Championship Sunday of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Louisiana repeated as Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions highlighted by an 11-1 record, regular season and tournament combined, against the league's other three NCAA Tournament participants (Texas State, Troy and South Alabama).
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Moving forward into the 2022 season, Louisiana is armed with the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class of the 2021 recruits by Extra Inning Softball including the No. 4-rated recruit in pitcher Sam Landry and No. 15-rated recruit in outfielder Maddie Hayden, has first team All-Sun Belt performer Kandra Lamb back in the circle seeking to pick up where Summer Ellyson left off, and welcomes back Raina O'Neal and Taylor Roman and their power bats back to the lineup.
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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.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
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-- RaginCajuns.com --
Players Mentioned
Alyson Habetz Media Availability (May 4, 2025)
Monday, May 05
Alyson Habetz, Mia Norwood, and Dayzja Williams Media Availability (April 28, 2025)
Monday, April 28
Alyson Habetz Media Availability (April 21, 2025)
Monday, April 21
Alyson Habetz, Emily Smith, And Mallory Wheeler Media Availability (April 14, 2025)
Monday, April 14