Softball Travels to Mobile Seeking to Continue Climb to Top of Sun Belt Standings

Louisiana (26-10, 12-3 Sun Belt) at South Alabama (16-14, 9-1 Sun Belt)
Dates: Thursday-Saturday, April 14-16, 2022
Location: Mobile, Ala.
Stadium: Jaguar Field (1,050)
Series Schedule:
Thu., April 14 – 6 p.m. (CDT)
Fri., April 15– 6 p.m. (CDT)
Sat., April 16– 12 p.m. (CDT)

MEDIA INFORMATION
Season Stats (PDF): Louisiana | South Alabama
Rosters: Louisiana | South Alabama
Schedule/Results: Louisiana | South Alabama
Television: ESPN+ | Talent: Charlie Harrison, PxP
Radio: ESPN Lafayette 103.3 FM // 1420 AM | Talent: Ian Auzenne, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Live Video: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Audio: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSB

THE BASICS
>> After having a midweek game at Southeastern Louisiana canceled by weather on Tuesday, April 12, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team officially begins a two-week stretch of road games during a Sun Belt Conference series with South Alabama from April 14-16 at Jaguar Field in Mobile, Ala.

>> The South Alabama series marks the first of 10 consecutive road games for Louisiana, a stretch which lasts through Sunday, April 24.

>> Louisiana (26-10, 12-3 Sun Belt) and South Alabama (16-14, 9-1 Sun Belt) are battling for the Sun Belt Conference lead. The Ragin' Cajuns seek to take over the top spot, while the Jaguars are aiming to keep hold of their lead.

>> The series with the Jaguars closes out a three-week stretch of critical Sun Belt series for Louisiana against the league's other three 2021 NCAA Tournament participants. The stretch began with a series win at Texas State (April 1-3) and was followed by last weekend's series sweep of Troy (April 8-10) at Lamson Park.

>> Louisiana carries an active streak of 69 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won into the Troy series – the nation's longest active streak of consecutive conference series won, which dates back to March 2013.

>> Of note to lengthy SBC series won streak for Louisiana is the fact that the last team to claim a series from the Ragin' Cajuns was South Alabama back on March 16-17, 2013 in Mobile.

>> The Ragin' Cajuns arrive in Mobile following the impressive series sweep of Troy which moved the team to a season-high 16 games above .500.

>> This is Louisiana's first trip to Mobile for a SBC series since the 2019 season. It's just the second visit for the Ragin' Cajuns in the Gerry Glasco era.

>> Louisiana seeks to snap a two-game road losing streak having dropped one-run contests in the last two outings away from home (Texas State, McNeese).

>> The Ragin' Cajuns-Jaguars series features the Sun Belt Conference's top two teams in earned run average: Louisiana (2.24) and South Alabama (2.43). Runs could be at a premium as the opposing batting average for the two pitching staffs is sub-.200.

THE ROAD AHEAD
>> Following the South Alabama series the Ragin' Cajuns continue their 10-game stretch of games with the program's annual Spring Break trip. The week-long journey begins in the Midwest with non-conference matchups in St. Louis, Illinois and Indiana from Monday, April 18 through Wednesday, April 20

>> The road trip concludes Friday-Sunday, April 22-24 in Boone, N.C., with a Sun Belt series against App State.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MATCHUP
Series Record: Louisiana leads, 39-11
Sun Belt Regular Season Games: Louisiana leads, 33-7
Last Meeting: 5/15/21 // LA 15, USA 3 (5) (Troy, Ala. – SBC Tournament championship game)
In Mobile: Louisiana leads, 14-6
Last Time in Mobile: 3/24/19 // LA 14, USA 0 (6)
Streak: Louisiana, +17

>> Louisiana carries a series-best, 17-game win streak into this weekend's meeting in Mobile.
>> The Ragin' Cajuns have won every matchup dating back to 2016. Last loss to USA was 2015 Sun Belt Tournament championship game.
>> Louisiana's pitching staff has tossed a shutout in each of the last four regular season meetings and carries a string of 28-1/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched in SBC regular season matchups.
>> In last season's series at Lamson Park, Louisiana became the first team to shutout South Alabama in an entire Sun Belt Conference series since April 2017 (Texas State). Summer Ellyson (12.1 IP) and Kandra Lamb (8.2 IP) combined to shutout the Jaguars.
>> Louisiana won 11 of the previous 14 Sun Belt series (split in 2007, USA won in 2009 and 2013).
>> Ragin' Cajuns swept the last two series held at Jaguar Field in Mobile (2017, 2019). The sweep of USA in 2017 was the first in Mobile since 2011 and only the second in six trips.
>> Two programs met for SBC Tournament championship in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2021.
>> Series began when South Alabama launched its program in 2007 and joined the Sun Belt.

LOUISIANA'S LAST TIME OUT (April 8-10 vs. Troy)
>> Louisiana posted a three-game sweep of Troy to solidify its spot near the top of the Sun Belt standings, create a four-game lead over the Trojans for second place, and set up the showdown for first place with current league-leader South Alabama from April 14-16 in Mobile.

>> The sweep extended the Ragin' Cajuns nation-leading total of consecutive conference series won to 69 straight, a streak which began back in March 2013.

>> Sam Landry claimed two of the three victories, limiting the Trojans who were ranked second in the conference in batting average to a single run, four hits and a .089 average over 13 innings in the circle.

>> Alexa Langeliers homered in her first at bat of Game 1 and Game 2 to give Louisiana the early lead off of Troy's ace pitcher Leanna Johnson.

>> Jourdyn Campbell led the offense with six RBI during the series and twice delivered the decisive blow that put the Trojans away: a three-run triple in the sixth inning of Game 1 that extended the lead to 7-1 and a three-run home run in the sixth inning to close out the 10-0 run-rule win in Game 3.

>> Kandra Lamb carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and combined with Meghan Schorman to strike out 10 Trojans batters in the series clincher on Saturday, April 9.

NUMBERS TO KNEAUX
0.41: Sam Landry's ERA in the series opener of a Sun Belt series the past three weeks (UTA, TXST, Troy).
.101: Louisiana's pitching staff limited Troy's offense to a .101 average in last weekend's series sweep.
1: Kandra Lamb surrendered just one base hit over the 9-1/3 innings she pitched combined last week against McNeese and Troy.
.194: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff has limited the opposition to a .194 average. Opponents hit sub-.200, combined, over the first five weeks of the season.
2: Playing for the first time since being injured March 19 at Georgia Southern, Alexa Langeliers homered in the first two games of the Troy series.
2.5: Louisiana entered the week ranked No. 3 nationally averaging 2.5 stolen bases per game (90 swipes in 36 games).
4: Stormy Kotezlnick has posted four of her season total of six home runs in the last nine games (since March 27).
5: All five of Melissa Mayeux's home runs have come in the last three weeks – a span of 11 games. During the stretch she is batting .433 with 13 runs scored, eight extra base hits (3 doubles, 5 home runs) and a 1.033 slugging percentage.
6: The six triples posted by Stormy Kotzelnick are two shy of the program record (8) set by Lana Jimenez both in 1995 and 1997.
7-0: Entering the USA series, Sam Landry stands unbeaten (7-0) in Sun Belt Conference play.
10: There are 10 different players who have combined to give Louisiana its 43 home runs.
10-1: Combined Sun Belt Conference record for Sam Landry and Kandra Lamb, the Ragin' Cajuns starting pitchers each of the past three series (UTA, TXST, Troy).
13: The Ragin' Cajuns offense generated 13 extra base hits (4 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs) off of Troy's pitching staff.
14: Louisiana's pitching staff has yielded only 14 home runs to the opposition through 228 innings.
14: Jourdyn Campbell leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 14 multiple-hit games.
17: The team total of 17 triples produced are the most by Louisiana squad since the exact amount was recorded in 1998.
18: The Ragin' Cajuns offense has produced double-digit hits in 18 games.
18: Consecutive games (dates back to March 12) with a .400-plus batting average for Jourdyn Campbell.
20: Louisiana's pitching staff has limited foes to two runs or less in 20 of the season's 36 games (20-0 record).
22: Stormy Kotzelnick leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 22 extra base hits (10 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home run).
22: Team-leading stolen base total for Maddie Hayden (12 swipes in SBC play).
23-2: Louisiana's record when scoring first.
.361: Louisiana ranks second nationally with a .361 team batting average. The figure has been .350 or above the entire season.
38: Sun Belt foes have been limited to 38 base hits over a combined 69 innings pitched in conference play by Sam Landry and Kandra Lamb.
.390: The Ragin' Cajuns' batting average in Sun Belt Conference play leading to an average of 8.1 runs per game.
.435: Louisiana's on base percentage entering the week, which ranked No. 3 nationally and trailed only Oklahoma (.504) and Arizona State (.437).
69: Nation-leading total of consecutive conference series won for Louisiana, a streak which began in March 2013. The next test for the streak is the Sun Belt series vs. Troy from April 8-10 at Lamson Park.
117/109: The Ragin' Cajuns hitters have drawn more walks (117) than they have struck out (109).
121-35: Louisiana's runs-scored advantage over the opposition in Sun Belt Conference play.
133: Total number of extra base hits produced by Louisiana's offense (73 doubles, 17 triples, 43 home runs).
3,304: When the South Alabama series begins on Thursday, April 14 in Mobile, a total of 3,304 days will have passed since Louisiana's streak of 69 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won began back on March 29, 2013.

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).

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.

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.

-- RaginCajuns.com --

Softball Travels to Mobile Seeking to Continue Climb to Top of Sun Belt Standings

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Players Mentioned

Jourdyn Campbell

Summer Ellyson

Maddie Hayden

Stormy Kotzelnick

Kandra Lamb

Sam Landry

Alexa Langeliers

Melissa Mayeux

Raina O'Neal

Sophie Piskos

Taylor Roman

Meghan Schorman

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Softball Travels to Mobile Seeking to Continue Climb to Top of Sun Belt Standings

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jourdyn Campbell

Summer Ellyson

Maddie Hayden

Stormy Kotzelnick

Kandra Lamb

Sam Landry

Alexa Langeliers

Melissa Mayeux

Raina O'Neal

Sophie Piskos

Taylor Roman

Meghan Schorman

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