Softball Returns to Lamson Park for Sun Belt Series With Troy

Louisiana (23-10, 9-3 Sun Belt) vs. Troy (22-10, 8-4 Sun Belt)
Dates: Friday-Sunday, April 8-10, 2022
Location: Lafayette, La.
Stadium: Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park (2,790)
Series Schedule:
Fri., April 8 – 6 p.m. (CDT)
Sat., April 9– 2 p.m. (CDT)
Sun., April 10– 12 p.m. (CDT)

MEDIA INFORMATION
Season Stats (PDF): Louisiana | Troy
Rosters: Louisiana | Troy
Schedule/Results: Louisiana | Troy
Television: ESPN+ | Talent: Dan McDonald, PxP; Yvette Girouard, analyst
Radio: ESPN Lafayette 103.3 FM // 1420 AM | Talent: Steve Peloquin, 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
>> The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team (23-10, 9-3 Sun Belt) hosts Troy (22-10, 8-4 Sun Belt) in a weekend series between two teams that are seeking to remain near the top of the Sun Belt Conference standings as the league schedule crosses the halfway point.

>> The Ragin' Cajuns and Trojans are scheduled to meet Friday-Sunday, April 8-10 at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. The series begins Friday at 6:00 p.m., continues Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and concludes Sunday at 12:00 p.m.

>> Both teams are chasing current league leader South Alabama (15-14, 8-1 Sun Belt). The Ragin' Cajuns and Trojans currently stand second and third, respectively, in the Sun Belt standings.

>> Louisiana is returning home to Lamson Park after a five-game road trip that started with a Top 25 win over Texas and closed with frustrating losses – mainly due to misfortune – to Texas State and McNeese.

>> The Ragin' Cajuns seek to halt a two-game losing streak. Since Gerry Glasco took over the program in 2018, there has never been a losing streak that exceeded two games.

>> The Troy matchup is the second in a series of three consecutive critical Sun Belt series for Louisiana, which began last weekend at Texas State and concludes next weekend at South Alabama.

>> It's the third Sun Belt series of the season for the Ragin' Cajuns at Lamson Park. The squad posted a three-game series sweep of UT Arlington, all wins by the run rule, in its last homestand.

>> Louisiana carries an active streak of 68 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.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MATCHUP
Series Record: Louisiana leads, 42-6
In Sun Belt Play: Louisiana leads, 37-6
Last Meeting: 4/12/21 // LA 10, TROY 2 (6) (Troy, Ala.)
At Lamson Park: Louisiana leads, 22-2
Last Time at Lamson Park: 3/17/19 // LA 8, TROY 0 (5)
Streak: Louisiana, +6

>> 16th Sun Belt series; Louisiana claimed the series win each of previous 15 occurrences.
>> Since 2012, the Ragin' Cajuns have won 23 of the last 25 meetings in the series.
>> Louisiana holds a 22-2 edge in meetings played at Lamson Park. Dating back to the 2015 series, the Ragin' Cajuns have won the last eight matchups in the facility.
>> Only prior Sun Belt series in the Glasco era occurred in March 2019; Louisiana posted a three-game sweep with all wins by the run rule (outscored Troy 25-1).
>> Programs first met in DH at Lamson Park in April 1997, but not again until Troy joined SBC (2006).

LAST TIME VS. TROY (April 11-12, 2021 – Troy, Ala.)
>> Louisiana overtook Troy, which entered the series undefeated in conference play, in the Sun Belt standings with a three-game series sweep from April11-12, 2021 at the Troy Softball Complex.

>> The Ragin' Cajuns swept a series-opening doubleheader as Summer Ellyson outdueled Leanna Johnson in Game 1 before a three-run seventh inning sparked by a RBI single from Jade Gortarez and two-run double by Julie Rawls stretched out the lead in a 5-2 win. In Game 2, Louisiana recovered from a 3-0 first-inning deficit as Kandra Lamb retired 15 of the 17 batters that she faced over the next five innings and Justice Milz provided the lead in the third inning with a two-run homer.

>> Louisiana finished off the sweep the next day with a 10-2 (6 inn.) win. The squad built a four-run lead in the first inning and Summer Ellyson tamed the Trojans for the second consecutive day with the lone blemish being a third-inning home run.

A LOOK BACK AT THE ROAD TRIP (March 30-April 6)
>> A three-run home run from Jourdyn Campbell in the third inning created a tie, five shutdown innings in relief from Meghan Schorman carried Louisiana into extra innings and Melissa Mayeux came through with a game-winning two-run single in the eighth inning as the Ragin' Cajuns topped No 14 Texas, 6-5 (8 inn.), on Wednesday, March 30 in Austin.

>> On Friday, April 1 in San Marcos, Sam Landry and Meghan Schorman combined for a shutout and Stormy Kotzelnick provided the offense with a solo home run as Louisiana posted a 1-0 win over Texas State in the Sun Belt series opener.

>> The Ragin' Cajuns clinched the series in San Marcos on Saturday, April 2 behind the bat of Melissa Mayeux who went 3-for-3 with a double, two home runs and three RBI. Mayeux's leadoff home run in the second inning was a quick response to a Texas State tally and sparked the first of 10 unanswered runs for the Ragin' Cajuns in the 10-1 (5 inn.) run-rule win.

>> Louisiana's bid for a second consecutive Sun Belt sweep, and a 4-0 run through the state of Texas, was spoiled when Texas State rallied for two runs in the sixth inning to capture a 5-4 win.

>> Louisiana fell victim to a pair of improbable two-out rallies and later suffered heartbreak on an unearned run in the 13th inning in a 6-5 (13 inn.) loss to McNeese on Wednesday, April 6 in Lake Charles. The Cowgirls, retired in order from the second through fifth by Meghan Schorman, rallied to even the score at 3-all in the sixth inning to force extras and in the 11th inning responded to Kramer Eschete's two-run single that briefly gave Louisiana a 5-3 lead with another two-run, two-out rally.

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: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff yielded only one run to UT Arlington during the March 25-27 Sun Belt series at Lamson Park – over a span of 16 innings. The Mavericks were shutout for the final 10-1/3 innings.
1.31: Earned run average for Meghan Schorman over 37-1/3 innings pitched in relief situations in the 2022 season. Schorman has limited foes to 14 runs (seven earned), 25 base hits and struck out 45 batters in her relief efforts.
1.30: Staff ERA for the Ragin' Cajuns pitchers since the UT Arlington series. The group has held foes to 18 runs (10 earned), 34 hits, struck out 67 and yielded a .174 average over the last 54 innings.
2: Louisiana's pitching staff limited Texas State to just two base hits, out of 25 opportunities, with runners in scoring position (.080 average).
.202: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff has limited the opposition to a .202 average. Opponents hit sub-.200, combined, over the first five weeks of the season.
2.47: Louisiana entered the week ranked No. 7 nationally averaging 2.47 stolen bases per game (79 swipes in 32 games).
4: Louisiana had four hitters batting above .400 entering last weekend's series at Texas State: Jourdyn Campbell (.421), Maddie Hayden (.413), Stormy Kotzelnick (.412) and Sophie Piskos (.410).
5: Including the perfect game vs. UT Arlington on March 26, 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 totaled six extra base hits over the previous two weeks of play (two doubles, four home runs) and posted a .588 average during the stretch (10-for-17).
9: Starting with the Georgia Southern series finale (March 20), Sophie Piskos recorded nine RBI in 11 plate appearances over a three-game stretch.
9: Melissa Mayeux has generated nine RBI over her last 21 plate appearances.
10: There are 10 different players who have combined to give Louisiana its 38 home runs.
12: Number of shutouts posted by Louisiana's pitching staff.
13: Louisiana's pitching staff has yielded only 13 home runs to the opposition through 208 innings.
13: Jourdyn Campbell leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 13 multiple-hit games.
14: There are 14 players on Louisiana's roster who have produced double-digit base hits.
16: The Ragin' Cajuns offense has produced double-digit hits in 16 games.
20: Stormy Kotzelnick leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 20 extra base hits (10 doubles, 5 triples, 5 home run).
20: Sophie Piskos has generated 20 RBI in only 84 plate appearances.
20-2: Louisiana's record when scoring first.
21-2/3: Sam Landry had a streak of 21-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched in Sun Belt Conference play, a streak that spanned three series (Georgia Southern, UT Arlington, Texas State), that lasted until the Texas State series finale.
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.
.364: Batting average for the Ragin' Cajuns offense entering the first full week of April. The figure had been .360 or higher the entire season when the month began.
.438: Louisiana's on base percentage entering the week, which ranked No. 3 nationally and trailed only Oklahoma (.499) and Arizona State (.444).
68: 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.
69%: Percentage of base hits for Karly Heath that have gone for extra bases. Of her season total of 13 hits, she's generated three doubles and six home runs (nine extra base hits).
105/101: The Ragin' Cajuns hitters have drawn more walks (105) than they have struck out (101).
120: Total number of extra base hits produced by Louisiana's offense (69 doubles, 13 triples, 38 home runs).
3,298: When the Troy series begins on Friday, April 8 at Lamson Park, a total of 3,298 days will have passed since Louisiana's streak of 68 consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won began back on March 29, 2013.

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.

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.

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 appeared in relief assignments throughout the season, further deepening the staff approach.

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 Returns to Lamson Park for Sun Belt Series With Troy

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jourdyn Campbell

Summer Ellyson

Kramer Eschete

Kayla Falterman

Vanessa Foreman

Jade Gortarez

Samantha Graeter

Maddie Hayden

Karly Heath

Jenna Kean

Stormy Kotzelnick

Kandra Lamb

Sam Landry

Alexa Langeliers

Melissa Mayeux

Justice Milz

Raina O'Neal

Sophie Piskos

Julie Rawls

Taylor Roman

Meghan Schorman

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Softball Returns to Lamson Park for Sun Belt Series With Troy

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jourdyn Campbell

Summer Ellyson

Kramer Eschete

Kayla Falterman

Vanessa Foreman

Jade Gortarez

Samantha Graeter

Maddie Hayden

Karly Heath

Jenna Kean

Stormy Kotzelnick

Kandra Lamb

Sam Landry

Alexa Langeliers

Melissa Mayeux

Justice Milz

Raina O'Neal

Sophie Piskos

Julie Rawls

Taylor Roman

Meghan Schorman

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