University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, March 21
Mobile, Ala.
6:30 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
South Alabama
2025 Baseball Preview: The South Alabama Series
3/20/2025 9:55:00 PM | Baseball
Louisiana, South Alabama set to renew diamond rivalry
MOBILE, Ala. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball team continues its five-game road trip beginning Friday when it faces Sun Belt Conference rival South Alabama in a three-game series at Stanky Field.
First pitch for Friday's opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The series will continue Saturday at 2 p.m. before concluding on Sunday at 1. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to each game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.
Louisiana (9-13, 1-2 SBC) opened its road trip on Wednesday falling at Southeastern Louisiana, 7-1. The Ragin' Cajuns were limited to four hits in the game with Conor Higgs' hitting his team-high seventh homer of the season.
The Ragin' Cajuns opened SBC play last week against Troy, rallying in the finale to claim a wild 18-14 victory. Higgs, Caleb Stelly and Luke Yuhasz each launched home runs for Louisiana in the finale while Blake McGehee earned his second win of the season.
Louisiana will be bolstered by the return of southpaw Chase Morgan (1-1, 3.21 ERA) in Friday's opener with the starters for Saturday and Sunday to be determined.
South Alabama (10-10, 0-3 SBC) opened league play last week dropping all three games at Georgia State. The Jaguars forced nationally-ranked Alabama to extra innings in their last game on Tuesday before falling 6-5 in 10 innings.
The Jaguars enter the weekend ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in hitting (.290) with Duncan Mathews (.439-1-15) leading the team.
Right-hander Zach Willingham (2-2, 1.93 ERA) will start in Friday's opener for South Alabama with Mitchell Heer (1-0, 4.91 ERA) and freshman left-hander Chase Davis (1-1, 6.08 ERA) expected to start in the final two games of the series.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball season and single-game tickets are available for purchase online at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685). Fans can also support the baseball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through the Krewe Allons NIL Collective (click here).
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.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
GAMES 23-25 PREVIEW
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (9-13, 1-2 SBC) at South Alabama Jaguars (10-10, 0-3 SBC)
DATE/TIMES (dates and times are subject to change)
Friday (March 21) – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday (March 22) – 2 p.m.
Sunday (March 23) – 1 p.m.
LOCATION/SITE
Stanky Field (3,775) | Mobile, Ala.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – 6:30 p.m.
LOUISIANA | LH Chase Morgan (6-3, 195, So., Cypress, Texas)
'25 Stats: 1-1, 3.21 ERA, 14.0 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 22 K, .232 OppBA
SOUTH ALABAMA | RH Zach Willingham (6-2, 205, Gr., Cleveland, Miss.)
'25 Stats: 2-2, 1.93 ERA, 23.1 IP, 16 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 13 BB, 18 K, .193 OppBA
SATURDAY – 2 p.m.
LOUISIANA | TBA
SOUTH ALABAMA | RH Mitchell Heer (5-11, 205, Sr., Acworth, Ga.)
'25 Stats: 1-0, 4.91 ERA, 7.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, .300 OppBA
SUNDAY – 1 p.m.
LOUISIANA | TBA
SOUTH ALABAMA | LH Chase Davis (6-3, 215, Fr., Tallahassee, Fla.)
'25 Stats: 1-1, 6.08 ERA, 13.1 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 7 BB, 10 K, .250 OppBA
RANKINGS
Louisiana – Unranked
South Alabama – Unranked
RADIO/TV/LIVE STATISTICS
RADIO (Pregame Show starts 30 minutes prior to first pitch)
Station – KPEL-FM 96.5 / The Varsity Network App
Talent – Jay Walker (pxp); Anthony Babineaux (color)
TV/STREAMING (ESPN+)
Talent – Pat Greenwood
LIVE STATS
CajunStats.com
SERIES RECORD
Overall – South Alabama leads, 70-58
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 32-27
In Mobile – South Alabama leads, 41-20
Neutral Site – Louisiana leads, 6-2
Last 10 – Louisiana, 7-3
Streak – Louisiana +1
ON DECK
• Louisiana continues its five-game roadtrip beginning on Friday when it visits Sun Belt Conference rival South Alabama in a three-game series at Stanky Field.
• The Ragin' Cajuns have won seven of the last 10 meetings in the series, including a series win in Mobile in 2023.
• Louisiana wraps up its roadtrip on Tuesday when it crosses the Atchafalaya Basin to visit No. 2-ranked LSU at Alex Box Stadium
• Louisiana's overall strength of schedule is ninth nationally with its non-conference SOS ranked 15th according to WarrenNolan.com.
• Five players - Matthew Holzhammer, Riley Marcotte, Matt Osteen, Dylan Theut and James Trimble - are responsible for Louisiana's five saves recorded in 2025.
• Louisiana is 5-2 overall when it outhits its opponent.
• Sixteen of Louisiana's 18 homers hit this season have been solo shots.
• Louisiana belted three homers in last Sunday's 18-14 win over Troy, including the first two of the season (Conor Higgs - fourth; Caleb Stelly - sixth) with men on base.
• Conor Higgs' solo home run at Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday also marked his 100th career run scored in a Louisiana uniform.
• Louisiana enters the weekend tied for second nationally in sacrifice bunts (22).
• Higgs and Caleb Stelly each enter the weekend with a seven-game hit streak.
• Higgs has reached base safely in his last 14 games to lead the Ragin' Cajuns.
• Maddox Mandino's relief appearance (2.0 IP, 3 Ks) at Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday were career-bests.
UP NEXT
• Louisiana closes out its five-game roadtrip on Tuesday when it travels to Baton Rouge to face No. 2-ranked LSU in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will then open its second, nine-game home stand on March 28 when it faces James Madison in a three-game SBC series at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
First pitch for Friday's opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The series will continue Saturday at 2 p.m. before concluding on Sunday at 1. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to each game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.
Louisiana (9-13, 1-2 SBC) opened its road trip on Wednesday falling at Southeastern Louisiana, 7-1. The Ragin' Cajuns were limited to four hits in the game with Conor Higgs' hitting his team-high seventh homer of the season.
The Ragin' Cajuns opened SBC play last week against Troy, rallying in the finale to claim a wild 18-14 victory. Higgs, Caleb Stelly and Luke Yuhasz each launched home runs for Louisiana in the finale while Blake McGehee earned his second win of the season.
Louisiana will be bolstered by the return of southpaw Chase Morgan (1-1, 3.21 ERA) in Friday's opener with the starters for Saturday and Sunday to be determined.
South Alabama (10-10, 0-3 SBC) opened league play last week dropping all three games at Georgia State. The Jaguars forced nationally-ranked Alabama to extra innings in their last game on Tuesday before falling 6-5 in 10 innings.
The Jaguars enter the weekend ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in hitting (.290) with Duncan Mathews (.439-1-15) leading the team.
Right-hander Zach Willingham (2-2, 1.93 ERA) will start in Friday's opener for South Alabama with Mitchell Heer (1-0, 4.91 ERA) and freshman left-hander Chase Davis (1-1, 6.08 ERA) expected to start in the final two games of the series.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball season and single-game tickets are available for purchase online at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685). Fans can also support the baseball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through the Krewe Allons NIL Collective (click here).
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.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
GAMES 23-25 PREVIEW
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (9-13, 1-2 SBC) at South Alabama Jaguars (10-10, 0-3 SBC)
DATE/TIMES (dates and times are subject to change)
Friday (March 21) – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday (March 22) – 2 p.m.
Sunday (March 23) – 1 p.m.
LOCATION/SITE
Stanky Field (3,775) | Mobile, Ala.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – 6:30 p.m.
LOUISIANA | LH Chase Morgan (6-3, 195, So., Cypress, Texas)
'25 Stats: 1-1, 3.21 ERA, 14.0 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 22 K, .232 OppBA
SOUTH ALABAMA | RH Zach Willingham (6-2, 205, Gr., Cleveland, Miss.)
'25 Stats: 2-2, 1.93 ERA, 23.1 IP, 16 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 13 BB, 18 K, .193 OppBA
SATURDAY – 2 p.m.
LOUISIANA | TBA
SOUTH ALABAMA | RH Mitchell Heer (5-11, 205, Sr., Acworth, Ga.)
'25 Stats: 1-0, 4.91 ERA, 7.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, .300 OppBA
SUNDAY – 1 p.m.
LOUISIANA | TBA
SOUTH ALABAMA | LH Chase Davis (6-3, 215, Fr., Tallahassee, Fla.)
'25 Stats: 1-1, 6.08 ERA, 13.1 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 7 BB, 10 K, .250 OppBA
RANKINGS
Louisiana – Unranked
South Alabama – Unranked
RADIO/TV/LIVE STATISTICS
RADIO (Pregame Show starts 30 minutes prior to first pitch)
Station – KPEL-FM 96.5 / The Varsity Network App
Talent – Jay Walker (pxp); Anthony Babineaux (color)
TV/STREAMING (ESPN+)
Talent – Pat Greenwood
LIVE STATS
CajunStats.com
SERIES RECORD
Overall – South Alabama leads, 70-58
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 32-27
In Mobile – South Alabama leads, 41-20
Neutral Site – Louisiana leads, 6-2
Last 10 – Louisiana, 7-3
Streak – Louisiana +1
ON DECK
• Louisiana continues its five-game roadtrip beginning on Friday when it visits Sun Belt Conference rival South Alabama in a three-game series at Stanky Field.
• The Ragin' Cajuns have won seven of the last 10 meetings in the series, including a series win in Mobile in 2023.
• Louisiana wraps up its roadtrip on Tuesday when it crosses the Atchafalaya Basin to visit No. 2-ranked LSU at Alex Box Stadium
• Louisiana's overall strength of schedule is ninth nationally with its non-conference SOS ranked 15th according to WarrenNolan.com.
• Five players - Matthew Holzhammer, Riley Marcotte, Matt Osteen, Dylan Theut and James Trimble - are responsible for Louisiana's five saves recorded in 2025.
• Louisiana is 5-2 overall when it outhits its opponent.
• Sixteen of Louisiana's 18 homers hit this season have been solo shots.
• Louisiana belted three homers in last Sunday's 18-14 win over Troy, including the first two of the season (Conor Higgs - fourth; Caleb Stelly - sixth) with men on base.
• Conor Higgs' solo home run at Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday also marked his 100th career run scored in a Louisiana uniform.
• Louisiana enters the weekend tied for second nationally in sacrifice bunts (22).
• Higgs and Caleb Stelly each enter the weekend with a seven-game hit streak.
• Higgs has reached base safely in his last 14 games to lead the Ragin' Cajuns.
• Maddox Mandino's relief appearance (2.0 IP, 3 Ks) at Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday were career-bests.
UP NEXT
• Louisiana closes out its five-game roadtrip on Tuesday when it travels to Baton Rouge to face No. 2-ranked LSU in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will then open its second, nine-game home stand on March 28 when it faces James Madison in a three-game SBC series at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
Players Mentioned
OF
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RHP
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OF/LHP
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LHP
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RHP
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LHP
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OF
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LHP
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RHP
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OF
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