2025 Baseball Preview: The DBU Series

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball team continues its nine-game homestand beginning Friday when it hosts No. 21-ranked Dallas Baptist in a three-game series at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.

First pitch for Friday's opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. The series resumes on Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes on Sunday at 1. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans in the Lafayette area able to listen to the game on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.

Louisiana (6-7) rebounded from its 0-3 weekend on the West Coast by claiming a 6-5 win over 2024 NCAA Regional participant UNC Wilmington on Wednesday. Luke Yuhasz recorded a pair of hits for the Ragin' Cajuns with two-way player Maddox Mandino recording his first career win on the mound.

Conor Higgs (.317-4-6) and Drew Markle (.300-2-7) are Louisiana's top two hitters on the season. Caleb Stelly (.255-2-9) leads the Ragin' Cajuns in RBI.

DBU (9-3), ranked in all five national polls, earned an 11-0 win over No. 10 Oklahoma on Tuesday. The Patriots swept weekend series against North Dakota State and SIU-Edwardsville before rallying to win the final two games of a three-game set at Oral Roberts.

Grant Jay (.442-7-19) and Joey Nerat (.410-1-8) lead a DBU offense that averages .297 at the plate. Chayton Krauss (.354-2-17), Nathan Humphreys (.341-1-9) and Tom Poole (.341-2-9) are next in hitting for DBU.

The meeting will the first between the schools since the 2000 season when DBU was a NAIA program. The Patriots moved to NCAA Division I status in baseball beginning in 2004.

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 14-16 PREVIEW
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (6-7) vs. Dallas Baptist Patriots (9-3)

DATE/TIMES (dates and times are subject to change)
Friday (March 7) – 6 p.m.
Saturday (March 8) – 2 p.m.
Sunday (March 9) – 1 p.m.

LOCATION/SITE
M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park (6,015) | Lafayette, La.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY – 6 p.m.
LOUISIANA - RH Matthew Holzhammer (6-4, 210, Sr., Wister, Okla.)
'25 Stats: 0-1, 5.14 ERA, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

DBU – RH Micah Bucknam (6-1, 212, Jr., Abbotsford, B.C.)
'25 Stats: 1-0, 5.87 ERA, 15.1 IP, 11 R, 10 ER, 5 BB, 24 K)

SATURDAY – 2 p.m.
LOUISIANA - TBA

DBU – RH James Ellwanger (6-4, 205, So., Magnolia, Texas)
'25 Stats: 0-0, 0.90 ERA, 10.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 14 K)

SUNDAY – 1 p.m.
LOUISIANA - TBA

DBU – RHP Rian Schwede (6-2, 216, Gr., Hanson, Mass.)
'25 Stats: 3-0, 2.12 ERA, 17.0 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 16 K)

TICKETS
• Tickets for Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball are available for purchase on-line at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685).
• Group tickets are also available by contacting the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office by email at Tickets@louisiana.edu.

PROMOTIONS
Friday (Sponsored by Cajun Country Rice)
• Free Cajun Country Rice paddles for the first 500 fans
• Jersey Mike's Family Four Pack – Buy four tickets for $40 here
• Baseball Bingo

Saturday (Sponsored by Super1Foods)
• Free Sunglasses for the first 500 fans

Sunday
• Kid's Day (Anthem Buddies, Junior Announcer & Kids Run the Bases Postgame)

RANKINGS
Louisiana – Unranked
DBU – No. 21 (D1Baseball, Baseball America); No. 17 (NCBWA), No. 18 (Perfect Game); No. 23 (USA Today Coaches' Poll)

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); Brad Topham (color)

TV/STREAMING (ESPN+)
Talent – Dan McDonald (pxp), Brennan Breaux (color), Eric Mouton (color)

LIVE STATS
CajunStats.com

SERIES RECORD
Overall – Louisiana leads, 5-0
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 5-0
In Dallas – Never met
Last 10 – Louisiana 5-0
Streak – Louisiana +5
First meeting – Louisiana, 4-3 (February 14, 1992 in Lafayette)
Last meeting – Louisiana, 6-3 (March 4, 2000 in Lafayette)

IN THE ON DECK CIRCLE
• Louisiana faces its third consecutive ranked opponent in a weekend series when it hosts No. 21-ranked Dallas Baptist in a three-game series at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
• The series against DBU is the third of four straight weekend series against teams currently ranked in the top 25.
• Louisiana faced Nebraska and UC Irvine in the past two weekends and will open Sun Belt Conference play on March 14 in a three-game series against visiting Troy.
• Louisiana has won all five meetings in the series against the Patriots with the last contest coming in a 6-3 decision on March 4, 2000 at #TheTigue.
• All five meetings have come when DBU was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
• Sophomore southpaws Maddox Mandino and Riley Marcotte recorded their first career win and save, respectively, in Louisiana's 6-5 win over UNCW.
• Louisiana's current nine-game homestand is the first of two this season with a second nine-game slate at home beginning on March 28 against James Madison.
• The Ragin' Cajuns 16 sacrifice bunts are tied for the national lead with Jackson State.
• Sam Ardoin is seventh nationally with four sacrifice bunts and 11^th in sacrifice bunts per game (0.33).
• Chase Morgan is second in the Sun Belt and 35^th among Division I players in strikeouts per nine innings (14.14).

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Players Mentioned

Sam Ardoin

Conor Higgs

Matthew Holzhammer

Maddox Mandino

Riley Marcotte

Drew Markle

Chase Morgan

Caleb Stelly

Luke Yuhasz

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