Louisiana Closes Pre-Conference Tournament Play in Tuscaloosa

Louisiana (11-7) at Alabama's Spring Break Showdown
Dates: Friday-Saturday, March 7-8, 2025
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Stadium: Rhoads Stadium
Louisiana's Schedule:
Fri., Mar. 7 – vs. Iowa, 2:00 p.m. (CST) // Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network
Fri., Mar. 7 – at #21 Alabama, 4:00 p.m. (CST) // SECN+ | Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network
Sat., Mar. 8 – vs. Iowa, 11:00 a.m. (CST) // Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network
Sat., Mar. 8 – at #21 Alabama, 3:00 p.m. (CST) // SECN+ | Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network

MEDIA INFORMATION
Game Notes (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) | Roster | Schedule/Results
Television: SECN+ (Alabama Only) | Talent: Gray Robertson (PxP), Jenna Johnson (analyst)
Radio: Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network | Talent: Cody Junot, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsSB

TEAM INFORMATION
LOUISIANA Ragin' Cajuns
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SBA: -- | D1S: -- | RPI: 44
Head Coach: Alyson Habetz (Louisiana, '95)
Record at Louisiana: 11-7 (1st season)
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .321 / .426 / .413
Team ERA: 3.41

IOWA Hawkeyes
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SBA: -- | D1S: -- | RPI: 96
Interim Head Coach: Brian Levin (Peru State College, '88)
Record at Iowa: 13-5 (1st season)
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .286 / .420 / .406
Team ERA: 3.02

ALABAMA Crimson Tide
NFCA: 22 | USA: 21 | SBA: 19 | D1S: 21 | RPI: 19
Head Coach: Patrick Murphy (Northern Iowa, '88)
Record at Alabama: 1,293-381 (27th season)
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .364 / .570 / .444
Team ERA: 2.40

LEADING OFF
>> Louisiana finishes the first leg of its 15-game road trip by taking part in the Spring Break Showdown at The Rhoads House in Tuscaloosa.

>> Tuscaloosa marks the last stop on a 10-day stretch away from campus which began last weekend at Auburn's Jane B. Moore Memorial.

>> Head coach Alyson Habetz returns to where her collegiate coaching journey began, serving on Patrick Murphy's staff from 1999-2023.

>> Assistant coach Lacy Prejean returns to where she played as a collegiate athlete, donning the Crimson Tide uniform from 2000-03.

>> The Spring Break Showdown is the final non-conference tournament. UL starts Sun Belt play next weekend at Marshall.

>> Louisiana posted winning marks in the first four non-conference weekends to build is current 11-7 record.

>> UL has protected leads, standing 8-0 when leading after five, and owns two comeback wins in the seventh or later (Ole Miss, Houston).

>> Louisiana entered the week No. 1 nationally in double plays turned per game (1.0). The 17 double plays were a close second (Wofford, 19).

>> The Cajuns batters usually make adjustments the second time around, as a result the third inning is the most-scored in this season (22 runs).

A LOOK AT THE SERIES
IOWA
Series Record: Louisiana leads, 5-2
Last Meeting: 2/11/18 // UL 9, IOWA 0 (5) (Broussard, La.)
At Neutral Site: Louisiana leads, 3-2
Streak: UL, +3

>> Last met in 2018 Mardi Gras Classic hosted by UL.
>> Weather moved the 2018 matchup to the nearby Broussard Sports Complex.
>> Last neutral site meeting came in 2013 in the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic.

ALABAMA
Series Record: Alabama leads, 10-6
Last Meeting: 2/27/22 // UA 8, UL 0 (5) (Youngsville, La.)
In Tuscaloosa: Alabama leads, 6-1
Last Time at Nusz Park: 2/13/24 // MSU 2, UL 1
Streak: UA, +4

>> First meeting since the 2022 Youngsville Mardi Gras Mambo.
>> Last met at The Rhoads House in April 2021.
>> Prior to 2022, nine of the previous 14 matchups were decided by three runs or less.

THIS 'N THAT
>> UL posted a combined six double plays turned in last weekend's matchups at No. 19 Auburn, capped off by a season-high four on Sunday.

>> Maddie Hayden is one (1) hit shy of her 200th career base hit. She'll join older sister Haley Hayden (2014-17) in posting 200 hits as a Cajun.

>> Kayla Falterman has reached base in all 18 games (sports .569 OB%).

>> Cecilia Vasquez, with a team-best 21 RBI, has posted at least one RBI in 12 of 18 games and has a team-leading six (6) multiple-RBI games.

>> RBI total (21) for Cecilia Vasquez marks her personal single-season best.

>> Maddie Hayden, Kayla Falterman and Cecilia Vasquez, Nos. 1-3 in the lineup, have combined for 62 hits on a .405 average.

>> Bethaney Noble has thrived as the go-to reliever, yielding only five (5) runs and tallying 22 strikeouts over 19.0 IP in relief opportunities.

>> Bethaney Noble is 2-0 with 1.84 ERA over her six relief appearances.

>> Freshman pitcher Mallory Wheeler has headlined UL's pitching staff early, sporting a 4-1 mark through a team-leading 39-1/3 innings pitched.

>> Freshman Emily Smith, who homered in her first collegiate at bat, leads the team with 5 home runs and is second with 15 RBI.

>> Mallory Wheeler (D1Softball and Softball America) and Emily Smith (Softball America) were named to national Freshmen Watch Lists.

>> Maddie Hayden, Sam Roe and Cecilia Vasquez represented the Louisiana on the 2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team.

>> The Cajuns, received the most first-place votes, were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.

>> 2025 marks the 45th season in Louisiana Softball's storied history. UL has recorded 1,901 wins, a total that ranks Top 5 in NCAA history

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns return to the state of Louisiana for a midweek game at No. 5 LSU on Tuesday, March 11 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge. The first round of the UL-LSU midweek home-and-home series gets underway at 6:00 p.m.

The stop in Baton Rouge continues the Ragin' Cajuns current 15-game road trip that keeps the squad away from Lamson Park through March 21. Live coverage is available on SEC Network Plus (SECN+), the Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network (The GOAT 103.3 FM and 1420 AM) and CajunStats.com

After facing off with the Tigers, Sun Belt Conference play begins on the road from Friday-Sunday, March 14-16 in Huntington, West Virginia at Marshall.

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.

Louisiana Softball season and single-game tickets are currently on sale, outfield general admission seating only, 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 softball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through the Krewe Allons NIL Collective (click here).

- www.RaginCajuns.com -

Louisiana Closes Pre-Conference Tournament Play in Tuscaloosa

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Players Mentioned

Kayla Falterman

Maddie Hayden

Bethaney Noble

Sam Roe

Emily Smith

Cecilia Vasquez

Mallory Wheeler

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Louisiana Closes Pre-Conference Tournament Play in Tuscaloosa

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kayla Falterman

Maddie Hayden

Bethaney Noble

Sam Roe

Emily Smith

Cecilia Vasquez

Mallory Wheeler

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