University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, April 10
Lafayette, La.
6:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Southern Miss
Louisiana Baseball Preview: vs. Southern Miss
4/9/2026 10:34:00 PM | Baseball
Louisiana hosts nationally-ranked Golden Eagles in key SBC series
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Baseball closes out the first half of its 2026 Sun Belt Conference schedule when the Ragin' Cajuns host No. 10-ranked Southern Miss in a three-game series beginning Friday at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
First pitch for Friday's opener is set for 6 p.m. The series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m., with the series finale set for Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be available on ESPN+ with fans able to listen locally on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.
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).
Louisiana (19-14, 4-8 SBC) looks to secure its first SBC series since taking two of three from South Alabama last month before dropping series against Texas State, ULM and James Madison. The Ragin' Cajuns look to turn around a 3-9 record since an extra-inning victory at Big 12 Houston on March 18.
Lee Amedee (.345-2-19) leads the team in average, RBI, slugging percentage (.531) and on-base percentage (.472) while hitting safely in his last 13 games. Rigoberto Hernandez, coming off a three-hit game on Wednesday at Southeastern Louisiana, is hitting .291 with freshmen Colt Brown (.278-1-16) and Noah Lewis (.276-0-3) following.
Freshman Sawyer Pruitt (2-2, 2.72 ERA) will start on the mound in Friday's opener for Louisiana with left-hander Andrew Herrmann (3-2, 3.62 ERA) scheduled to pitch on Saturday. The Cajuns' starter for Sunday is to be determined.
USM (24-9, 7-5 SBC) plays its second SBC series on the road in as many weeks after taking two of three last weekend at Old Dominion. The Golden Eagles, ranked in the top-15 in all five major polls, claimed a 3-2 win over New Orleans on Tuesday.
Kyle Morrison, a transfer from SBC school South Alabama, leads USM at the plate with a .358 average, 10 home runs and 31 RBI. Joey Urban (.325-9-29) and Davis Gillespie (.317-8-25) have combined for 17 home runs with Seth Smith (.317-1-18) fourth on the team in hitting.
Left-hander Grayden Harris (5-1, 3.50 ERA) and right-hander Camden Sunstrom (2-2, 2.77 ERA) will start on the mound during the opening two games for the Golden Eagles, with Sunday's starter to be determined.
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 34-36 PREVIEW
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (19-14, 4-8 SBC) vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (24-9, 7-5 SBC)
TIMES (dates and times are subject to change)
Friday (April 10) – 6 p.m.
Saturday (April 11) – 2 p.m.
Sunday (April 12) – 1 p.m.
LOCATION/SITE
M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park (6,015) | Lafayette, La.
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).
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
FRIDAY – 6 p.m.
LOUISIANA | RH Sawyer Pruitt (6-7, 240, Fr., Watson, La.)
'26 Stats: 2-2, 2.72 ERA, 46.1 IP, 42 H, 16 R, 14 ER, 16 BB, 50 K, .239 OppBA
SOUTHERN MISS | LH Grayden Harris (6-1, 210, Soph., Greenwell Springs, La.)
'26 Stats: 5-1, 3.50 ERA, 43.2 IP, 46 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 9 BB, 50 K, .275 OppBA
SATURDAY – 2 p.m.
LOUISIANA | LH Andrew Herrmann (6-3, 215, Gr., Kennesaw, Ga.)
'26 Stats: 3-2, 3.62 ERA, 54.2 IP, 37 H, 27 R, 22 ER, 19 BB, 63 K, .191 OppBA
SOUTHERN MISS | RH Camden Sunstrom (6-2, 215, Soph., Baton Rouge, La.)
'26 Stats: 2-2, 2.77 ERA, 39.0 IP, 40 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 7 BB, 43 K, .265 OppBA
SUNDAY – 1 p.m.
LOUISIANA | TBA
SOUTHERN MISS | TBA
RANKINGS
Louisiana – Unranked
Southern Miss – No. 10 (D1Baseball); No. 11 (NCBWA); No. 12 (Baseball America); No. 13 (USA Today Coaches' Poll); No. 15 (Perfect Game)
RADIO/TV/LIVE STATISTICS
TV
Station – ESPN+
Talent – Dan McDonald (pxp); Brennan Breaux (color); Ben Schafer (reporter)
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)
LIVE STATS
CajunStats.Statbroadcast.com
SERIES RECORD
Overall – Southern Miss, 35-32
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 17-9
In Hattiesburg – Southern Miss leads, 24-13
Neutral Sites – Southern Miss leads, 2-0
Unknown Sites – Tied, 1-1
Last 10 – Southern Miss, 7-3
Streak – Southern Miss +3
LOUISIANA ON DECK
• Louisiana closes out the first half of its 2026 Sun Belt Conference schedule when it opens a three-game series against nationally-ranked Southern Miss beginning Friday at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
• Southern Miss (14) and Louisiana (45) are two of the Sun Belt's four teams ranked in the top 50 nationally in RPI, joining Coastal Carolina (10) and Texas State (32).
• Lee Amedee enters the weekend with a 13-game hit streak and 15 straight games of reaching base.
• Amedee is five hits away from reaching the 150-mark for his career.
• Louisiana's 11 quaiity starts on the season - Andrew Herrmann (5), Sawyer Pruitt (3), JR Tollett (2) and Ty Roman (1) - has equaled last season's total set in 58 games.
• Louisiana's combined 12 wins by its starting pitchers in 2026 equals the combined total of victories from last season.
• Noah Lewis has hit safely in his last eight games and has reached base in 11 straight contests.
• Southern Miss (.982) and Louisiana (.979) are the top two SBC teams in fielding percentage.
• Louisiana is 8-4 overall in one-run games and 15-4 when holding opponents to five runs or less on the season.
• Andrew Herrmann is one of 11 players with a national-best two complete games on the season - vs. UC San Diego (2/28/26) and South Alabama (3/14).
• Herrmann leads the Sun Belt Conference and is 20th nationally with 63 strikeouts on the season.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN MISS
• Southern Miss enters the weekend having won two consecutive games and three of their last four contests.
• The Golden Eagles has won all four games that they have played in the state of Louisiana this season and currently have won their last eight contests played in the Pelican State.
• Three Golden Eagles currently enjoy hitting streaks of six games or better.
• Joey Urban sports his longest of the season at 11 games - hitting .326 (14x43) with 15 runs, 2 2B, 2 HR and 8 RBI - over this span.
• Kyle Morrison is next at eight games and has hit safely in 28 of 33 games, with streaks also of 11 and eight games.
• Ben Higdon has batted safely in each of his last six games. He has averaged .292 during this span (7x24) with three runs, two doubles, and four RBI.
• Both Matthew Russo and Seth Smith each have four-game hitting streaks alive.
WHAT'S ON TAP
• Louisiana plays its next two weekends on the road, beginning on April 17-19 at Troy.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will host Grambling on April 21 before heading the road to face Arkansas State on April 24-26 in Jonesboro, Ark.
#THETIGUE REACHES 1K WINS
• Louisiana's series against Old Dominion was historic in nature, capped by a 2-0 win on March 24, 2024 for the 1,000th career victory at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
• Since its opening in 1978, #TheTigue has recorded a 1,047-433-2 record, and eclipsed the 2.5-million fan mark against UC San Diego on February 27, 2026.
PRUITT NAMED TO BASEBALL AMERICA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
• Freshman right-hander Sawyer Pruitt was named to Baseball America's Freshman of the Year Watch List.
• Pruitt has posted a 2-2 record with a 2.08 ERA in his inaugural season at Louisiana with wins over Rice and Kansas State.
• The Watson, La. native earned the first save of his career on March 4, tossing the final 4.0 innings and scattering two hits in a 7-2 win over then No. 2-ranked LSU.
• Baseball America's Jacob Rudner wrote the following on Pruitt: "A towering freshman at 6-foot-7, Pruitt has used his height to his advantage, creating unique angles on the mound that have helped lead to a 2.08 ERA with 47 strikeouts to 11 walks over 43.1 innings. Pruitt has made 10 appearances this year with six coming as a starter."
#COLT45 NAMED TO BUSTER POSEY MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
• Another member of Louisiana's impressive freshman class – Colt Brown – was one of 50 catchers nationally named to the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List.
• The award is presented each season by the Wichita (Kan.) Sports Commission to the nation's outstanding collegiate catcher.
• Brown has started 28 of 29 games this season for Louisiana, where he is second on the team in hitting (.310) while leading the team with nine doubles.
JONATHAN LUCROY DAY SET FOR MAY 2
• Louisiana Baseball will honor one of the program's all-time greats when Jonathan Lucroy has his No. 21 jersey retired on Saturday, May 2, at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park as part of Alumni Weekend.
• First pitch for Louisiana's game against Georgia State is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, with a pregame ceremony recognizing Lucroy's legacy. The day will be designated as Jonathan Lucroy Day, with tickets for the game available on-line at RaginCajuns.com.
• Lucroy, who will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame this summer, becomes just the third player in program history to have his jersey retired, joining his former head coach – the late Tony Robichaux (No. 36) – and former New York Yankees standout and Cy Young Award winner Ron Guidry (No. 3).
First pitch for Friday's opener is set for 6 p.m. The series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m., with the series finale set for Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be available on ESPN+ with fans able to listen locally on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.
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).
Louisiana (19-14, 4-8 SBC) looks to secure its first SBC series since taking two of three from South Alabama last month before dropping series against Texas State, ULM and James Madison. The Ragin' Cajuns look to turn around a 3-9 record since an extra-inning victory at Big 12 Houston on March 18.
Lee Amedee (.345-2-19) leads the team in average, RBI, slugging percentage (.531) and on-base percentage (.472) while hitting safely in his last 13 games. Rigoberto Hernandez, coming off a three-hit game on Wednesday at Southeastern Louisiana, is hitting .291 with freshmen Colt Brown (.278-1-16) and Noah Lewis (.276-0-3) following.
Freshman Sawyer Pruitt (2-2, 2.72 ERA) will start on the mound in Friday's opener for Louisiana with left-hander Andrew Herrmann (3-2, 3.62 ERA) scheduled to pitch on Saturday. The Cajuns' starter for Sunday is to be determined.
USM (24-9, 7-5 SBC) plays its second SBC series on the road in as many weeks after taking two of three last weekend at Old Dominion. The Golden Eagles, ranked in the top-15 in all five major polls, claimed a 3-2 win over New Orleans on Tuesday.
Kyle Morrison, a transfer from SBC school South Alabama, leads USM at the plate with a .358 average, 10 home runs and 31 RBI. Joey Urban (.325-9-29) and Davis Gillespie (.317-8-25) have combined for 17 home runs with Seth Smith (.317-1-18) fourth on the team in hitting.
Left-hander Grayden Harris (5-1, 3.50 ERA) and right-hander Camden Sunstrom (2-2, 2.77 ERA) will start on the mound during the opening two games for the Golden Eagles, with Sunday's starter to be determined.
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 34-36 PREVIEW
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (19-14, 4-8 SBC) vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (24-9, 7-5 SBC)
TIMES (dates and times are subject to change)
Friday (April 10) – 6 p.m.
Saturday (April 11) – 2 p.m.
Sunday (April 12) – 1 p.m.
LOCATION/SITE
M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park (6,015) | Lafayette, La.
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).
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
FRIDAY – 6 p.m.
LOUISIANA | RH Sawyer Pruitt (6-7, 240, Fr., Watson, La.)
'26 Stats: 2-2, 2.72 ERA, 46.1 IP, 42 H, 16 R, 14 ER, 16 BB, 50 K, .239 OppBA
SOUTHERN MISS | LH Grayden Harris (6-1, 210, Soph., Greenwell Springs, La.)
'26 Stats: 5-1, 3.50 ERA, 43.2 IP, 46 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 9 BB, 50 K, .275 OppBA
SATURDAY – 2 p.m.
LOUISIANA | LH Andrew Herrmann (6-3, 215, Gr., Kennesaw, Ga.)
'26 Stats: 3-2, 3.62 ERA, 54.2 IP, 37 H, 27 R, 22 ER, 19 BB, 63 K, .191 OppBA
SOUTHERN MISS | RH Camden Sunstrom (6-2, 215, Soph., Baton Rouge, La.)
'26 Stats: 2-2, 2.77 ERA, 39.0 IP, 40 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 7 BB, 43 K, .265 OppBA
SUNDAY – 1 p.m.
LOUISIANA | TBA
SOUTHERN MISS | TBA
RANKINGS
Louisiana – Unranked
Southern Miss – No. 10 (D1Baseball); No. 11 (NCBWA); No. 12 (Baseball America); No. 13 (USA Today Coaches' Poll); No. 15 (Perfect Game)
RADIO/TV/LIVE STATISTICS
TV
Station – ESPN+
Talent – Dan McDonald (pxp); Brennan Breaux (color); Ben Schafer (reporter)
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)
LIVE STATS
CajunStats.Statbroadcast.com
SERIES RECORD
Overall – Southern Miss, 35-32
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 17-9
In Hattiesburg – Southern Miss leads, 24-13
Neutral Sites – Southern Miss leads, 2-0
Unknown Sites – Tied, 1-1
Last 10 – Southern Miss, 7-3
Streak – Southern Miss +3
LOUISIANA ON DECK
• Louisiana closes out the first half of its 2026 Sun Belt Conference schedule when it opens a three-game series against nationally-ranked Southern Miss beginning Friday at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
• Southern Miss (14) and Louisiana (45) are two of the Sun Belt's four teams ranked in the top 50 nationally in RPI, joining Coastal Carolina (10) and Texas State (32).
• Lee Amedee enters the weekend with a 13-game hit streak and 15 straight games of reaching base.
• Amedee is five hits away from reaching the 150-mark for his career.
• Louisiana's 11 quaiity starts on the season - Andrew Herrmann (5), Sawyer Pruitt (3), JR Tollett (2) and Ty Roman (1) - has equaled last season's total set in 58 games.
• Louisiana's combined 12 wins by its starting pitchers in 2026 equals the combined total of victories from last season.
• Noah Lewis has hit safely in his last eight games and has reached base in 11 straight contests.
• Southern Miss (.982) and Louisiana (.979) are the top two SBC teams in fielding percentage.
• Louisiana is 8-4 overall in one-run games and 15-4 when holding opponents to five runs or less on the season.
• Andrew Herrmann is one of 11 players with a national-best two complete games on the season - vs. UC San Diego (2/28/26) and South Alabama (3/14).
• Herrmann leads the Sun Belt Conference and is 20th nationally with 63 strikeouts on the season.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN MISS
• Southern Miss enters the weekend having won two consecutive games and three of their last four contests.
• The Golden Eagles has won all four games that they have played in the state of Louisiana this season and currently have won their last eight contests played in the Pelican State.
• Three Golden Eagles currently enjoy hitting streaks of six games or better.
• Joey Urban sports his longest of the season at 11 games - hitting .326 (14x43) with 15 runs, 2 2B, 2 HR and 8 RBI - over this span.
• Kyle Morrison is next at eight games and has hit safely in 28 of 33 games, with streaks also of 11 and eight games.
• Ben Higdon has batted safely in each of his last six games. He has averaged .292 during this span (7x24) with three runs, two doubles, and four RBI.
• Both Matthew Russo and Seth Smith each have four-game hitting streaks alive.
WHAT'S ON TAP
• Louisiana plays its next two weekends on the road, beginning on April 17-19 at Troy.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will host Grambling on April 21 before heading the road to face Arkansas State on April 24-26 in Jonesboro, Ark.
#THETIGUE REACHES 1K WINS
• Louisiana's series against Old Dominion was historic in nature, capped by a 2-0 win on March 24, 2024 for the 1,000th career victory at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
• Since its opening in 1978, #TheTigue has recorded a 1,047-433-2 record, and eclipsed the 2.5-million fan mark against UC San Diego on February 27, 2026.
PRUITT NAMED TO BASEBALL AMERICA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
• Freshman right-hander Sawyer Pruitt was named to Baseball America's Freshman of the Year Watch List.
• Pruitt has posted a 2-2 record with a 2.08 ERA in his inaugural season at Louisiana with wins over Rice and Kansas State.
• The Watson, La. native earned the first save of his career on March 4, tossing the final 4.0 innings and scattering two hits in a 7-2 win over then No. 2-ranked LSU.
• Baseball America's Jacob Rudner wrote the following on Pruitt: "A towering freshman at 6-foot-7, Pruitt has used his height to his advantage, creating unique angles on the mound that have helped lead to a 2.08 ERA with 47 strikeouts to 11 walks over 43.1 innings. Pruitt has made 10 appearances this year with six coming as a starter."
#COLT45 NAMED TO BUSTER POSEY MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
• Another member of Louisiana's impressive freshman class – Colt Brown – was one of 50 catchers nationally named to the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List.
• The award is presented each season by the Wichita (Kan.) Sports Commission to the nation's outstanding collegiate catcher.
• Brown has started 28 of 29 games this season for Louisiana, where he is second on the team in hitting (.310) while leading the team with nine doubles.
JONATHAN LUCROY DAY SET FOR MAY 2
• Louisiana Baseball will honor one of the program's all-time greats when Jonathan Lucroy has his No. 21 jersey retired on Saturday, May 2, at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park as part of Alumni Weekend.
• First pitch for Louisiana's game against Georgia State is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, with a pregame ceremony recognizing Lucroy's legacy. The day will be designated as Jonathan Lucroy Day, with tickets for the game available on-line at RaginCajuns.com.
• Lucroy, who will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame this summer, becomes just the third player in program history to have his jersey retired, joining his former head coach – the late Tony Robichaux (No. 36) – and former New York Yankees standout and Cy Young Award winner Ron Guidry (No. 3).
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