Louisiana Baseball Preview: at NCAA Starkville Regional

STARKVILLE, Miss. – After an incredible seven-game run through the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball team will make its 20^th appearance in the postseason when it faces Cincinnati in the NCAA Starkville Regional on Friday at Dudy Noble Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game will be available on ESPN+, with fans able to listen in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.

Louisiana (39-23), ranked No. 25 by D1Baseball, earned an at-large berth in the 64-team field – and their fourth appearance in the past five seasons – after winning five games last week and reaching the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game for the third time since 2022.

Lee Amedee, coming off an All-Tournament performance at the SBC Championships, leads Louisiana at the plate with a .311 average. The senior has belted seven home runs on the season – including three last week – and leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 52 RBI.

The freshmen tandem of Colt Brown (.307-5-50) and Noah Brown (.296-2-18) is next in hitting for Louisiana with Maddox Mandino (.270-0-17) coming off an All-Tournament performance where he was 11-for-25 (.440) in six games.

Cody Brasch (6-2, 2.04 ERA) will start on the mound in the opener for Louisiana. The right-hander recorded a win and a save in two appearances at the SBC Championships.

The Ragin' Cajuns face Big 12 member Cincinnati (37-20), ranked No. 24 by D1Baseball. The Bearcats earned their eighth all-time appearance in the NCAA postseason and its third since 1974. UC earned a berth in 2019 (Corvallis Regional) and went 1-2 last season in Knoxville.

DH/C Enzo Infelise was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Three Bearcats were named to the First Team: first baseman Quinton Coats, pitcher Nate Taylor and Infelise.

Taylor (6-3, 3.86 ERA), who will start for the Bearcats on Friday, broke the UC single-season strikeout record (112) in his final home start. The junior is now 11 away from tying the career record, and his 21 wins (with only seven losses) are also tied for that program record.

Coats is fourth nationally for home runs (28), fifth in total bases (181) and sixth in RBIs (78), padding the school record in the first two. He is also one RBI from tying that record.

The three-time Big 12 Player of the Week recently homered and doubled three times apiece against Texas Tech, hitting .568. He has reached safely in 28-straight games.

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.

GAME 63 – 2026 NCAA STARKVILLE REGIONAL
No. 25 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (39-23) vs. No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats (37-20)

THE STARKVILLE FIELD (paired with the NCAA Athens Regional)
No. 1 seed – #17 Mississippi State (40-17)
No. 2 seed – #24 Cincinnati (37-20)
No. 3 seed – #25 Louisiana (39-23)
No. 4 seed – Lipscomb (29-24)

TIMES (dates and times are subject to change)
Friday (May 29) – 6 p.m.

LOCATION/SITE
Dudy Noble Field (15,000) | Starkville, Miss.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
FRIDAY – 6 p.m.
LOUISIANA | RH Cody Brasch (6-3, 205, Jr., Haslet, Texas)
'26 Stats: 6-2, 2.04 ERA, 70.2 IP, 45 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 21 BB, 77 K, .181 OppBA

CINCINNATI | RH Nate Taylor (6-5, 230, Jr., Amelia, Ohio)
'26 Stats: 6-3, 3.86 ERA, 84.0 IP, 78 H, 46 R, 36 ER, 23 BB, 112 K, .243 OppBA

RANKINGS
Louisiana – No. 25 (D1Baseball); Receiving Votes (USA Today Coaches' Poll)
Cincinnati – No. 24 (D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches' Poll)
Mississippi State – No. 17 (D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches' Poll)
Lipscomb – Unranked

RADIO/TV/LIVE STATISTICS
TV
Station – ESPN+
Talent – Jack Kizer (pxp); Jack DeLongchamps (color)

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)

LIVE STATS
CajunStats.Statbroadcast.com

CAJUNS AGAINST THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
vs. Cincinnati – First meeting
vs. Lipscomb – First meeting
vs. Mississippi State – MSU leads, 4-3

LOUISIANA ON DECK
• Louisiana makes its 20th all-time appearance in the NCAA postseason, and fourth in the past five seasons, when it opens play at the NCAA Starkville Regional.
• The Ragin' Cajuns finished as the runner-up at last week's Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship, going through the loser's bracket to eliminate both Coastal Carolina and Texas State.
• Louisiana will play in a NCAA Regional in Starkville for the second time in school history and first since 1997.
• Louisiana has faced Mississippi State twice in the postseason with both games coming at the 2014 NCAA Lafayette Regional.
• UL, then the No. 1-ranked team in the country, came through the loser's bracket to earn 14-8 and 5-3 wins over the Bulldogs to advance to the NCAA Super Regional (vs. Ole Miss).
• Louisiana's 110 stolen bases in 2026 marks the 14th time in school history the Ragin' Cajuns have eclipsed the 100-stolen base mark.
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 27-4 overall when out-hitting their opponent and are 25-9 when hitting at least one home run.
• Louisiana is 31-5 overall when holding opponents to five runs or less and are 14-5 overall in one-run games.
• Louisiana's 19 quality starts on the season – Andrew Herrmann (7), Cody Brasch (4), Sawyer Pruitt (4), JR Tollett (2) and Ty Roman (2) – have surpassed last season's total (10) set in 58 games.
• Herrmann's four complete games in 2026 is tied for second nationally behind Jaden Wywoda (Holy Cross).
• Herrmann's 17 starts lead all Division I pitchers with Ty Roman second (16).
• Herrmann's 108 strikeouts marked the first time a UL southpaw recorded 100+ strikeouts in a season since Justin Gabriel (111) in 2002.
• Louisiana's combined 19 wins by its starting pitchers in 2026 surpassed last season's combined total (12).

Louisiana Baseball Preview: at NCAA Starkville Regional

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Players Mentioned

Lee Amedee

Cody Brasch

Colt Brown

Andrew Herrmann

Maddox Mandino

Sawyer Pruitt

Ty Roman

JR Tollett

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