University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, May 8
Boone, N.C.
6:00 p.m. ET
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
App State
Louisiana Baseball Preview: at App State
5/7/2026 10:47:00 PM | Baseball
Ragin' Cajuns face Mountaineers for first time since 2023
BOONE, N.C. – Louisiana makes its final road trip of the regular season beginning on Friday when it visits App State for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium
First pitch for Friday's opener is set for 5 p.m. CT. The series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT, with the series finale set for Sunday at 12 p.m. CT. 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.
Louisiana (30-19, 12-12 SBC) looks to build on its last two SBC weekends, where the Ragin' Cajuns took two of three games at Arkansas State before a three-game sweep of Georgia State. The Ragin' Cajuns face an App State (28-18, 15-9 SBC) squad which leads the league in several offensive categories, including average (.319), runs scored (392) and hits (506).
Freshman Colt Brown (.319-4-37) leads Louisiana in both average and RBI with Lee Amedee (.313-3-36) and Noah Lewis (.304-1-13) hitting above the .300 mark.
Cody Brasch (4-2, 2.42 ERA) will start in Friday's opener for the Ragin' Cajuns, southpaw Andrew Herrmann (6-2, 3.90 ERA) will start on Saturday, with the Sunday starter to be determined.
App State has won five consecutive Sun Belt series and six of eight series overall in league play after taking two of three games on the road at Troy last weekend. The Mountaineers swept a doubleheader last Saturday as the offense erupted for 11 runs in the seventh inning of game one and Gage Peterson fired seven scoreless innings in a game two shutout.
Peterson (7-0, 3.18 ERA), who will start on the mound on Saturday, leads the Sun Belt with 88 strikeouts on the season and has fanned at least six batters in all but one start this year. Right-hander Nick DiRito (4-1, 4.50 ERA) will start in Friday's opener with left-hander Tanner Nolan (4-0, 6.23 ERA) schedule to pitch Sunday.
Steven Smith leads the Mountaineers at the plate, batting .384 with 17 doubles, six home runs and 48 RBIs.
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 50-52 PREVIEW
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (30-19, 12-12 SBC) at App State Mountaineers (28-18, 15-9 SBC)
TIMES (dates and times are subject to change)
Friday (May 8) – 5 p.m. CT
Saturday (May 9) – 2 p.m. CT
Sunday (May 10) – 12 p.m. CT
LOCATION/SITE
Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium (1,027) | Boone, N.C.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
FRIDAY – 5 p.m. CT
LOUISIANA | RH Cody Brasch (6-3, 205, Jr., Haslet, Texas)
'26 Stats: 4-2, 2.42 ERA, 52.0 IP, 36 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 15 BB, 65 K, .197 OppBA
APP STATE | RH Nick DiRito (6-0, 210, R-Jr., Plymouth, Mass.)
'26 Stats: 4-1, 4.50 ERA, 64.0 IP, 66 H, 33 R, 32 ER, 17 BB, 72 K, .261 OppBA
SATURDAY – 2 p.m. CT
LOUISIANA | LH Andrew Herrmann (6-3, 215, Gr., Kennesaw, Ga.)
'26 Stats: 6-2, 3.90 ERA, 80.2 IP, 62 H, 40 R, 35 ER, 25 BB, 87 K, .214 OppBA
APP STATE | RH Gage Peterson (6-5, 220, Jr., Jonesborough, Tenn.)
'26 Stats: 7-0, 3.18 ERA, 68.0 IP, 47 H, 32 R, 24 ER, 33 BB, 88 K, .193 OppBA
SUNDAY – 12 p.m. CT
LOUISIANA | TBA
APP STATE | LH Tanner Nolan (5-11, 165, Jr., Deptford, N.J.)
'26 Stats: 4-0, 6.23 ERA, 47.2 IP, 48 H, 36 R, 33 ER, 22 BB, 39 K, .267 OppBA
RANKINGS
Louisiana – Unranked
App State – Unranked
RADIO/TV/LIVE STATISTICS
TV
Station – ESPN+
Talent – Matt Present (pxp)
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
SERIES RECORD
Overall – Louisiana leads, 14-9
In Lafayette – Series tied, 6-6
In Boone – Louisiana leads, 6-3
Neutral Sites – Louisiana leads, 2-0
Last 10 – Louisiana, 6-4
Streak – Louisiana +1
LOUISIANA ON DECK
• Louisiana makes its final road trip of the regular season when it visits App State in a three-game series.
• The series marks the first meeting between the schools since the Mountaineers took two of three games from the Cajuns in Lafayette in the 2023 season.
• Louisiana will close out the regular season with a Thursday-Saturday series at home against Coastal Carolina.
• Louisiana is second in the SBC in hits allowed per nine innings (8.14) and fielding percentage (.979).
• The Ragin' Cajuns are third among SBC schools in double plays (41), stolen bases (93), triples (12), shutouts (4), WHIP (1.34) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.92).
• Louisiana's 15 quality starts on the season – Andrew Herrmann (7), Sawyer Pruitt (3), JR Tollett (2), Cody Brasch (2) and Ty Roman (1) – have surpassed last season's total (10) set in 58 games.
• Herrmann's four complete games in 2026 is tied with Holy Cross' Jaden Wywoda for the national lead.
• Herrmann and Ty Roman are tied for second nationally in starts (13).
• Louisiana's combined 16 wins by its starting pitchers in 2026 surpassed last season's combined total (12).
• App's Gage Peterson (6.22) and Louisiana's Cody Brasch (6.23) are 1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference in hits allowed per nine innings.
• Brasch enters the weekend ranked No. 2 in the SBC in earned run average.
• Right-hander Garret Carter became the ninth different player to start on the mound this season for Louisiana joining Andrew Herrmann (12), Ty Roman (11), Sawyer Pruitt (8), JR Tollett (7), Cody Brasch (3), Tyler Papenbrock (1), Parker Smith (1) and Landon Victorian (1).
WHAT'S ON TAP
• Louisiana closes out the regular season beginning on Thursday, May 14, at Russo Park when it hosts current league leader and 2025 national runner-up Coastal Carolina.
• Game times are set for 6 p.m. (Thursday-Friday) and 2 p.m. (Saturday).
• All games will be on ESPN+.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will honor their senior class along with graduation ceremonies prior to Saturday's finale.
SCOUTING APP STATE
• App State has won five consecutive Sun Belt series and six of eight series overall in league play after taking two of three games on the road at Troy last weekend.
• App State swept a doubleheader on Saturday as the offense erupted for 11 runs in the seventh inning of game one and Gage Peterson fired seven scoreless innings in a game two shutout.
• Peterson leads the Sun Belt with 88 strikeouts on the season and has fanned at least six batters in all but one start this year. He is 7-0 on the season.
• Steven Smith leads the Mountaineers at the plate, batting .384 with 17 doubles, six home runs and 48 RBIs.
• The Mountaineers as a team are batting .319 on the season, which leads the Sun Belt and ranks eighth nationally. App State is scoring 8.5 runs per game.
First pitch for Friday's opener is set for 5 p.m. CT. The series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT, with the series finale set for Sunday at 12 p.m. CT. 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.
Louisiana (30-19, 12-12 SBC) looks to build on its last two SBC weekends, where the Ragin' Cajuns took two of three games at Arkansas State before a three-game sweep of Georgia State. The Ragin' Cajuns face an App State (28-18, 15-9 SBC) squad which leads the league in several offensive categories, including average (.319), runs scored (392) and hits (506).
Freshman Colt Brown (.319-4-37) leads Louisiana in both average and RBI with Lee Amedee (.313-3-36) and Noah Lewis (.304-1-13) hitting above the .300 mark.
Cody Brasch (4-2, 2.42 ERA) will start in Friday's opener for the Ragin' Cajuns, southpaw Andrew Herrmann (6-2, 3.90 ERA) will start on Saturday, with the Sunday starter to be determined.
App State has won five consecutive Sun Belt series and six of eight series overall in league play after taking two of three games on the road at Troy last weekend. The Mountaineers swept a doubleheader last Saturday as the offense erupted for 11 runs in the seventh inning of game one and Gage Peterson fired seven scoreless innings in a game two shutout.
Peterson (7-0, 3.18 ERA), who will start on the mound on Saturday, leads the Sun Belt with 88 strikeouts on the season and has fanned at least six batters in all but one start this year. Right-hander Nick DiRito (4-1, 4.50 ERA) will start in Friday's opener with left-hander Tanner Nolan (4-0, 6.23 ERA) schedule to pitch Sunday.
Steven Smith leads the Mountaineers at the plate, batting .384 with 17 doubles, six home runs and 48 RBIs.
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 50-52 PREVIEW
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (30-19, 12-12 SBC) at App State Mountaineers (28-18, 15-9 SBC)
TIMES (dates and times are subject to change)
Friday (May 8) – 5 p.m. CT
Saturday (May 9) – 2 p.m. CT
Sunday (May 10) – 12 p.m. CT
LOCATION/SITE
Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium (1,027) | Boone, N.C.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
FRIDAY – 5 p.m. CT
LOUISIANA | RH Cody Brasch (6-3, 205, Jr., Haslet, Texas)
'26 Stats: 4-2, 2.42 ERA, 52.0 IP, 36 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 15 BB, 65 K, .197 OppBA
APP STATE | RH Nick DiRito (6-0, 210, R-Jr., Plymouth, Mass.)
'26 Stats: 4-1, 4.50 ERA, 64.0 IP, 66 H, 33 R, 32 ER, 17 BB, 72 K, .261 OppBA
SATURDAY – 2 p.m. CT
LOUISIANA | LH Andrew Herrmann (6-3, 215, Gr., Kennesaw, Ga.)
'26 Stats: 6-2, 3.90 ERA, 80.2 IP, 62 H, 40 R, 35 ER, 25 BB, 87 K, .214 OppBA
APP STATE | RH Gage Peterson (6-5, 220, Jr., Jonesborough, Tenn.)
'26 Stats: 7-0, 3.18 ERA, 68.0 IP, 47 H, 32 R, 24 ER, 33 BB, 88 K, .193 OppBA
SUNDAY – 12 p.m. CT
LOUISIANA | TBA
APP STATE | LH Tanner Nolan (5-11, 165, Jr., Deptford, N.J.)
'26 Stats: 4-0, 6.23 ERA, 47.2 IP, 48 H, 36 R, 33 ER, 22 BB, 39 K, .267 OppBA
RANKINGS
Louisiana – Unranked
App State – Unranked
RADIO/TV/LIVE STATISTICS
TV
Station – ESPN+
Talent – Matt Present (pxp)
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
SERIES RECORD
Overall – Louisiana leads, 14-9
In Lafayette – Series tied, 6-6
In Boone – Louisiana leads, 6-3
Neutral Sites – Louisiana leads, 2-0
Last 10 – Louisiana, 6-4
Streak – Louisiana +1
LOUISIANA ON DECK
• Louisiana makes its final road trip of the regular season when it visits App State in a three-game series.
• The series marks the first meeting between the schools since the Mountaineers took two of three games from the Cajuns in Lafayette in the 2023 season.
• Louisiana will close out the regular season with a Thursday-Saturday series at home against Coastal Carolina.
• Louisiana is second in the SBC in hits allowed per nine innings (8.14) and fielding percentage (.979).
• The Ragin' Cajuns are third among SBC schools in double plays (41), stolen bases (93), triples (12), shutouts (4), WHIP (1.34) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.92).
• Louisiana's 15 quality starts on the season – Andrew Herrmann (7), Sawyer Pruitt (3), JR Tollett (2), Cody Brasch (2) and Ty Roman (1) – have surpassed last season's total (10) set in 58 games.
• Herrmann's four complete games in 2026 is tied with Holy Cross' Jaden Wywoda for the national lead.
• Herrmann and Ty Roman are tied for second nationally in starts (13).
• Louisiana's combined 16 wins by its starting pitchers in 2026 surpassed last season's combined total (12).
• App's Gage Peterson (6.22) and Louisiana's Cody Brasch (6.23) are 1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference in hits allowed per nine innings.
• Brasch enters the weekend ranked No. 2 in the SBC in earned run average.
• Right-hander Garret Carter became the ninth different player to start on the mound this season for Louisiana joining Andrew Herrmann (12), Ty Roman (11), Sawyer Pruitt (8), JR Tollett (7), Cody Brasch (3), Tyler Papenbrock (1), Parker Smith (1) and Landon Victorian (1).
WHAT'S ON TAP
• Louisiana closes out the regular season beginning on Thursday, May 14, at Russo Park when it hosts current league leader and 2025 national runner-up Coastal Carolina.
• Game times are set for 6 p.m. (Thursday-Friday) and 2 p.m. (Saturday).
• All games will be on ESPN+.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will honor their senior class along with graduation ceremonies prior to Saturday's finale.
SCOUTING APP STATE
• App State has won five consecutive Sun Belt series and six of eight series overall in league play after taking two of three games on the road at Troy last weekend.
• App State swept a doubleheader on Saturday as the offense erupted for 11 runs in the seventh inning of game one and Gage Peterson fired seven scoreless innings in a game two shutout.
• Peterson leads the Sun Belt with 88 strikeouts on the season and has fanned at least six batters in all but one start this year. He is 7-0 on the season.
• Steven Smith leads the Mountaineers at the plate, batting .384 with 17 doubles, six home runs and 48 RBIs.
• The Mountaineers as a team are batting .319 on the season, which leads the Sun Belt and ranks eighth nationally. App State is scoring 8.5 runs per game.
Players Mentioned
IF
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RHP
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RHP/C
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LHP
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OF
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LHP
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RHP
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LHP
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RHP
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RHP
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