These Cajuns practice the art of the home run at the University of Louisiana at La.

Do they ever.

Outfielder Danyele Gomez leads the nation at 28 and has 81 in four seasons, ranking her fourth on the NCAA’s all-time list. Outfielder Ashley Evans is sixth, with 20 homers this season. First baseman Lacey Bertucci is ninth, at 19.

Plus, second baseman Brittany Bryant has 12. And Holly Tankersley has nine (after hitting 21 in 2004 and redshirting last season).

Consider: Bryant leads off, Gomez hits second, Bertucci third and Evans fourth.

“I wouldn’t want to throw to our lineup,” Evans said. “Especially when everybody’s clicking. I don’t think we can be beat.”

UL (45-10) will try for its sixth straight Sun Belt Conference tournament title at 5:30 p.m. today at Florida International in Miami against the winner of a 1:30 p.m. game between Middle Tennessee and Troy.

The Cajuns are 19-0 all-time in the five seasons of the SBC tournament. They also have won all six regular-season titles.

UL has 98 homers this season — already 17 more than last season. Only Texas-San Antonio, at 103, has more.

“What’s hard about it is you have a pitcher throwing, in the mid-60s, from 43 feet away,” UL co-head coach Michael Lotief said. “It’s hard to do.”

In a game that tilts its hand toward pitching, the dropoff to even fifth, where Baylor is, with 63, is dramatic.

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By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter