The Book 2007 Ragin' Cajun Baseball

[NewsCopy]

In past years, when UL prepared for a baseball series with Western Kentucky, the Ragin' Cajuns could figure on having success - if not a sweep - against the Hilltoppers. But this is not your old WKU squad, and nobody's assuming anything any more. Western has a winning Sun Belt Conference record through four league weekends, and the Hilltoppers are coming off a two-of-three series win over preseason league favorite Troy. The Toppers also took two of three at Florida International in their previous conference series, exactly the same result that the Cajuns had at FIU last weekend. It's another stiff test for the Cajuns (24-6, 9-3), who have a share of first place in the Sun Belt riding on a weekend series that begins at 6:30 p.m. today at Moore Field. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[Turner]

I heard an interview early in the week where the coach was Lafayetting us to death. I swear he thinks our name is Lafayette I hope we sweep.

[NewsCopy]

UL's baseball team laced three home runs in the first four innings Friday night, but the Moore Field crowd saved its biggest ovation for a curtain call. That came just before Western Kentucky batted in the top of the ninth inning, when Danny Farquhar came on in relief of Cajun starter Buddy Glass. Before Farquhar began pitching, the UL faithful began chanting, "Buddy, Buddy." The junior righthander came out with a quick cap wave, much to the delight of the 2,526 on hand that braved cool conditions to watch the Cajuns take an 8-2 win over the Hilltoppers in their Sun Belt Conference series opener. Glass deserved the ovation, after checking the 'Toppers on eight hits and two early runs while fanning seven. "Coach told me they were giving me the curtain call, and to go out and take it," Glass quipped after his second-longest outing of the year. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns (25-7, 10-4 Sun Belt) baseball team suffered their first loss at home this season as they dropped a 6-5 decision to Western Kentucky (12-15, 6-5 SBC) in 10 innings at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. Tied 5-5 in the 10th inning, pitcher Danny Farquhar recorded the first two outs of the inning by way of a ground out and a strikeout. Western Kentucky’s Matt Hightower lifted a 0-1 pitch over the right centerfield wall to give the Hilltoppers a 6-5 advantage. The Cajuns put the tying run on base as pinch hitter Matt Hicks drew a base on balls. Hicks advanced to second on a wild pitch, but back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout ended the inning and the Cajuns chance at a comeback. Farquhar (2-2) took the loss for the Cajuns. The sophomore surrendered just two hits in 3.1 innings of work, but gave up the game winning homerun to take the loss. Farquhar fanned five batters without issuing a walk in the game. Offensively, Nolan Gisclair and Jonathan Lucroy both finished the game 3-for-5. The duo had three singles apiece. Jefferies Tatford and Scott Hawkins both had a homerun apiece in the game. For Tatford, the homer was number six on the year, while Hawkins’ dinger as number nine. After a slight weather delay, the Cajuns and Toppers got underway and the Ragin’ Cajuns didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard. A one-out bunt single by Gisclair gave the Cajuns their first base runner of the afternoon. A walk by Tatford gave UL runners at first and second. Lucroy singled through the left side of the infield scoring the speedy Gisclair from second. The Ragin’ Cajuns were unable to plate any more runners, but at the end of one inning of play, the Cajuns had a 1-0 lead. The Cajuns added a run in the bottom of the second inning. Devery Van De Keere singled through the right side of the infield, but he was erased as William Long bunted into a fielder’s choice. Long stole second and advanced to third on a fly ball to deep right field. Gisclair singled up to score Long from third and give UL a 2-0 after two innings of play. In the fourth inning, the Hilltoppers scored a pair of runs to knot the score at 2-2. With one out, Moody hit a batter with a pitch. A single and a fielding error gave WKU runners at second and third with just one out. A double down the right field line plated two runs and tied the score. The Cajuns used the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead. Devon Bourque singled to left field to start off the inning. Josh Logan put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner. Tatford stepped to the plate with two outs and proceeded to hit his sixth homerun of the season. The ball just cleared the right centerfield wall, but gave the Cajuns a two-run advantage. Western Kentucky tied the score once again with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. After striking out the first batter, Moody surrendered back to back singles to left field. A triple to right field cleared the bases and tied the score at 4-4. The Cajuns broke the tie in the fifth inning. Hawkins hit his ninth homerun of the year to lead off the inning for UL’s only run of the inning. In the top of the seventh inning, the Hilltoppers used a pair of hits to tie the score. With one out, WKU was able to get a single up the middle. A passed ball allowed the runner to move to second base. After a strike out recorded the second out of the inning, the Toppers got a single up the middle to score the runner and tie the game. The game would remain tied at 5-5 until Hightower’s homerun in the top of the 10th inning. LOUISIANA SI

[GoneGolfin]

Folks,

If you would like to take in a little College baseball tomorrow afternoon while tracking what should be an interesting Masters finish, you have some choices if you have DirecTV. In fact, you can take in a little Tulane preview.

12pm South Carolina at Florida (series tied 1-1) (Channel 73, 206) ESPNHD and ESPN
12pm Georgia Tech at Miami (series tied 1-1) Channel 629
12pm Bethune Cookman at NC A&T (BC leads series 2-0) Channel 609 (ESPNU)
1pm Memphis at Tulane (Memphis leads series 2-0) Channel 610 (CSTV)
10:30pm Tennessee at Kentucky (Tennessee leads series 2-0) Channel 631

There are also various replays of .
Stanford at Arizona State (Sun Devils swept the Cardinal this weekend)
Georgia Tech at Miami
Tennessee at Kentucky
Oklahoma at Baylor (Baylor won series 2-1)

Happy Easter everyone and God Bless!

Brian

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UL's baseball team hadn't lost at home all season, but the Ragin' Cajuns were in prime shape to be swept by Western Kentucky in a cold and rainy Moore Field doubleheader Saturday. Gregory Harmon and Jefferies Tatford wouldn't let it happen. Harmon pitched six strong relief innings in Saturday's second contest and Tatford launched a game-changing grand-slam in that game's sixth inning, propelling the Cajuns to a 10-6 nightcap win and a 2-1 advantage in the weekend Sun Belt Conference series. Western Kentucky had claimed Saturday's first game 6-5 in 10 innings thanks to Matt Hightower's clutch 10th-inning homer, and the visiting Hilltoppers held a 6-0 lead midway through the sixth inning of the nightcap. That was before UL (26-7, 11-4) exploded for eight runs in the bottom of that frame, and Tatford's two-out, 3-and-2 slam over the right-field wall sent home the final four of those runs. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Don't get Lafayette High's Brian Bowman wrong. He loved playing basketball for the Mighty Lions, and earned first-team All-District honors this past season in leading Lafayette High to a third-place finish and state playoff berth. He also can't wait until he begins his career as a UL Ragin' Cajun baseball player in the fall. It's at that time that he'll finally be able to put all his energy into one sport. "At UL, it's going to start in the summer and be a year around thing,'' Bowman said. "I'm definitely looking forward to it.'' Even as a senior, Bowman found the transition from basketball to baseball to be a tough one. "There's just a big difference seeing that little ball all of a sudden compared to that big round ball,'' he said. "It was tough. At one point, Coach (Jay Domengeaux) even moved me into the nine hole. It's just hard when you don't swing the bat for a couple of months. Your hips start to fly open. There are a lot of things that go wrong.'' The rest of the story Kevin Foote kfoote@theadvertiser.com

[ulforlife]

Congrats to the cajuns for not bowing down. Yesterday was a glum day at the Tigue and it just wasn't happening for a lot of the guys. I was getting worried in that 2nd game! Geaux Cajuns!

[CajunCherokee]

I had to leave for a family function 2 batters before Tat's granny.

But I'll take it!

[Cajun Express]

_ I had to leave for a family function 2 batters before Tat's granny.

But I'll take it! _

Tat has become the player we all looked for when he signed. He is having a marvelous season.

[CajunProud]

_ Tat has become the player we all looked for when he signed. He is having a marvelous season. _

If VanDeKeer (Spelling?) ever comes around this season, just imagine how dangerous we will be.

[CajunProud]

Anybody planning on going to the baseball game tomorrow night at Zephyr field?

Who are we pithcing?

[CrazyCajun]

We Have A Crew That Is Planning To Go But New Orleans Is Expecting Close To An Inch Of Rain Tomorrow So I Have A Feeling It Will Get Rained Out.

[BirdofParadise]

_ Anybody planning on going to the baseball game tomorrow night at Zephyr field?

Who are we pithcing? _

Solich will start.

[CajunProud]

_ Solich will start. _

I assume that the length of his start depends on how he is pitching and the score of the game, etc, but is he pre-determined to pitch a set amount of innings, or is he slated to go all the way if he is pitiching well.