Baylor Takes the Three Game Series 2-1
Louisiana Softball hosts No. 22 Baylor at Lamson Park – the first-ever three-game weekend series between the programs who met 30 times previously in a variety of settings.
UL is back home after making its road debut on Tuesday (Feb. 13) in a doubleheader in Starkville, Mississippi.
The Baylor series, followed by next Tuesday's LA Tech single game, rounds out a season-opening, 13-day stretch in which the Cajuns play nine of their first 11 games at Lamson Park.
The BU series is the next set of 15 games total that Louisiana will play against Power 5 teams during the regular season.
Louisiana seeks to halt a three-game losing streak that began in the last outing at Lamson Park, a 3-1 extra-inning loss to California.
The series with Baylor marks the Cajuns' first matchups against a ranked team in the 2024 season.
Louisiana enjoys the comforts of home for the second straight weekend to start the season – the last weekend at Lamson Park until the March 22-24 SBC home-opening series vs. Coastal Carolina.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads, 17-13
Last: 4/11/23 – BU 2, UL 1 (Waco, Texas)
Streak: Baylor, +2
- First time in series history meeting in a traditional three-game weekend series setting.
- Increase in regular season meetings began in 2014, having met 10 times in the midweek since.
- Last met at Lamson Park in March 2021, an 8-1 Baylor win began Bears' current two-game series win streak.
- Cajuns hold a 10-5 series edge at Lamson Park.
- UL's two NCAA postseason series win came in 2015 NCAA Lafayette Regional at Lamson Park.
- Series dates back to 1980s, with first nine meetings occurring from 1983-98.
- Cajuns and Bears have met 21 times since 2007.
THIS 'N THAT
Two-out hitting was contagious for UL on Opening Weekend, scoring 30 of 45 runs (67%) in two-out situations.
Sam Landry began the season with 10-plus consecutive scoreless innings pitched, highlighted by the no-hitter of California.
Louisiana was preseason ranked in all four major polls: No. 21 in NFCA, ESPN/USA Softball and D1Softball and No. 23 by Softball America.
Louisiana was the unanimous choice as the favorite to win the 2024 Sun Belt Conference softball title in a vote of the league's 12 head coaches.
Mihyia Davis, the 2023 SBC Freshman of the Year and NFCA All-American, was chosen as the SBC Preseason Player of the Year.
Sophie Piskos, Lauren Allred, Alexa Langeliers, Brooke Ellestad and Sam Landry joined Davis on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.
Louisiana now has a veteran-laden roster with Gerry Glasco's No. 1 recruiting Class of 2022 now entering their junior campaign, plus the key offseason transfer additions of five upperclassmen.
Louisiana welcomes two new coaches to the dugout: defensive coach Hunter Veach and hitting coach Shellie Landry, an All-American alumnae who competed for the program from 2013-16.
NUMBERS TO KNEAUX
13: Of the 21 team members on UL's roster, there are 13 total upperclassmen (62 percent).
14: UL displayed a quick-strike offense, scoring 14 runs in the first inning the first five games.
31: The Cajuns lineup drew 31 walks on Opening Weekend for a .506 on base percentage.
40: Number of career wins for Sam Landry early on in her junior season (40-12, 2.14 ERA).
52: Nation-leading stolen bases collected by Mihyia Davis in 2023 – second-most in program history.
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