SB G1 Final: Louisiana 12, App State 6

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana closes the month of March in Boone, North Carolina vs. App State at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.

Louisiana seeks to continue best start to SBC play since 2019

No. 25 Louisiana (21-13, 6-0 SBC) at App State (15-13, 3-3 SBC)
Dates: Thursday-Saturday, March 28-30, 2024
Location: Boone, N.C.
Stadium: Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium
Series Schedule:
Thu., Mar. 28 – 4:00 p.m. (CDT)
Fri., Mar. 29 – 2:00 p.m. (CDT)
Sat., Mar. 30 – 11:00 a.m. (CDT)

LEADING OFF
Louisiana closes the month of March with an Easter Weekend series in Boone, North Carolina vs. App State at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.

The Cajuns sit atop the Sun Belt standings – as the lone unbeaten team – following sweeps of South Alabama and Coastal Carolina.

UL arrives in Boone as winners of 12 of the last 13 games, dating back to the win at No. 1 Oklahoma, and a season-high eight games above .500.

Louisiana makes its fourth-ever appearance in Boone, the previous stops occurring in 2015, 2019 and 2022.

The 6-0 start in SBC play marks the best start for UL since the 2019 team went undefeated (25-0) in conference play.


A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads, 15-2
Last: 3/25/23 – APP 5, UL 3 (Lamson Park)
Streak: App State, +1

- Series began with App State's entry into the Sun Belt Conference in 2015.
- Fourth series matchup in Boone (previous came in 2015, 2019 and 2022).
- Louisiana claimed each of the first 11 meetings in the series, including three shutouts in a sweep at Lamson Park in 2018.
- App State captured its first series win in the 2022 opener in Boone, then claimed its first-ever win in Lafayette in the 2023 series finale.
- Cajuns hold a 7-1 series edge in Boone.
- Series has been interrupted three times: winter storm canceling 2017 series in Boone; COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 canceling series at Lamson Park; scheduling modifications leaving teams off each other's schedule in 2021.


THIS 'N THAT
Louisiana is 18-3 when scoring first (scored first 13 of last 15 games).

In SBC play the Cajuns have seven starters batting above .300, of which five are above .400 led by Brooke Ellestad's .529 mark.

UL pitching is limiting foes to .213 hitting in SBC play (30 hits over 41 IP).

The Ragin' Cajuns batted .369 and had a 1.95 ERA during its nine-game win streak prior to the midweek loss at LA Tech.

Sam Landry worked 19-1/3 innings and held foes to eight hits and three earned runs during UL's 4-0 week vs. McNeese and South Alabama.

The Cajuns batted .407 with 41 runs off of 46 hits at UCA's Milisa Moore Tournament. Nine (9) different players posted multiple base hits.

Sam Roe was named SBC Player of the Week on March 5 after batting .333 with six (6) hits including a two-run insurance booster in extras at OU.

Entering March, Louisiana had faced the nation's toughest schedule – sitting at No. 1 in strength of schedule.

Cajuns pitching sported a sub-3.00 ERA in February against a schedule that included 11 games against Power 5 competition.

Chloe Riassetto emerged in the circle vs. Baylor, taking a two-hit shutout to the seventh on Friday and tossing 2-2/3 scoreless relief Sunday.

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.


NUMBERS TO KNEAUX
9: Brooke Ellestad has a team-leading nine (9) RBI in SBC play, boosted by three multi-hit and three multi-RBI outings.
14: Mihyia Davis sports a career-best 14-game hitting streak (school record is 25 games).
26: Mihyia Davis (15) and Maddie Hayden (11) have combined for 26 multiple-hit games.
50: Sam Landry collected her 50th career victory in the Coastal series finale. She stands 50-15 with a 2.19 ERA in her career.
83: Consecutive SBC series won by Louisiana, a nation-best streak that dates back to March 2013.

Louisiana Athletics
RaginCajuns.com
PRESS RELEASE

[Turbine]

Time adjustment

Thursday game moved up to 4pm due to cool/cold weather

[ragin50]

Time adjustment

Thursday game moved up to 4pm due to cool/cold weather

How much will playing these games hurt our RPI?

[VObserver]

How much will playing these games hurt our RPI?

In spite of their RPI, App still has a winning record. These games will hurt a little, but they will not be devastating. Fortunately. we do not play Ga St this year.

[RaginDave]

In spite of their RPI, App still has a winning record. These games will hurt a little, but they will not be devastating. Fortunately. we do not play Ga St this year.

This is the biggest game of the season, until it's not.

[VObserver]

This is the biggest game of the season, until it's not.

Every game is the biggest game of the year on the day we play it.

Also, with reference to App and their RPI: 146 is still in the top half of Division 1. There are 307 D1 Softball teams. The games that really hurt are New Mexico [206] and SFA [237].

[Turbine]

307

Softball has really grown.

[fanof71]

4pm, 20mph Northwest wind...48 degrees. if the wind is blowing out...expect a home run derby...

[ragin50]

Every game is the biggest game of the year on the day we play it.

Also, with reference to App and their RPI: 146 is still in the top half of Division 1. There are 307 D1 Softball teams. The games that really hurt are New Mexico [206] and SFA [237].

Still don't quite understand why we made the trip to Central Arkansas.

[CajunRage]

Still don't quite understand why we made the trip to Central Arkansas.

SFA won 30 games last year and UCA won 45

[VObserver]

Still don't quite understand why we made the trip to Central Arkansas.

Last year Central Arkansas had a final RPI of 20. It made perfect sense to schedule them. How were we to know that Alabama was going to poach their Ace pitcher, and that they had no one close to her talent on the roster or coming in?

[ragin50]

Last year Central Arkansas had a final RPI of 20. It made perfect sense to schedule them. How were we to know that Alabama was going to poach their Ace pitcher, and that they had no one close to her talent on the roster or coming in?

It did make sense to play them, but it seems like the tourney should have been at Lamson instead of on the road.

[du42]

Still don't quite understand why we made the trip to Central Arkansas.

We needed wins

[CajunRage]

It did make sense to play them, but it seems like the tourney should have been at Lamson instead of on the road.

less risky road wins
balanced our schedule
you can't just move a tournament to our place

[RaginScotsman]

Unmanned outfield camera blows over right as the broadcast begins. Good or bad sign?