Louisiana Takes Aim at SBC Title While in Troy

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana enters postseason play on Thursday, May 8 in the quarterfinal round of the Sun Belt Championship Tournament at the Troy Softball Complex in Troy, Alabama.

The Ragin' Cajuns won nine of their last 10 SBC games to elevate themselves to the No. 3 seed in the tournament.

UL's strong finish to the regular season brought the team from 11th in the SBC standings on April 12 to the third place finish.

In the tournament opener, Louisiana and App State are meeting in the SBC's postseason event for the first time.

The Cajuns and Mountaineers did not meet in the regular season.

UL has played for the SBC Championship Tournament title in all but two of the previous 24 events, last winning a title in Troy in 2021.


TRENDING
Since April 1, Mallory Wheeler (2.40), Sam Ryan (1.65) and Tyra Clary (2.62) have all posted sub-3.00 ERAs.

The pitching staff's ERA since April 1 stands at 2.63.

Defense has just three errors the last three weeks of play (67.0 innings).

Mallory Wheeler's yielded two runs or less in five of her last seven starts.

Maddie Hayden batted 7-for-8 with a multi-hit performance all three games last week vs. USM. She leads UL with 20 multiple-hit games.

Dayzja Williams turned in four multi-hit efforts the last three SBC series, batting .414 and totaling 12 hits in the stretch (USA, TXST, USM).

Emily Smith has delivered an RBI in five of the last six games.

Tyra Clary has yielded only one run the last 8-1/3 innings as a reliever.

In SBC play, 12 different players contributed multiple RBI.


SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
All-Time Record: 74-10 (.881)
Championships: 18
Last Championship: 2023 (Lafayette, La.)
Current Streak: L1 (2024-present)
Longest Streak: W22 (2000-06)
Most Consecutive Titles: 7 (2000-06)

Louisiana holds the all-time record with 18 titles won in the SBC Championship Tournament.
Cajuns previously won the title at the Troy Softball Complex in 2008, 2017 and 2021.
UL has been at least a Top 3 seed throughout the entire history of the SBC Championship Tournament (2000-present).
Louisiana earned the No. 1 seed in 21 of the previous 24 instances of the tournament.
Won tournament opener each year since 2010.
Played for the title last 10 times (2014-19, 2021-24).
Among 2025 field, UL's most common opponent in the SBC Championship Tournament final is Texas State – met five times (2016-18, 2022, 2024).


THIS 'N THAT
Of the Cajuns' 10 losses in SBC play, seven were by one run.

UL stands No. 2 nationally in double plays turned, per game and overall.

Nos. 3-4 hitters Emily Smith (24) and Sam Roe (19) accounted for 43 of the 95 RBI (45%) that Louisiana recorded in SBC play.

Cajuns stand 21-4 when leading after five and own four comeback wins in the seventh or later (Ole Miss, Houston, ULM, South Alabama).

Starting with the Troy series finale, the pitching staff held foes to two runs or less during seven of the next nine games (from April 5-21).

Emily Smith, the 2025 SBC Freshman of the Year, was the only true freshman to rank Top 10 in SBC play in average, OPS, RBI and home runs.

Emily Smith has a team-leading 43 RBI. The last true freshman who was the sole individual leader in RBI was Holly Tankersley (53 RBI) in 2004.

Sam Ryan's combined shutout of Southern Miss was the third shutout that she was involved in since April 1.

Maddie Hayden sits nine (9) RBI shy from holding 200 hits, 100 runs, 100 RBI and 50 stolen bases in her collegiate career.

Kayla Falterman carried a .400-plus average through April. She's second on the squad with a career-high 12 multiple-hit games.

Savannah White has eight (8) caught stealing and foes have only 34 steal attempts in her 46 appearances.


UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
A win on Thursday would advance Louisiana to the 4:00 p.m. semifinal contest of the SBC Softball Championship Tournament in Troy, Alabama on Friday, May 9 to play against the winner of the Marshall and Coastal Carolina-Southern Miss first round survivor.

The championship game is set for Saturday, May 10 at 1:30 p.m. live on ESPN2.

A loss on Thursday eliminates the Ragin' Cajuns from the single-elimination tournament at the Troy Softball Complex.

All nine tournament games will be available on ESPN+. Fans can also hear all of the Ragin' Cajuns contests on The Goat 103.3 FM and 1420 AM in the Acadiana region and worldwide on The Varsity Network.

Louisiana Athletics
RaginCajuns.com
PRESS RELEASE

[lcitsh]

I'm going to use this thread to track Cajun non-conference opponents on their post season journey in case the Cajuns don't win the conference tournament and need an at large bid. The number in front is their current rpi ranking. I will put the overall record of those whose season is completed after their name.

#1 Texas A&M - #2 seed in the SEC tournament and play the winner of Alabama vs. South Carolina tomorrow.

#4 LSU - #9 seed in the SEC tournament, playing Mississippi State today.

#8 Texas - #3 seed in the SEC tournament, playing the Ole Miss/Florida winner tomorrow.

#17 Auburn(32-22) - #15 seed (last place) in the SEC tournament, eliminated by Alabama yesterday. 0-1 for the week.

#18 Alabama - #10 seed in the SEC tournament, defeated Auburn yesterday, play South Carolina today.

#21 Ole Miss - #11 seed in the SEC tournament, defeated Missouri yesterday, play Florida today.

#22 Mississippi State - #8 seed in the SEC tournament, play LSU today.

#48 Iowa - #6 seed in the Big 10 tournament, playing Penn State today.

#59 Central Arkansas - #3 seed in the Atlantic Sun tournament, playing Florida Gulf Coast today.

#77 Louisiana Tech - #4 seed in the Conference USA tournament, playing New Mexico State today.

#78 McNeese - #1 seed in the Southland tournament. Southland played the earlier rounds last week and McNeese is playing Southeastern for the championship in a best of three matchup starting tomorrow.

#83 Houston - #11 seed (last place) in the Big 12 tournament, playing BYU today.

#117 Sam Houston - #6 seed in the Conference USA tournament, playing Jacksonville State today.

#134 Seton Hall(29-23) - did not qualify for the Big East tournament. Season concluded.

#161 Longwood - #2 seed in the Big South tournament, playing USC Upstate tomorrow.

#182 Rutgers(20-36) - did not qualify for the Big 10 tournament. Season concluded.

#191 Northern Illinois - #6 seed in the Mid-American tournament, playing Central Michigan today.

#250 George Mason(18-35) - did not qualify for the Atlantic 10 tournament. Season concluded.

#274 Kansas City - #6 seed (last place) in the Summit tournament, playing South Dakota today.

[BeauCajun]

CCU & JMU win today.

[lcitsh]

#4 LSU - shuts out Mississippi State, 5-0, and plays Oklahoma tomorrow.

#18 Alabama(37-21) - loses to South Carolina, 6-2, finishes 1-1 for the week.

#21 Ole Miss - defeats Florida in 8, 6-3, plays Texas tomorrow.

#22 Mississippi State(37-17) - falls to LSU, 5-0, 0-1 record for the week.

#48 Iowa(35-18) - loses to Penn State, 6-2, goes 0-1 for the week. Unlikely to get an at large bid now.

#59 Central Arkansas - lost to Florida Gulf Coast, 5-3, and goes to the loser's bracket. They will play the loser of Stetson vs. North Florida tomorrow.

#77 Louisiana Tech - beats New Mexico State, 5-4, and will play Liberty tomorrow.

#83 Houston(22-25) - wraps up their season with a 4-0 loss to Brigham Young. They go 0-1 for the week.

#117 Sam Houston - loses to Jacksonville State, 11-0 in 5, then beats New Mexico State, 5-3. They will play the loser of Western Kentucky/Jacksonville State tomorrow.

#191 Northern Illinois - defeated Central Michigan, 6-5 in 8. They will play Ohio tomorrow.

#274 Kansas City(5-43) - defeated by South Dakota, 8-6. 0-1 for the week, season concluded.