RUSTON — Today’s 4 p.m. doubleheader against old foe Louisiana Tech will give the Lady Cajuns of Louisiana a chance to further sharpen their game as they eye another Sun Belt Conference crown.

Coach Stefni Lotief’s 35-4 squad opened SBC play with a three-game sweep at New Mexico State last weekend (they were robbed of a fourth win by rain) and resume league action at home next weekend against Florida International.

In between stands Tech, 18-22 and 5-5 in Western Athletic Conference play.

“I think it’s good for us to play them right now,” Lotief said. “We have a little school break here, and we’re trying to keep the pace that we’ve set. This gives us an opportunity to play an in-state school, and the travel isn’t too far.

“We played them earlier in the year, and like everyone else I’m sure they’ve made some improvements. But we’re really playing against ourselves, trying to do the things we like to see happen.”

When the two met in Lafayette on Feb. 15, UL rolled to an 11-1 victory. The last trip to Ruston saw the Cajuns take four games by a combined 20-1 in 2001 when Tech was a Sun Belt member.

While junior pitcher Brooke Mitchell continues to lead the Cajuns with a 29-3 record, a 0.56 earned run average and 361 strikeouts in 200 1/3 innings, last weekend was marked by breakout hitting from Ashley Evans and Tiffany Hebert.

Evans returned from injury to launch a pair of home runs and collect four runs batted in, while Hebert raised her batting average over 40 points with a 5-for-7 effort that included two homers, four runs and four RBI.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com