JONESBORO, Ark. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns golf team will look to build on its recently-improved play here Monday and Tuesday in the Ninth Annual ASU Indian Golf Classic, hosted by Arkansas State University, at the RidgePointe Country Club.

Rounds one and two will be played on Monday, April 11, on the par-72 course, which has a championship yardage of 6,539. The third and final round will be played on Tuesday, April 12.

Last season, Craig Trahan finished tied for seventh overall to lead the Cajuns to a 10th-place finish at the ASU Indian Golf Classic.

Last weekend, Louisiana-Lafayette finished tied for sixth at the LSU Spring Invitational after a final-round 288. Freshman Justin Lowe finished tied for sixth individually with a one-over-par 217.

Three freshmen - Morgan Landry, Lowe and Michael Smith - and two upperclassmen - Glyn Bateman and Steven Pena - will compete for the Cajuns at the ASU Indian Golf Classic.

"We are playing three freshmen this tournament and I think we are playing better throughout the squad," Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Bob Bass said. "We had our best finishing round of the season last weekend at LSU."

"We have had some very solid first rounds in two prior tournaments leading one and being two strokes out in another. We are close to putting it all together."

Fifteen teams will participated in this year's tournament, including host-Arkansas State, Illinois State, Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Nebraska, New Orleans, North Texas, Northern Iowa, Oral Roberts, Rice, South Florida, Southern Illinois, Southern Mississippi, Southwest Missouri State and Louisiana.

Arkansas State has won the tournament five previous times, including four consecutive championships from 1999-2002.

Former Ragin' Cajuns All-American Richard Ainley won the individual championship in 2000.

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns will return to action next week for the 2005 Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Golf Championships on April 18-20 at the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla.



LOUISIANA SI