The best thing to happen to Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun softball program in a long time was the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week acclaim earned this week by sophomore Heather Bobbitt.

Bobbitt posted two shutouts at Florida International last weekend, pairing with All-American Brooke Mitchell to notch a four-game sweep of the Panthers in Miami for the first time in UL history.

If the Cajuns can get that kind of one-two punch in four-game Sun Belt weekends, and can enjoy the luxury of letting Mitchell focus on two quality starts per series, then the rest of the conference is in for a difficult stretch run.

The No. 14 Cajuns (34-7 overall, 8-0) resume league play today at Ragin' Cajun Softball Park with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against North Texas (10-25, 3-5), to be followed by a noon twinbill on Sunday.

Bobbitt improved to 9-0 on the year on Wednesday, working the nightcap of a 6-2, 9-0 doubleheader sweep of future Sun Belt member UL Monroe. She has lowered her earned run average to 1.51 and has an air of confidence not seen earlier.

Mitchell, meanwhile, is marching along at her usual record pace with a 22-6 record, a 0.72 ERA and 276 strikeouts in 165 1/3 innings of work.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com