Game Notes: Games 29-31 - vs. No.17 / 20 Louisiana-Lafayette
General Public Weekend Parking Information
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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team will welcome conference rival Louisiana-Lafayette this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series.  The two teams are scheduled to open the series with a pair of games on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Jaguar Field and then close out the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

"This series is always an anticipated weekend for both sides and I think these games make both teams better each time we play," South Alabama head coach Becky Clark said.  "There is always a post-season feel to these games because of the competitiveness of both programs.  Overall it is just a great atmosphere and experience for our players and fans."

Live stats and the web stream all three games of the series can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com, while game two will be joined in progress at the conclusion of the baseball game and can be heard on 99.5 The Jag FM.  Reserved seat tickets can be purchased for $8, while general admission seating is available for $5.  

Saturday will be Military Appreciation Day and all active and retired military personnel will receive free admission with ID.  The Jaguars will wear camo jerseys versus the Ragin' Cajuns on Saturday and those will be available for fans to bid on, beginning at noon on Saturday when the gates to Jaguar Field open.  Fans can bid on their favorite jersey with the proceeds benefiting Volunteers of America – Southeast at www.usajaguars.com/auctions.  The online auction will go from Saturday at noon through Friday, March 31 at noon.

On Sunday, Jaguar Senior Trading Cards will also be available for fans in addition to a post-game autograph session.

South Alabama (19-9, 2-4 SBC) comes into this weekend's conference series versus the Ragin' Cajuns after falling 2-1 at Southern Mississippi on Wednesday night.  Trailing 2-0 in the sixth inning against the Golden Eagles, the Jags had the bases loaded with nobody out, but they were only able to score one run.  The loss to USM was South's sixth in its last eight outings.

Heading into this important Sun Belt series, Clark is looking for a few key things out of her club.

"We have to play fundamental softball and take care of the little things within the game that equal big results," Clark said.  "From a pitching and defensive standpoint, we have to eliminate the big inning and offensively we have to work to put big innings together.  So I look for us to make pitches and plays on defense and have great at-bats and timely hits.  On the mental side, this series is always about grit and toughness so I expect us to dig in and compete."

Kaleigh Todd ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in several categories as she is third in hits (34) and stolen bases (14), fourth in batting average (.400), seventh in runs scored (24) and on-base percentage (.480).  MC Nichols holds a .439 batting average which is second-best in the Sun Belt this spring coming into the weekend.

Amanda Minahan has provided the power for the Jags this season as she has six of the club's 11 home runs.  Her six home runs are tied for seventh-most in the league and her 21 RBI are also tied for seventh.

Kristian Foster is second on the Jag roster with 14 runs drive in, while Savanna Mayo is right behind her with 12.  Foster and Megan Harris are each hitting over .300 coming into the week at .333 and .306, respectively.

Coming into the weekend series versus ULL, the Jags are second in the league and 21st in the NCAA with a earned run average of 1.75.  USA is also holding opponents to a .208 batting average.

Junior right-hander Devin Brown is 9-4 this spring and holds a 1.20 ERA, which is tied for second in the SBC and 41st nationally.  Brown also ranks among both the conference and NCAA leaders in strikeouts and hits allowed.  Her 117 strikeouts are second-most in the SBC this season and 19th in the NCAA, while she has allowed 55 hits, which ranks third in the conference and 25th nationally.   She has also given up  just 17 total runs – fewest in the SBC – and her 8.8 strikeouts per seven innings pitched is 35th in the NCAA.  Brown has 11 complete games in her 13 starts and has recorded seven shut outs, which is fourth-most in the nation.

Senior pitcher Destin Vicknair (9-4) also ranks among the conference Top 10 in several categories.  Vicknair holds a 2.10 ERA and has recorded six complete games and three total shutouts this spring.  Over her last two outings, the Reserve, La., has allowed just one earned run.

Louisiana-Lafayette (20-5, 3-0 SBC) comes into the weekend ranked in both of this week's national polls – 17th in the USAToday/NFCA and 20th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 polls – and tied with Texas State for top honors in the Sun Belt as the Ragin' Cajuns and Bobcats are the lone remaining undefeated teams in conference action.

Last weekend, the Ragin' Cajuns swept their SBC opening series, defeating Texas-Arlington (6-5, 6-2, 11-2 [6 inn.]) in Lafayette.  ULL was supposed to have originally begun conference play at Appalachian State, but that three-game series was canceled due to weather.

The Ragin' Cajuns were unanimous preseason favorite to win the SBC this season and has won the regular-season crown in 14 of the last 16 seasons, including each of the last three.

ULL has been strong both offensively and in the circle this season.  The Cajuns lead the SBC in batting average (.328), slugging percentage (.568), on-base percentage (.453), runs scored (209), hits (218), RBI (178), home runs (41), total bases (378) and walks (151), while they are second in opposing batting average (.201), runs allowed (55), walks allowed (44), and third in team ERA (1.88).

ULL leads the NCAA in runs per game (8.36) and home runs per game (1.64), third in slugging percentage, fifth in on-base percentage and 22nd in batting average.

Kassidy Zeringue is fifth in the league in batting, hitting just under .400 with a .392 clip, while Kelli Martinez is 10th at .362.

As a team, ULL has 41 home runs this season, while DJ Sanders leads the team with a Sun Belt-best 13.  Lexie Comeaux is also tied for fifth in the league in that category with seven.  Four other players have four home runs or more.

Sanders, who is hitting .359, also ranks among the SBC leaders in slugging percentage (first, .936), on-base percentage (eighth, .474), runs scored (first, 31) and RBI (second, 30) among other categories. She is also among the NCAA leaders in home runs per game (first) and home runs (second) among other categories.

The Cajuns also have three other players among the Top 10 in runs scored and runs driven in and a total of eight players hare hitting .300 or better.

In the circle, Alyssa Denham (8-1) and Alex Stewart (8-3) have been outstanding.  Denham has an ERA of 1.79 and 43 strikeouts in 70.1 innings of work, while Stewart has an ERA of 2.12 and 42 strikeouts in her 46.1 innings.  Macey Smith (3-1) has made nine appearances and holds a 0.39 ERA in 18.0 innings of work.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
    
Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub

—USA—