LAFAYETTE, La. – The University of South Alabama softball team steps back into Sun Belt Conference play this weekend with a three-game league series at Lamson Park.
Series Game Notes (PDF)
GAMES: 33-35 | AT LOUISIANA
Venue: Lamson Park | Lafayette, La.
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: Fri., March 30 | 4 p.m.
Game 2: Fri., March 30 | 6 p.m.
Game 3: Sat., March 30 | 1 p.m.
GAME INFORMATION
Television: ESPN3 (Friday Games only)
**Friday's doubleheader is being broadcast on Cox Sports Television and ESPN3 is blacked out if fans live in the CST coverage area**
Radio: 99.5 The Jag FM (Game 1)
Audio Stream: www.USAJaguars.com (Games 2 and 3)
Live Stats: www.USAJaguars.com
Live Stream: www.USAJaguars.com
Twitter: @WeAreSouth_SB
South Alabama JAGUARS
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | RPI: 45
Record: 18-14, 5-3 SBC
Head Coach: Becky Clark (Mobile, '95)
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP) – .264 / .343 / .348
Runs Per Game: 3.7
Runs Per Game Allowed: 3.3
Louisiana RAGIN' CAJUNS
NFCA: No. 21 | USA: No. 20 | RPI: 19
Record: 20-7, 7-2 SBC
Head Coach: Gerry Glasco (Illinois, '80)
Team Slash Line (AVG / OBP / SLG) – .293 / .389 / .364
Runs Per Game: 4.8
Runs Per Game Allowed: 2.7
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
– South Alabama (18-14, 5-3 SBC) comes into the weekend series after picking up a road victory over McNeese State Wednesday night. In a back-and-forth contest, the Jaguars used a three-home run, four-run sixth inning to rally back for the 9-6 win.
– Kristian Foster and Lyric Cabral each hit solo shots before Haleigh Lowe's two-run home run to right. It was just the second time in program history that South Alabama has hit three home runs in a single inning.
– The win was the third straight for the Jags and the seventh in their last 10 games.
– The win also marked No. 400 for the Jaguar program.
– After getting off to a slow start, Kaleigh Todd has been on fire of late as she has raised her season average to a team-best .354. She leads the club with 34 hits, 16 runs scored and nine stolen bases.
– She is batting .538 in conference play and she has had two or more hits in each of her last five games, including a three-hit performance against McNeese. Todd has eight multi-hit performances on the season.
– Kamdyn Kvistad has also been outstanding in league play as she holds a .478 average against Sun Belt foes. All three of her home runs on the year have come in conference play.
– Foster (.253) leads the team with 18 RBI and has driven in at least one run in her last five contest and six of her last seven. Nine of her 18 RBI have come over that span.
– Brittani Reid's .319 batting average is second-best on the club, but the sophomore paces the club in extra-base hits as she has seven doubles, two triples and three home runs to go along with her 15 runs scored and 12 RBI.
– B. Reid's seven doubles are tied with Foster for sixth in the SBC.
– Devin Brown (11-8, 2.11 ERA) leads the team in the circle as she has 132 strikeouts on the year. She ranks among the league leaders in several pitching categories as she is second in innings pitched, strikeouts and strikeouts looking.
– In league play, Brown holds a 0.97 earned run average and has struck out 34 and walked just two in her five Sun Belt appearances.
– Alexis Reid (7-6, 2.64 ERA) has also been solid in the circle lately as she has won each of her last three decisions.
SCOUTING THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
– Louisiana (20-7, 7-2 SBC) enters the weekend after taking two of three at Troy last weekend. The Ragin' Cajuns won 4-2 in 11 innings in the opener and then rallied back from a five-run deficit to pick up game two 8-7. The Trojans prevented the sweep with a 2-1 win in Sunday's finale.
– Alissa Dalton and Kara Gremillion lead the club offensively as they are batting .359 and .354, respectively. Dalton, a transfer from Oklahoma, has a team-high 33 hits and leads the club in doubles (6), RBI (17) and total bases (45).
– She has a .489 slugging percentage and has struck out just five times in 92 at-bats this season.
– Gremillion has 28 hits on the year and leads the team in runs scored with 17. She is 12-for-13 in her stolen base attempts.
– Brittany Rodriguez is batting .333 and has struck out just twice in her 81 at-bats this season. She is tied with Dalton for second on the club in runs scored (16) and has been successful in eight of her 12 steal attempts.
– Kourtney Gremillion is hitting just below .300 as she enters the weekend with a .296 average. Casidy Chaumont (15) and Beth Ashley (14) rank second and third, respectively, in RBI for the Ragin' Cajuns.
– Sophomore pitcher Summer Ellyson (9-4) has gone the distance in seven of her 13 starts. She has tossed two shutouts this season and combined to toss two more. In her 92.2 innings of work, she has struck out 88 and opponents are batting just .182 against her.
– Kylee Jo Trahan also holds an ERA under two coming into the weekend at 1.93. Trahan is 3-1 and has struck out 26 in 25.1 innings in the circle. Casey Dixon is 6-1 this season and has pitched the second-most innings on the UL staff.
– As a staff, the Cajuns hold a 1.96 earned run average – 27th in the NCAA – and opponents are batting .176.
– Entering play this week, Louisiana is tied with Texas State for the lowest ERA and leads the Sun Belt opponent batting average, while they Cajuns have given up the fewest hits (121) and earned runs (55).
THE SERIES VS. LOUISIANA
– The series opening meeting between South Alabama and Louisiana will mark the 40th in the all-time series between the two clubs.
– The Ragin' Cajuns have won the last six meetings in the series and the last four Sun Belt Conference series versus the Jaguars.
– During the program's previous 11 seasons, South has won two SBC series versus the Ragin' Cajuns (2013 and 2009). The two clubs also tied the first conference series during the 2007 season with each picking up a win.
– Louisiana has won 15 of the previous 17 meetings in the series in Lafayette, including four of the last five.
– South's lone regular-season win in the series came on April 12, 2014 in an 8-4 victory. The Jags also defeated Louisiana on its home field 4-2 in eight innings during the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championship.
INSIDE THE SERIES VS. LOUISIANA
Series: 11-28 (H: 6-11 / A: 2-15 / N: 3-2)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 7-24 (H: 6-11 / A: 1-13 / N: 0-0)
Sun Belt Tournament Games: 4-4 (H: 0-0 / A: 1-2 / N: 3-2)
Extra-Inning Games: 2-2 (H: 0-1 / A: 1-1 / N: 1-0)
Run-Rule Games: 1-5 (H: 1-1 / A: 0-4 / N: 0-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 4/15/07
Last Meeting: 5/11/17
Longest South Alabama Streak: 3 ('12-'13)
Longest Louisiana Streak: 11 ('09-'12)
Current Streak: 6 by Louisiana
Last 5 – 0-5
Last 10 – 2-8
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
-On the series with Louisiana: "It doesn't matter if it's the old Lafayette or the new Lafayette, we know that we are going to have our hands full. It's a great environment to play in and we know that they will be competitive games. We love playing them, and it's one of those series on your calendar that you circle and look forward to playing. A lot of people look forward to the UL and South Alabama series. I think we are playing our best softball right now."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_Jags. 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
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