University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, March 11
Troy, Ala.
6 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Troy
Cajuns Baseball Opens Sun Belt Play At Troy
3/10/2016 2:50:00 PM | Baseball
THE WEEKEND SERIES
Dates: Friday-Sunday, March 11-13, 2016
Location: Troy, Ala.
Site: Riddle-Pace Field (2,000)
Times: 6:00 p.m. (Fri) | 3:00 p.m. (Sat) | 1:00 p.m. (Sun)
Opponent: Troy (9-6, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Radio: News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM
Television: none
Live Stats/Video: www.TroyTrojans.com
STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: LHP Gunner Leger (UL) vs. RHP Grant Bennett (Troy)
Saturday: RHP Wyatt Marks (UL) vs. RHP Lucas Brown (Troy)
Sunday: RHP Nick Lee (UL) vs. Evan Hebert (Troy)
TROY, Ala. – The 16th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team is set to open Sun Belt Conference play this weekend as the squad heads to Troy for a three-game series at Riddle-Pace Field.
The two teams open the series on Friday night at 6 p.m. Game two is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, while first pitch of the series finale is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
All three games of the series can be heard live on News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM with Dan McDonald calling the action. Live stats and video are available on RaginCajuns.com.
Louisiana (8-5) is coming off of a tough 5-3 loss at Tulane on Tuesday. The Ragin' Cajuns have swept two of its three weekend series this year after taking three games from Sacred Heart last weekend.
For the fourth straight weekend, the Cajuns will go with the rotation of Gunner Leger, Wyatt Marks and Nick Lee. Leger has a team-best 1.08 ERA in three starts with a 1-1 record. Marks and Lee are both 2-0 on the season as Marks paces the squad with 21 strikeouts, while Lee is limiting opponents to a .169 average at the plate.
The Ragin' Cajuns are hitting .285 as a team with 21 doubles, five triples and eight home runs. Louisiana is averaging 4.9 runs per game with senior Stefan Trosclair leading the way with 10 RBI. Trosclair is riding a nine-game hit streak having tallied an extra base hit in five of the last seven contests. 14 Cajuns have driven in at least one run this season with five posting five-plus RBI.
Junior Joe Robbins has a team-best .460 average with three doubles, three triples, three home runs and nine RBI. Robbins was named the LSWA Hitter of the Week after registering a .474 average (9-for-19) for the week, hitting safely in all five contests while adding a home run with five RBI. Robbins is currently riding a 12-game hit streak with eight multi-hit games.
Senior catcher Nick Thurman also picked up honors this week as he was named to the 2016 Johnny Bench Award watch list. The Johnny Bench Award is given annually to the top Division I collegiate catcher. The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 18, 2016.
The Cajuns own a 27-12 lead over Troy in the all-time series having won the last seven meetings between the two teams. The last meeting came at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with the Cajuns overcoming an early 5-0 deficit to win 12-8 in an elimination game on May 21, 2015. Louisiana has won its last four games against the Trojans at Riddle-Pace Field.
Troy (9-6) split a couple of midweek games falling to Samford 20-6 before blanking Jacksonville State 10-0 Wednesday night. The Trojans have also won two of its three series this season, but are coming off of a 1-2 performance at the Cox Diamond Invitational last weekend in Pensacola, Fla.
Senior right-hander Grant Bennett will make the start Friday night on the bump. Bennett is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three starts. Troy will give senior right-hander Lucas Brown (2-1, 1.69 ERA) the nod on Saturday, while newcomer Evan Hebert (1-2, 3.57 ERA) makes the start on Sunday in the series finale.
The Trojans are hitting .241 as a team with 22 doubles, one triple and five home runs. Matt Sanders paces Troy hitting .367 with two doubles and five RBI. Reid Long has a team-best five doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI.
Following the series with Troy, the Cajuns will close out their five-game road trip with a midweek contest at Northwestern State on Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m.
For updates and info on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow the team on twitter @CajunsBaseball or check RaginCajuns.com.
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