Softball Preview: at Florida

Games 36-38: No. 5 Louisiana (32-3, 13-1 Sun Belt) at No. 1 Florida (38-3, 12-3 SEC)
Saturday, Apr. 16 (DH) • 12 p.m. (CDT) • Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium (1,200) • Gainesville, Fla.
Sunday, Apr. 17 • 12 p.m. (CDT) • Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium (1,200) • Gainesville, Fla.

Game Notes (PDF): Louisiana
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM • Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, color
TV: SEC Network+/ESPN 3
WatchESPN Links: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats
Rosters: Louisiana | Florida
Schedules: Louisiana | Florida
2016 Stats: Louisiana | Florida
Ragin' Cajuns Twitter: @ULRaginCajuns | @RaginCajunSB
Opponents' Twitter: @GatorsSB

THE COACHES
Louisiana: Michael Lotief (Louisiana, 1985)
Record at Louisiana: 670-162-1 (14th season) Career Record: Same

Florida: Tim Walton (Oklahoma, 1996)
Record at UF: 590-124 (11th season) Career Record: 713-188 (14th season)

CAJUNS BREAK FROM SUN BELT PLAY, SET FOR TOP 5 MATCHUP
No. 5-ranked Ragin' Cajuns softball (32-3, 13-1 Sun Belt) will spend its bye week in Sun Belt play participating in a matchup that provides an NCAA Tournament atmosphere. Louisiana travels to Gainesville, Fla., to meet No. 1 Florida (38-3, 12-3 SEC) in a three-game series set for Saturday-Sunday, April 16-17 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on the UF campus. All games in the series will be broadcast by SEC Network Plus and streamed on WatchESPN.com (ESPN3). Start time is 12 p.m. (CDT) both days with a doubleheader slated for Saturday and single game on Sunday.

THE BASICS OF THE MATCHUP IN GAINESVILLE
No. 5 Louisiana and No. 1 Florida meet on the field for the first time since the 2008 Women's College World Series when Holly Tankersley's solo home run in the eighth inning provided the Cajuns a 3-2 win on May 29, 2008. The two programs are meeting in Gainesville for the first time.

STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH
The three-game series in Gainesville with the No. 2-ranked Florida Gators features one of the nation's top offenses (Louisiana, NCAA-leading 77 HR) and one of the nation's top pitching staffs (Florida, NCAA-leading 0.85 ERA).

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
The series with No. 1 Florida in Gainesville represents a three-game set with a Top 5 team – during the by week in Sun Belt Conference play – in late-April for the second straight season (at No. 2 Oregon in April 2015).

CAJUNS VS. RANKED TEAMS
No. 5 Louisiana sports a 3-2 record in games featuring ranked teams. The squad went 2-1 vs. then-No. 5 Oregon in the Louisiana Classics and split a doubleheader at then-No. 19 Baylor.

CHALLENGING FOES
The series at Florida pits the No. 5-ranked Ragin' Cajuns against a team with 20-plus victories for the fifth time in the past six weekends (began March 19-20 at UTA). It also precedes a midweek matchup against in-state foe McNeese State (28-9, 13-2 SLC), another 20-plus win foe.

CRAIGHTON CREATES HAVOC
Aleah Craighton reached base in nine of 11 plate appearances, did not strikeout in any of those appearances and hit .714 (5-for-7) in the Ragin' Cajuns sweep of Georgia State which represented the 26th consecutive Sun Belt series win dating back to March 2013. She closed the GSU series by reaching base in each of her final eight plate appearances, either by base hit or drawing a walk, building to her final on base percentage of .818.

STEADY STEWART
Alex Stewart improved to 8-0 in Sun Belt play following the Georgia State series. She allowed only one run over the 11 innings over two starts. On Sunday, she limited GSU to two hits in four innings of work as she combined with Victoria Brown for the pitching staff's 15th shutout of the season.

QUIETLY DOING THEIR JOB
While the offense stands out in producing 8.19 runs per game, the Cajuns pitchers have worked their way into one of the nation's top units. The group ranks fourth nationally in ERA (1.52), has allowed five runs or more only four times and handcuffed foes to a .203 batting average.

BATTLED-TESTED
The arms that No. 1 Florida will throw in the circle this weekend pose the toughest challenge for the Cajuns hitters yet this season. However, the squad has taken its swings against two of the nation's other premier pitchers in Oregon's All-American Cheridan Hawkins and Baylor's Heather Stearns.

SEND 'EM IN SANDERS
DJ Sanders posted multiple RBI in each game of the series at Georgia State. That increased her season multiple-RBI total to 12 and her career figure to 20.

MS. CLUTCH
DJ Sanders provided the winning runs in both ends of the Sun Belt doubleheader at Georgia State last Saturday -- a two-run HR to snap a scoreless tie in the fourth inning of a 4-1 win in Game 1 and a two-run HR with the team down to its final two outs Top 7th of Game 2 (Cajuns won 6-5).

MIGHY BATS
Just how powerful is the Ragin' Cajuns offense as a collective unit? The team has hit at least one home run in 28 of 35 games, tallying multiple home runs 22 times (have multiple HR the last six games). Seven different players have hit at least six home runs.

A BAND OF HEROES
Lexie Elkins hit five home runs in the season-opening weekend in Gulf Shores. Kelsey Vincent tallied 12 RBI the weekend of Feb. 25-28. DJ Sanders hit four home runs and posted a series-high seven RBI at Southern Miss. Aleah Craighton hit key home runs in the South Alabama sweep, the second straight weekend she homered twice in both games of a doubleheader. Shellie Landry had a game-winning RBI and momentum-shifting single vs. South Alabama. Taylor Terrio slapped a walk-off single into left field to secure a 5-4 win in nine innings over McNeese State. Craighton (at UTA) and Landry (at Troy) both recently homered three times in a doubleheader. Sara Corbello homered each game of the Troy and Texas State series. All proof that the Ragin' Cajuns batting lineup can have any one given player deliver key performances.

THE GOLD STANDARD
The Ragin' Cajuns have belted 77 home runs in 35 contests for an average of 2.20 per game, which leads the nation. In 2015, UL produced a nation-best 2.15 home runs per game.

STOPPING 'EM IN THEIR TRACKS
The Cajuns' pitching staff has held foes to two runs or less in 26 of 35 games (25-1 record). In back-to-back Sun Belt series against Troy and Texas State, the staff yielded no more than two runs. Opponents have surpassed five runs only twice (Feb. 19 vs. Oregon; March 13 vs. South Alabama).

STOPPING 'EM IN THEIR TRACKS (Part 2)
Kylee Jo Trahan has held the opposition to just 37 hits in 67-2/3 innings pitched in her 15 appearances (12 starts). Foes are hitting a meager .157 off of the sophomore hurler. She's tossed two perfect games (2/27 vs. Alcorn; 3/19 at UTA) and a total of three no-hitters. The Burkburnett, Texas, product ranks No. 7 nationally in fewest hits allowed per seven innings.

ELKINS SIDELINED
Lexie Elkins, the Cajuns senior catcher who tops the nation with 17 home runs, is out approximately 4-6 weeks with a thumb injury. Freshman Brittany Nollkamper is filling in for Elkins during her absence. Nollkamper's substitute work began April 2 vs. Texas State.

COACH LOTIEF ON ELKINS' INJURY
"Everybody knows how good that kid is, we're going to find a way to overcome. We're going to keep fighting. You've got to remain hopeful. It's going to be OK."

COACH LOTIEF ON NOLLKAMPER'S DEBUT AT CATCHER
"She didn't blink. She said, 'I'm ready to go,' right away. No hesitation whatsoever. She just lit up. As a coach, you want to see that. That shows you what kind of a competitor she is."

CHART YOUR COURSE CAREFULLY
Despite the absence of Lexie Elkins (thumb injury) the No. 1-6 hitters in the Cajuns lineup pose a stern test for opposing pitchers. All six hitters (Hayden, Landry, Vincent, Craighton, Sanders, Corbello) are hitting above .300. Five of the six have posted at least eight home runs, led by 13 apiece from Aleah Craighton and DJ Sanders. While Kelsey Vincent (9 HR, 33 RBI) and Craighton (13 HR, 38 RBI) pack a punch at No. 3-4, five-hole hitter DJ Sanders (13 HR, 38 RBI) and six-hole hitter Sara Corbello (8 HR, 18 RBI) provide a solid backup.

ANSWERING THE CALL
The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff, spearheaded by Alex Stewart and Kylee Jo Trahan, has left little doubt they are ready to carry the torch after the graduation of Jordan Wallace and Christina Hamilton. The group - which also includes Victoria Brown, Alison Deville and Macey Smith - has combined for 15 shutouts and surrendered two runs or fewer in 26 of 35 games thus far. Of the 163 hits allowed in 217 innings, only 32 have gone for extra bases.

ELKINS NAMED TOP 25 FINALIST FOR SOFTBALL'S TOP HONOR
Lexie Elkins was one of the 25 finalists named for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced on Wednesday, April 13. This is the second time in her career that Elkins was selected as a finalist for the award. She was named a Top 26 finalist in 2015.

UP NEXT
No. 5 Louisiana wraps up its current seven-game road trip and stretch of 15 out of 18 away from Lamson Park on Wednesday, April 20 visiting Southland Conference-leader McNeese State. The game is a rematch of a 5-4 (9 inn.) affair won by the Cajuns back on March 16 at Lamson Park.

LOUISIANA-FLORIDA SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads 4-0
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 2-0
In Gainesville: First Meeting
Neutral: Louisiana leads 2-0
Current Streak: Louisiana won 4
Last Meeting: 5/29/08 in Oklahoma City, Okla. (WCWS)
(Louisiana 3, Florida 2 - 8 inn.)

Series Notes
First-ever meeting in Gainesville...Only prior meeting on either school's campus came in Feb. 2002 at Lamson Park in Lafayette (teams met in Louisiana Classics)...First-ever meeting in a three-game weekend series...Teams last met on the field in May 2008 at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City – Cajuns won 3-2 on a solo home run by Holly Tankersley in Top 8th...Ragin' Cajuns won all previous four meetings contested prior to this weekend's series...Programs first met at the 2000 NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. (Cajuns won 3-2)...Louisiana swept a pair of matchups at Lamson in the 16th Annual Louisiana Classics held in Feb. 2002...Wouldn't meet again until the pairing in the opening game of the 2008 Women's College World Series...The WCWS meeting is the lone NCAA postseason game in series history.

Last Meeting (May 29, 2008 - Oklahoma City, Okla.)
The Ragin' Cajuns opened their then-fifth appearance in the Women's College World Series with a 3-2 extra-inning upset of No. 1 national seed Florida at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The Cajuns trailed 2-0 before Vanessa Soto had a two-RBI double off of the centerfield wall to tie the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning. With the score deadlocked at 2-2 in the eighth inning, Holly Tankersley delivered the game-winning home run to the bleachers in centerfield. Louisiana freshman pitcher Ashley Brignac worked 8.0 innings scattering six hits, surrendering just a pair of runs, while recording a career-high 15 strikeouts. Florida's ace pitcher Stacey Nelson, who entered the game with 45 victories, was handed just her fourth loss of the season. Tankersley's home run was only the second of the season allowed by Nelson. Prior to Soto's double evening the score, the Gators had built a 2-0 edge on RBI doubles in the second (Corrie Brooks) and fourth (Aja Paculba).

DIAMOND NOTES
#CatchMeIfYouCan: Louisiana is 27-0 when scoring first. In those 27 wins, the Ragin' Cajuns have relinquished the lead only twice (4th inn. of Game 1 vs. TTU; 5th inn of Game 2 at GSU).

#DefenseBacksThemUp: The Ragin' Cajuns defense has committed only 24 errors in 874 chances and had multiple errors only four times through 35 games. The unit played error-free in 10 of the 14 games played in March (only four errors in 346 chances, .988 FLD%).

#HeyItsHaley: With 40 runs, 42 hits and 34 RBI, Haley Hayden is on pace to reach 60 runs, 60 hits and 50 RBI for the third straight season.

#StrengthInNumbers: Every starter in the Ragin' Cajuns lineup has posted at least 20 base hits. The numbers range from 22 to 43. The team average of .347 ranks No. 7 in the NCAA stats.

#KsForKylee: Kylee Jo Trahan has posted at least eight strikeouts in five of her eight starts that she pitched at least five innings. She tied her career-high of 10 vs. Rutgers (Feb. 26).

#SteadyAlex: Alex Stewart began the season with 35 2/3 consecutive walk-free innings. She's yielded only 19 walks in 122 innings pitched through her first 23 appearances (20 starts).

#GrowingUpFast: Freshman Kara Gremillion has displayed poise at the plate and the results have backed that up. Gremillion posted five doubles through her first seven collegiate hits, one of which broke open a scoreless game vs. No. 5 Oregon on Feb. 19. She's shined on defense as well, fielding all but three of 91 chances cleanly (41 PO, 47 A, 3 E, .967 FLD%). She had a string of 21 straight error-free games from Feb. 25 through April 23.

#FabulousFive: Louisiana remained inside the Top 5 of both national polls (No. 5 ESPN/USA Softball; No. 5 NFCA) this week - the sixth straight week ranked Top 5 in both of the rankings.

#NationalPower: Dating back to the start of the 2015 season, Louisiana has been in the Top 10 of the NFCA rankings in 21 of the past 24 polls and Top 10 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll in 20 of the past 24 polls.

#FamilyTies: Being members of the Ragin' Cajuns softball team has added meaning for three families. Sisters Shellie Landry and Jaime Landry are competing together collegiately for the first time (Jaime redshirted in 2015). Kara Gremillion is following in the footsteps of her aunts, Stacie Gremillion and Sandy Percle, who donned the Cajuns uniform in the mid-1980s. And, Chelsea Lotief joins her father, head coach Michael Lotief, in the dugout while suiting up for the Ragin' Cajuns like her mother, Stefni (Whitton) Lotief, did from 1987-90.

#GeauxCajuns

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Players Mentioned

Victoria Brown

Sara Corbello

Aleah Craighton

Alison Deville

Lexie Elkins

Kara Gremillion

Christina Hamilton

Haley Hayden

Jaime Landry

Shellie Landry

Chelsea Lotief

Brittany Nollkamper

DJ Sanders

Macey Smith

Alex Stewart

Taylor Terrio

Kylee Jo Trahan

Kelsey Vincent

Jordan Wallace

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