Softball Preview: NCAA Lafayette Regional

May 20-22, 2016: #9 Louisiana (43-7, 21-2 Sun Belt) in NCAA Lafayette Regional
Friday, May 20 • 6 p.m. (CDT) • vs. Boston University (28-22) • Lamson Park (2,790) • Lafayette, La.
Saturday, May 21 • 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. (CDT) • vs. Texas A&M or Texas • Lamson Park (2,790) • Lafayette, La.

NCAA LAFAYETTE REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS
Game Notes (PDF): Louisiana | Boston U | Texas A&M | Texas
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM • Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, Color
TV: ESPNU (Friday) / TBA (Saturday/Sunday) • Talent: Adam Amin, PxP; Amanda Scarborough, Color
Rosters: Louisiana | Boston U | Texas A&M | Texas
Schedule/Results: Louisiana | Boston U | Texas A&M | Texas
Statistics: Louisiana | Boston U | Texas A&M | Texas
Ragin' Cajuns Twitter: @ULRaginCajuns | @RaginCajunSB
Opponents Twitter: @BostonUSoftball | @AggieSoftball | @TexasSoftball

THE COACHES
Louisiana: Michael Lotief (Louisiana, 1985)
Record at Louisiana: 681-166-1 (14th season)           Career Record: Same

Boston University: Ashley Waters (Maine, 2009)
Record at Boston U: 28-22 (1st season)                      Career Record: Same

Texas A&M: Jo Evans (Utah, 1983)
Record at TAMU: 787-382-2 (20th season) Career Record: 1,100-592-2 (31st season)

Texas: Connie Clark (Cal State Fullerton, 1987)
Record at Texas: 806-347-3 (21st season)                  Career Record: Same

COMPLETE NCAA LAFAYETTE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 20, 2016
G1       Texas A&M (37-18) vs. Texas (37-14) - 3:30 PM (ESPN2)
G2       Louisiana (43-7) vs. Boston University (28-22) - 6:00 PM (ESPNU)

Saturday, May 21, 2016
G3       Winner G1 vs. Winner G2 - 11:00 AM (TV-TBA)
G4       Loser G1 vs. Loser G2 - 1:30 PM (TV-TBA)
G5       Loser G3 vs. Winner G4 - 4:00 PM (TV-TBA)

Sunday, May 22, 2016
G6       Winner G3 vs. Winner G5 - 3:30 PM (TV-TBA)
G7       Winner G6 vs. Loser G6 (if necessary) - 6:00 PM (TV-TBA)

CAJUNS SET TO HOST THIRD CONSECUTIVE NCAA REGIONAL
For the third consecutive season, and fourth time in the past five seasons, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball program will host an NCAA Regional at Lamson Park after being awarded the No. 14 seed in the 2016 NCAA Softball Tournament. The Lamson Park-based regional is scheduled to run Friday-Sunday, May 20-22.

THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
The NCAA Lafayette Regional will feature the top-seeded Ragin' Cajuns (43-7), Texas A&M (37-18), Texas (37-14) and Boston University (28-22). Action in the NCAA Lafayette Regional begins Friday with Texas A&M and Texas at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2 followed by Louisiana and Boston University at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

WHAT'S AT STAKE
The winner of the NCAA Lafayette Regional will play the winner of the NCAA Norman (Okla.) Regional which features No. 3 national seed Oklahoma (47-4), Ole Miss (39-20), Tulsa (35-19) and Wichita State (35-19) in the super regional round for a trip to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

LOVING LIFE AT LAMSON
Louisiana has won its last 20 games contested at Lamson Park and has been victorious 180 out of 196 times dating back to 2010. Crowd support has been at an all-time high this season, with 1,300-plus in attendance all 15 playing dates thus far and an average attendance of 1,718 which has the program on pace for a Top 10 finish nationally in attendance a third straight season.

THE ONE AND ONLY RAGIN' CAJUNS
Louisiana is just one of nine schools – and the only one in the NCAA Lafayette Regional – to play in the NCAA Tournament every year since 2000. The list includes: Alabama, Arizona, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA and Washington.

5 THINGS TO KNOW
1 - The Ragin' Cajuns appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 18th consecutive season, a streak which dates back to the 1999 season.

2 - For the third consecutive season, and fourth time in the past five seasons, the Ragin' Cajuns softball program hosts an NCAA Regional at Lamson Park.

2 - The Ragin' Cajuns have won the last three NCAA Regionals hosted at Lamson Park (2012, 2014, 2015), posting a 9-1 record.

3 - The Ragin' Cajuns carry a 20-game win streak at Lamson Park into the 2016 NCAA Lafayette Regional. The only loss at home in 2016 came on Feb. 19 vs. #5 Oregon.

4 - The Cajuns seek a fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Super Regionals. Michael Lotief's squad advanced to the super regional round the last four years (2012-15).

A LOOK AT THE FOES
Texas A&M plays an NCAA Regional at Lamson Park for the first time since 1990 and visits the facility for the first time since April 1995. Texas returns to Lamson Park for the first time since pariticpating in the 2014 NCAA Lafayette Regional (Ragin' Cajuns defeated the Longhorns twice to win the event). Boston University last visited Lamson Park in March 2003 and is appearing in a Lamson Park-based NCAA Regional for the first time.

DID YOU KNOW?
In the 1990 NCAA Regional held at Lamson Park – which was the very first NCAA postseason event that the Ragin' Cajuns hosted – the opposing team in the Cajuns' first game was Texas A&M.

FINAL CURTAIN CALL
For the six seniors on the Ragin' Cajuns softball team - Sara Corbello, Lexie Elkins, Gabby Felps, Shellie Landry, Meagan Thomas and Kelsey Vincent - the NCAA Lafayette Regional could mark their nal games at Lamson Park.

MOMENTUM ON THEIR SIDE
The Ragin' Cajuns enter the NCAA Tournament coming off a strong showing at the plate in last week's Sun Belt Tournament. As a team, the Ragin' Cajuns hit .390 and saw eight different players with multiple hits in producing 30 over three outings. Louisiana clubbed 13 extra base hits in the SBC Tournament, and spread them around the field with six doubles, two triples and five home runs.

AN ADDED BOOST
The Ragin' Cajuns regained the services of three-time Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Year and two-time All-American Lexie Elkins at last week's Sun Belt Tournament. She further strengthens a lineup that also includes five other players with double digit home runs, seven others with 30-plus hits and five additional players with 40-plus RBI.

BALANCED EFFORT
Louisiana's lineup features six players with 40-plus RBI (Craighton, Elkins, Hayden, Landry, Sanders, Vincent). There are six players with double digits in home runs (Corbello, Craighton, Elkins, Landry, Sanders, Vincent). And, eight of the nine players have reached 30 base hits.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Ragin' Cajuns astounding 43-7 mark can be attributed to the fact that the squad ranks Top 25 nationally in all key areas of their game: scoring (3rd, 7.98 runs/game), batting average (8th, .338), earned run average (5th, 1.75) and fielding percentage (24th, .971).

A STAR-STUDDED LINEUP
While Lexie Elkins (.517, 17 HR, 44 RBI) might be the most recognized name in the Ragin' Cajuns lineup, she isn't alone in driving the team's success. Haley Hayden (.368, 56 R, 7 HR, 44 RBI) has a hit in 40 of 50 games and has 18 multi-hit games; Shellie Landry (.325, 15 HR, 54 RBI) has reached three RBI 10 times; Kelsey Vincent (.289, 13 HR, 46 RBI) is batting .370 with runners in scoring position and nearly half her hits have come in that situation; Aleah Craighton (.391, 17 HR, 53 RBI) provides added power (30 extra base hits) and slugging percentage (.887); DJ Sanders (.314, 17 HR, 54 RBI) is second on the team in multiple-RBI games (16) and has fired 64 assists from shortstop; Sara Corbello (.322, 11 HR, 28 RBI) is one of the hottest hitters on the team, raising her average 61 points by hitting .362 since March 25; Kara Gremillion has started every game at third base as a freshman and has only three errors over 137 chances; and Kelli Martinez covers significant ground in right field with her speed as has the ability to power slap to drive a ball out of the infield in key RBI situations.

TEXAS TIES
There are 13 Texas natives on the Ragin' Cajuns roster. Redshirt freshman Beth Ashley is from College Station and prepped at A&M Consolidated HS.

TEXAS TIES (Part 2)
Ragin' Cajuns senior catcher Lexie Elkins and Texas senior outfielder Lindsey Stephens were both drafted by the Pennsylvania Rebellion in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch Draft.

MACEY'S MAGIC
Macey Smith turned in her best performances in the pitching circle during last week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament. She tossed seven innings of scoreless, one-hit relief over two appearances against NCAA Tournament participant Texas State. Smith pitched the final two innings and held the Bobcats scoreless to preserve a 9-7 win in the winner's bracket final. Then in Saturday's championship game, she relieved Alex Stewart after one batter because of illegal pitch calls and proceeded to toss a no-hitter leading the Cajuns to the title.

PASS THE BAT
The Ragin' Cajuns have a term when the offense produces big innings..."pass the bat". That was clearly evident in the bottom of the second inning of the SBC Tournament opener vs. Georgia State as 14 batters stepped to the plate before and out was recorded and the Ragin' Cajuns finished with 11 runs in the inning. It didn't stop there. In Saturday's championship game vs. Texas State, a total of 10 batters stepped to the plate in the seven-run fourth inning that pushed the final margin over the run rule.

DEPTH IS A KEY
The Ragin' Cajuns used relievers Victoria Brown and Macey Smith to keep Alex Stewart's innings down while Kyle Jo Trahan battled a minor rib injury. Brittany Nollkamper, who gained valuable experience after stepping in during Lexie Elkins' injury, can catch a few innings to help Elkins rest her legs. Kelli Martinez, Kendall Smith, Taylor Terrio and Kassidy Zeringue provide the Cajuns speed on the bases, a rotation to keep fresh legs in right field and a chance to give left fielder Shellie Landry rest.

AMAZING ALEAH
Aleah Craighton stepped to the forefront in Lexie Elkins' absence to provide power, slugging percentage, on base percentage and RBI. During the timeframe (April 2-May 8), Craighton hit .395, slugged a team-best seven home runs, posted a .974 slugging percentage and .623 on base percentage. She's became the hitter in the Cajuns lineup pitchers worked around as evidenced by 15 walks and eight hit by pitch during Elkins' absence.

SPARKPLUG
Leadoff hitter Haley Hayden has posted a hit in 40 of 50 games and has gone the entire season without consecutive hitless games. She leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 18 multiple-hit games, nine coming since April 1. She pieced together 10 different hit streaks during the season and enters the NCAA Lafayette Regional on a six-game hit streak.

STEWART SHUTS 'EM DOWN
Alex Stewart (27-4, 1.52 ERA) hasn't allowed a run at Lamson Park since April 23 vs. Appalachian State. She carries an active string of 24-1/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched at Lamson Park into the NCAA Lafayette Regional.

STEWART SHUTS 'EM DOWN (Part 2)
Alex Stewart pitched scoreless softball in four Sun Belt Conference series this season: UT Arlington (7.0 innings), Troy (12.0 innings), Texas State (14.0 innings) and ULM (17.0 innings).

IN COMMAND
Alex Stewart pitched 36 consecutive scoreless innings in Sun Belt play from March 19-April 9, started a stretch of 21 straight scoreless innings on April 23 which lasted until a home run by Georgia Southern's AJ Hamilton on May 1, then closed the regular season with a scoreless streak of 17 more scoreless innings pitched in which she struck out 18 and limited ULM to four hits the weekend of May 7-8.

HOLDING HER OWN
Alex Stewart held ranked foes to three earned runs or less in all six starts. Stewart claimed two victories over No. 5 Oregon in the Louisiana Classics at Lamson Park (Feb. 19-20). She never trailed in either start against the Ducks and limited them to six runs (five earned) in 14 innings pitched. In 13 innings pitched in a twinbill at Baylor on March 29, she shutout the 19th-ranked Bears in 10 of those frames. In two starts at No. 1 Florida (April 16-17), Stewart allowed no more than three earned runs in either start and surrendered six in 12 innings during the weekend.

LOUISIANA-BOSTON UNVERISTY SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads 3-0
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 2-0
In Boston, Mass.: 0-0
Neutral: Louisiana leads 1-0
Current Streak: Louisiana won 3
Last Meeting: 2/25/12 in Clearwater, Fla. (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
(Louisiana 5, Boston U. 1)
In NCAA Tournament: First Meeting

Noteworthy
Fourth meeting overall, first-ever in NCAA Tournament....First matchup at Lamson Park since March 10, 2003 (Cajuns swept a DH by an 8-0 count both games)...Last met at NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla., in February 2012 (Cajuns won 5-1)...First school from the state of Massachusetts to visit Lamson Park for an NCAA Regional since UMass in 2002.

LOUISIANA-TEXAS SERIES
Series Record: Texas leads 10-4
In Lafayette: Tied 2-2
In Austin, Texas: Texas leads 2-1
Neutral: Texas leads 6-1
Current Streak: Louisiana won 2
Last Meeting: 5/18/14 at Lamson Park (NCAA Regional)
(Louisiana 10, Texas 1)
In NCAA Tournament: Louisiana leads 3-1

Noteworthy
Ragin' Cajuns have won last three NCAA postseason meetings...Louisiana defeated Texas twice to claim 2014 NCAA Lafayette Regional...The Cajuns eliminated the Longhorns from the 2011 Austin Regional...Texas was the first team that the Cajuns faced at the 2003 Women's College World Series (first of three trips to WCWS under Michael Lotief)...Programs first met in March 1998 at the PONY Invitational in Fullerton, Calif.

LOUISIANA-TEXAS A&M SERIES
Series Record: Tied 13-13
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads 6-3
In College Station, Texas: Texas A&M leads 6-2
Neutral: Louisiana leads 5-4
Current Streak: Louisiana won 2
Last Meeting: 3/1/13 in Kissimmee, Fla. (Diamond 9 Citrus Classic)
(Texas A&M 6, Louisiana 4)
In NCAA Tournament: Louisiana leads 3-1

Noteworthy
Last NCAA postseason meeting was in 2010 Baton Rouge Regional, with the Cajuns winning 5-0 in the opening round and 6-1 on Championship Sunday to secure a trip to the Los Angeles Super Regional at UCLA...Met in 2008 WCWS in winner's bracket game on day two (A&M won 2-1)...Aggies were Cajuns opponent in the first-ever NCAA postseason game held at Lamson Park on May 18, 1990...Ragin' Cajuns posted a 1-0, 11-0 doubleheader sweep in A&M's last visit to Lamson Park on April 29, 1995.

DIAMOND NOTES
#AggiesConnection: Associate head coach Chris Malveaux is a 2001 Texas A&M graduate. He was a student equipment manager for the Aggies softball team as an undergraduate and also coached the 18-and-under Texas Comets while in College Station, Texas.

#SluggingIt: The NCAA Lafayette Regional field features two of the nation's Top 3 home run hitting teams: the Ragin' Cajuns at No. 1 (98 HR) and Texas A&M at No. 3 (84 HR).

#Pitching Prowess: The NCAA Lafayette Regional field also features three of the nation's Top 50 pitching staff earned run averages: the Ragin' Cajuns at No. 5 (1.75 ERA), Texas at No. 24 (2.26 ERA) and Boston University at No. 45 (2.67 ERA).

#ExtraExtra: Aleah Craighton has produced 30 extra base hits, a new career-best total which tops the 26 she had as a redshirt freshman in 2015.

#ToughOut: In the month of April, Aleah Craighton was aboard the base path 30 times in 47 plate appearances (.638 OB%). She hit .414, with 12 hits (6 HR) plus 13 walks and five hit by pitch.

#ConsistencyIsKey: Haley Hayden has reached 60 base hits for the third straight season. She needs four runs and six RBI for a third consecutive season of 60-plus hits, 60-plus runs and 50 RBI.

#ScoringInBunches: The Ragin' Cajuns have scored multiple runs in 91 out of 290 innings at the plate. The bulk of the team's production has been in the middle innings (third through fifth) where 202 out of 399 totals runs (50.6 percent) have crossed the plate.

#NationalPower: Dating back to the start of the 2015 season, Louisiana has been in the Top 10 of the NFCA rankings in 26 of the past 29 polls and Top 10 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll in 25 of the past 29 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.

#AmongTheNationsElite: Michael Lotief's squad earned a national seed (No. 14) for the third straight season and fourth time in the past five seasons. Previous times as a national seed: 2012 (No. 14), 2014 (No. 6), 2015 (No. 13).

#InTheMix: The Ragin' Cajuns are set to appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 18th consecutive season, a streak which dates back to the 1999 season.

#Mainstay: Louisiana makes its 26th appearance overall in the NCAA Tournament, all coming in the past 27 years. Since 1990, the Cajuns have missed the NCAA's postseason event only once (1998). The Ragin' Cajuns' 26 NCAA Tournament appearances ranks 8th in NCAA history (tied with Cal State Fullerton).

#CajunHospitality: Louisiana will host an NCAA Regional at Lamson Park for the 12th time. The complete list of NCAA Regionals at Lamson Park includes: 1990-92, 1994-97, 2002, 2012, 2014-16.

#TheFirstStep: The Cajuns are 56-32 all-time in NCAA Regional play, including a 22-5 mark in claiming regional championships and advancing to the super regional round in six of the last eight appearances (2008-15).

#ProvenResults: The Ragin' Cajuns' all-time overall record in the NCAA Tournament stands at 68-53, representing the 12th-most wins in NCAA history.

#HomeFieldAdvantage: Louisiana has won the last three NCAA Regionals hosted at Lamson Park (2012, 2014, 2015), posting a 9-1 record. In 2012, the Cajuns defeated Stanford to advance. In 2014, the Ragin' Cajuns bested Texas to claim the regional title. Last season, it was a winner-take-all triumph over Baylor that sent the squad on to the Auburn Super Regional.

#RoadtoOKC: The Ragin' Cajuns are in search of their seventh trip to Oklahoma City. The last of the program's six NCAA Women's College World Series appearances came in 2014.

#GeauxCajuns

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Beth Ashley

Victoria Brown

Sara Corbello

Aleah Craighton

Lexie Elkins

Gabby Felps

Kara Gremillion

Haley Hayden

Jaime Landry

Shellie Landry

Chelsea Lotief

Kelli Martinez

Brittany Nollkamper

DJ Sanders

Kendall Smith

Macey Smith

Alex Stewart

Taylor Terrio

Meagan Thomas

Kelsey Vincent

Kassidy Zeringue