Louisiana Closes Out Homestand Against Nicholls

THE MIDWEEK GAME
Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Location: Lafayette, La.
Site: M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park (4,650)
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Opponent: Nicholls (3-8)
Radio: ESPN 1420-AM
Television: None
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
RHP Jack Burk (LA) vs. LHP Alex Ernestine (NICH)

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team is set to close out a four-game homestand on Tuesday at 6 p.m. as the Cajuns host Nicholls in a non-conference game at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.

Despite coming off of their sixth series victory of the year and 15th overall, the Ragin' Cajuns (16-12, 6-3 Sun Belt) have dropped out of both the D1Baseball and USA Today Coaches polls.

The Cajuns are 9-5 at home this season, but have yet to pick up a midweek win at home with losses to Houston 4-0 and Tulane 6-4.

Redshirt freshman Jack Burk (1-3, 2.08) will make his fifth start of the year against the Colonels (17-12, 5-4 Southland). Burk earned his first collegiate victory a week ago at McNeese allowing just one unearned run on two hits in six innings. The right-hander made his first career start at Nicholls on Feb. 21 allowing one run on two hits in three innings with a career-best five strikeouts.

The Colonels will counter with junior left-hander Alex Ernestine (1-0, 3.95) on the mound. The Cajuns faced Ernestine a year ago scoring a run on a hit in one inning of work.

Senior Ishamel Edwards paces the Ragin' Cajuns offensively with a .318 average, five doubles, four triples, two home runs and 14 RBI. Edwards is coming off of a season-high four RBI in the series clinching victory over South Alabama on Sunday.

Joe Robbins has a team-best four home runs and 17 RBI hitting .279. The Cajuns have eight players on the team that have driven in double digit runs this season.

Louisiana leads the all-time series with Nicholls 71-54-1 with a 21-13 mark against the Colonels
under head coach Tony Robichaux. The Ragin' Cajuns lost the only meeting against Nicholls this season falling 3-1 in Thibodaux, La. on Feb. 21.

The Cajuns have lost just one game to the Colonels at home since 1995 with a 17-1 record. The only loss during that span at home came in 2015 with a 3-1 result.

Nicholls has won four of their last five games coming off of a series victory over Texas Southern this past weekend. The Colonels won the first two games of the series 2-1 and 10-1 before falling in the finale 3-2.

Offensively, Nicholls is hitting .256 as a team with 44 doubles, three triples and 10 home runs. Chat Niehaus is the only every day play hitting over .300 on the season with a .392 average, five doubles and eight RBI. Gavin Wehby has a team-best eight doubles and 20 RBI.

Following the midweek game against the Colonels, the Cajuns head to Conway, S.C. for a three-game conference series at the defending national champion Coastal Carolina starting Friday at 5 p.m. CT.

For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow Ragin' Cajuns baseball on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.

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Louisiana Closes Out Homestand Against Nicholls

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Players Mentioned

Jack Burk

Joe Robbins

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