University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Wednesday, March 16
Lafayette
4:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Texas
Louisiana and Texas Ready to Tangle in Midweek Matchup at Lamson Park
3/15/2022 9:10:00 PM | Softball
March 16 doubleheader, which begins at 4:00 p.m., closes out Ragin' Cajuns six-game homestand
No. 23 Louisiana (15-5) vs. No. 25 Texas (16-9-1)
Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Location: Lafayette, La.
Stadium: Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park
Game Times:Â 4:00 and 6:30 p.m. (CDT)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Season Stats (PDF): Louisiana | Texas
Rosters: Louisiana | Texas
Schedule/Results: Louisiana | Texas
Television: ESPN+ Â |Â Talent: Dan McDonald, PxP; Yvette Girouard, analyst
Radio:Â ESPN Lafayette 103.3 FM // 1420 AM Â |Â Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Video: Game 1 | Game 2
Live Audio: Game 1 | Game 2
Live Stats:Â Game 1 | Game 2
Twitter Updates:Â @RaginCajunsSB
Â
THE BASICS
>> No. 23 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball (15-5) concludes its six-game homestand on Wednesday, March 16 hosting No. 25 Texas (16-9-1) in a doubleheader at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park beginning at 4:00 p.m. (CDT).
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>> It's the first of three games in the month of March between the Ragin' Cajuns and Longhorns. Both squads will reconvene in two weeks in Austin on Wednesday, March 30 for a single game.
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>> The doubleheader also brings to a close a string of 22 consecutive games for Louisiana within state's borders to begin the 2022 season.
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>> The Ragin' Cajuns Department of Athletics is celebrating "Louisiana Salutes" with all military members receiving two complimentary tickets with the presentation of a valid military ID.
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>> The weather forecast is much improved over a year ago, giving Louisiana and Texas a chance to finally meet at Lamson Park. The 2021 doubleheader scheduled at the facility was relocated to Austin due to a significant weather system moving through the Lafayette area on the scheduled date of the matchup.
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>> Texas is the third Power 5 program to visit Lamson Park within the last three weeks: Alabama visited on Feb. 24 and LSU stopped by on March 3.
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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MATCHUP
>> Texas owns a 12-7 lead in the all-time series. Louisiana holds the edge, 3-2, at Lamson Park.
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>> The Ragin' Cajuns and Longhorns meet at Lamson Park for the first time in the Gerry Glasco era. The last matchup at the facility came in the 2016 NCAA Lafayette Regional on May 21, 2016 (Ragin' Cajuns won 9-1).
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>> The two teams meet for the third straight season. Louisiana and Texas split a doubleheader at McCombs Field in Austin in 2020 and 2021.
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>> The two storied programs have met five times in NCAA postseason play. The Ragin' Cajuns hold a 4-0 edge in NCAA Regionals; Texas' lone win a postseason matchup came in the 2003 WCWS.
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THE LAST TIME OUT
>> Louisiana began Sun Belt Conference play hosting Georgia State at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.
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>> The Ragin' Cajuns recovered from a series-opening 4-1 loss with back-to-back offensive explosions to win the series, extending the team's nation-leading streak of consecutive conference series won to 65 straight (dates back to March 2013).
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>> Louisiana generated eight extra base hits, a total which included five home runs, to outslug the Panthers 10-6 in Game 2 and even the series. In the series finale on Sunday, the Ragin' Cajuns used a five-run scoring spree – all with two outs – in the second inning to gain separation in the 9-0 (5 inn.) win that clinched the series victory.
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NUMBERS TO KNEAUX
1: In the 8-1/3 innings of relief that she pitched in the two matchups vs. LSU, Meghan Schorman yielded only one run.
.197: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff has held the opposition to a sub-.200 average the entire season. Opponents are hitting .197 entering the Texas doubleheader.
2: In games from March 3 through March 9, Ragin' Cajuns pitchers yielded only two runs over 18 innings (2 runs, 10 hits, 27 strikeouts) in relief effort situations.
2.65: Louisiana entered the week ranked No. 4 nationally averaging 2.65 stolen bases per game (53 swipes in 20 games).
4: Kandra Lamb's no-hitter of Central Connecticut on March 4 marked the fourth such occurrence of her career (two no-hitters as a freshman in 2019, plus two no-hitters in 2022).
5: Louisiana's pitching staff has yielded only five home runs to the opposition through 122 innings.
6: Stormy Kotzelnick is tied for the team lead with six multiple-hit games. She's the team leader with five multiple-RBI games.
.667: Taylor Roman's batting average (4-for-6) over the two games that she started in (Games 2 and 3) in the GSU series.
7: Seven different players hit at least one home run in the Georgia State series.
9: Number of shutouts posted by Louisiana's pitching staff.
9: The Ragin' Cajuns offense has produced double-digit hits in nine games.
12: Louisiana has posted 21 of its season total of 23 home runs at Lamson Park.
14-0: Louisiana's record when scoring first.
15: Louisiana totaled 15 extra base hits over the three-game Sun Belt Opening Weekend series with Georgia State.
18: Kandra Lamb totaled a series-high 18 strikeouts over 11 innings of work vs. Georgia State. The highlight was a career-high 13 strikeouts in the series opener.
19: In the two wins Louisiana posted over Georgia State in the series, the squad posted 19 runs over 10 innings at the plate combined over Games 2 and 3 of the set.
30-2/3: Louisiana's pitching staff started the 2022 season with 30-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
37: Louisiana is scheduled to play 37 games this season within the state of Louisiana's borders.
.375: Batting average for the Ragin' Cajuns offense after the season's first 20 games.
.462: Louisiana's on base percentage, which ranks No. 2 nationally (trails only Oklahoma's .496).
79/50: The Ragin' Cajuns hitters have drawn more walks (79) than they have struck out (50).
126: Consecutive editions of the Top 25 polls that Louisiana has appeared in at least one poll – a streak which dates back to April 2013.
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A QUICK LOOK AT THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Infield: Now in her first full season as Louisiana's primary catcher, Sophie Piskos brings an infectious energy and enthusiasm to the lineup and is continuing to build upon last season's strong finish (hit .429 from April 20 onward). Back from injury that ended her 2021 season just six games in, Taylor Roman made a strong case for covering the first base bag after turning in three triples, a home run and eight RBI on Opening Weekend. With an 11-game hitting streak and a .500-plus average in February, Stormy Kotzelnick penciled herself into the lineup at second base. Power 5 transfer Jourdyn Campbell (Texas A&M) entered the season as the front runner at third base and has held her spot. At shortstop, freshman Alexa Langeliers was the Opening Day starter and was there the entire weekend due to an impressive.429 showing at the plate which included a pair of home runs vs. UAB. Melissa Mayeux provides Louisiana with the flexibility to play all infield positions, and can even serve as backup catcher for Piskos.
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Outfield: The Ragin' Cajuns "rock" in center field, Raina O'Neal, hit .300-plus and slugged .500-plus all three previous seasons with the program. O'Neal, who missed the final three months of the 2021 season due to injury, has been limited by injury the past two weeks. Freshman Maddie Hayden, the younger sister of four-time All-Sun Belt and All-Central Region performer Haley Hayden, has used her speed and a hot streak at the plate – hit .619 with three doubles, two triples and five stolen bases from Feb. 13-27 – to land a spot in the lineup. Hayden emerged in left field, but in recent weeks has covered center field with O'Neal limited by injury. Senior Jenna Kean is the team's primary speed option in the stolen base department and is the veteran of a rotation in right field that includes freshmen Kramer Eschete, Kayla Falterman and Samantha Graeter. In recent games the freshman trio has alternated starts in right field with Kean, and also filled in the left field spot after Hayden slid over to center field.
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Pitchers: The coaches expect a true "pitching staff" in the circle to be the norm throughout the season. Kandra Lamb, who pitched a three-hit shutout of LSU in her final start of the 2021 season, is ready to take her turn as the leader. Kentucky-transfer Meghan Schorman and freshman Sam Landry are expected to round out the rotation of "starters" with Lamb. Schorman was off to a 7-1 start with a 1.30 ERA before the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, while Landry was the No. 4-rated recruit by Extra Inning Softball and shined in last summer's Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) High School Senior All-American Game. The staff approach has played out early on, with the starting nod spread evenly amongst Lamb (8), Landry (6) and Schorman (5) Â Vanessa Foreman and Karly Heath are playing a role in relief assignments, further deepening the staff approach.
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DIAMOND NOTES
ABOUT LOUISIANA
During the 2021 season, the Ragin' Cajuns reached the 40-win mark for the 22nd consecutive completed season, closing out the regular season winning 25 of the final 29 games, and advanced to Championship Sunday of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Louisiana repeated as Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions highlighted by an 11-1 record, regular season and tournament combined, against the league's other three NCAA Tournament participants (Texas State, Troy and South Alabama).
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Moving forward into the 2022 season, Louisiana is armed with the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class of the 2021 recruits by Extra Inning Softball including the No. 4-rated recruit in pitcher Sam Landry and No. 15-rated recruit in outfielder Maddie Hayden, has first team All-Sun Belt performer Kandra Lamb back in the circle seeking to pick up where Summer Ellyson left off, and welcomes back Raina O'Neal and Taylor Roman and their power bats back to the lineup
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FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
-- RaginCajuns.com --
Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Location: Lafayette, La.
Stadium: Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park
Game Times:Â 4:00 and 6:30 p.m. (CDT)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Season Stats (PDF): Louisiana | Texas
Rosters: Louisiana | Texas
Schedule/Results: Louisiana | Texas
Television: ESPN+ Â |Â Talent: Dan McDonald, PxP; Yvette Girouard, analyst
Radio:Â ESPN Lafayette 103.3 FM // 1420 AM Â |Â Talent: Steve Peloquin, PxP; Bobby Neveaux, analyst
Live Video: Game 1 | Game 2
Live Audio: Game 1 | Game 2
Live Stats:Â Game 1 | Game 2
Twitter Updates:Â @RaginCajunsSB
Â
THE BASICS
>> No. 23 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball (15-5) concludes its six-game homestand on Wednesday, March 16 hosting No. 25 Texas (16-9-1) in a doubleheader at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park beginning at 4:00 p.m. (CDT).
Â
>> It's the first of three games in the month of March between the Ragin' Cajuns and Longhorns. Both squads will reconvene in two weeks in Austin on Wednesday, March 30 for a single game.
Â
>> The doubleheader also brings to a close a string of 22 consecutive games for Louisiana within state's borders to begin the 2022 season.
Â
>> The Ragin' Cajuns Department of Athletics is celebrating "Louisiana Salutes" with all military members receiving two complimentary tickets with the presentation of a valid military ID.
Â
>> The weather forecast is much improved over a year ago, giving Louisiana and Texas a chance to finally meet at Lamson Park. The 2021 doubleheader scheduled at the facility was relocated to Austin due to a significant weather system moving through the Lafayette area on the scheduled date of the matchup.
Â
>> Texas is the third Power 5 program to visit Lamson Park within the last three weeks: Alabama visited on Feb. 24 and LSU stopped by on March 3.
Â
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MATCHUP
>> Texas owns a 12-7 lead in the all-time series. Louisiana holds the edge, 3-2, at Lamson Park.
Â
>> The Ragin' Cajuns and Longhorns meet at Lamson Park for the first time in the Gerry Glasco era. The last matchup at the facility came in the 2016 NCAA Lafayette Regional on May 21, 2016 (Ragin' Cajuns won 9-1).
Â
>> The two teams meet for the third straight season. Louisiana and Texas split a doubleheader at McCombs Field in Austin in 2020 and 2021.
Â
>> The two storied programs have met five times in NCAA postseason play. The Ragin' Cajuns hold a 4-0 edge in NCAA Regionals; Texas' lone win a postseason matchup came in the 2003 WCWS.
Â
THE LAST TIME OUT
>> Louisiana began Sun Belt Conference play hosting Georgia State at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.
Â
>> The Ragin' Cajuns recovered from a series-opening 4-1 loss with back-to-back offensive explosions to win the series, extending the team's nation-leading streak of consecutive conference series won to 65 straight (dates back to March 2013).
Â
>> Louisiana generated eight extra base hits, a total which included five home runs, to outslug the Panthers 10-6 in Game 2 and even the series. In the series finale on Sunday, the Ragin' Cajuns used a five-run scoring spree – all with two outs – in the second inning to gain separation in the 9-0 (5 inn.) win that clinched the series victory.
Â
NUMBERS TO KNEAUX
1: In the 8-1/3 innings of relief that she pitched in the two matchups vs. LSU, Meghan Schorman yielded only one run.
.197: The Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff has held the opposition to a sub-.200 average the entire season. Opponents are hitting .197 entering the Texas doubleheader.
2: In games from March 3 through March 9, Ragin' Cajuns pitchers yielded only two runs over 18 innings (2 runs, 10 hits, 27 strikeouts) in relief effort situations.
2.65: Louisiana entered the week ranked No. 4 nationally averaging 2.65 stolen bases per game (53 swipes in 20 games).
4: Kandra Lamb's no-hitter of Central Connecticut on March 4 marked the fourth such occurrence of her career (two no-hitters as a freshman in 2019, plus two no-hitters in 2022).
5: Louisiana's pitching staff has yielded only five home runs to the opposition through 122 innings.
6: Stormy Kotzelnick is tied for the team lead with six multiple-hit games. She's the team leader with five multiple-RBI games.
.667: Taylor Roman's batting average (4-for-6) over the two games that she started in (Games 2 and 3) in the GSU series.
7: Seven different players hit at least one home run in the Georgia State series.
9: Number of shutouts posted by Louisiana's pitching staff.
9: The Ragin' Cajuns offense has produced double-digit hits in nine games.
12: Louisiana has posted 21 of its season total of 23 home runs at Lamson Park.
14-0: Louisiana's record when scoring first.
15: Louisiana totaled 15 extra base hits over the three-game Sun Belt Opening Weekend series with Georgia State.
18: Kandra Lamb totaled a series-high 18 strikeouts over 11 innings of work vs. Georgia State. The highlight was a career-high 13 strikeouts in the series opener.
19: In the two wins Louisiana posted over Georgia State in the series, the squad posted 19 runs over 10 innings at the plate combined over Games 2 and 3 of the set.
30-2/3: Louisiana's pitching staff started the 2022 season with 30-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
37: Louisiana is scheduled to play 37 games this season within the state of Louisiana's borders.
.375: Batting average for the Ragin' Cajuns offense after the season's first 20 games.
.462: Louisiana's on base percentage, which ranks No. 2 nationally (trails only Oklahoma's .496).
79/50: The Ragin' Cajuns hitters have drawn more walks (79) than they have struck out (50).
126: Consecutive editions of the Top 25 polls that Louisiana has appeared in at least one poll – a streak which dates back to April 2013.
Â
A QUICK LOOK AT THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Infield: Now in her first full season as Louisiana's primary catcher, Sophie Piskos brings an infectious energy and enthusiasm to the lineup and is continuing to build upon last season's strong finish (hit .429 from April 20 onward). Back from injury that ended her 2021 season just six games in, Taylor Roman made a strong case for covering the first base bag after turning in three triples, a home run and eight RBI on Opening Weekend. With an 11-game hitting streak and a .500-plus average in February, Stormy Kotzelnick penciled herself into the lineup at second base. Power 5 transfer Jourdyn Campbell (Texas A&M) entered the season as the front runner at third base and has held her spot. At shortstop, freshman Alexa Langeliers was the Opening Day starter and was there the entire weekend due to an impressive.429 showing at the plate which included a pair of home runs vs. UAB. Melissa Mayeux provides Louisiana with the flexibility to play all infield positions, and can even serve as backup catcher for Piskos.
Â
Outfield: The Ragin' Cajuns "rock" in center field, Raina O'Neal, hit .300-plus and slugged .500-plus all three previous seasons with the program. O'Neal, who missed the final three months of the 2021 season due to injury, has been limited by injury the past two weeks. Freshman Maddie Hayden, the younger sister of four-time All-Sun Belt and All-Central Region performer Haley Hayden, has used her speed and a hot streak at the plate – hit .619 with three doubles, two triples and five stolen bases from Feb. 13-27 – to land a spot in the lineup. Hayden emerged in left field, but in recent weeks has covered center field with O'Neal limited by injury. Senior Jenna Kean is the team's primary speed option in the stolen base department and is the veteran of a rotation in right field that includes freshmen Kramer Eschete, Kayla Falterman and Samantha Graeter. In recent games the freshman trio has alternated starts in right field with Kean, and also filled in the left field spot after Hayden slid over to center field.
Â
Pitchers: The coaches expect a true "pitching staff" in the circle to be the norm throughout the season. Kandra Lamb, who pitched a three-hit shutout of LSU in her final start of the 2021 season, is ready to take her turn as the leader. Kentucky-transfer Meghan Schorman and freshman Sam Landry are expected to round out the rotation of "starters" with Lamb. Schorman was off to a 7-1 start with a 1.30 ERA before the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, while Landry was the No. 4-rated recruit by Extra Inning Softball and shined in last summer's Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) High School Senior All-American Game. The staff approach has played out early on, with the starting nod spread evenly amongst Lamb (8), Landry (6) and Schorman (5) Â Vanessa Foreman and Karly Heath are playing a role in relief assignments, further deepening the staff approach.
Â
DIAMOND NOTES
- Louisiana was preseason ranked in all four major national polls: No. 19 in Softball America, No. 22 in D1Softball and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll.
- Louisiana, the two-time defending Sun Belt regular-season and tournament champion, was selected as the favorite to win the 2022 Sun Belt Conference softball title in a vote of the league's 10 head coaches.
- Kandra Lamb, Raina O'Neal and Sophie Piskos were voted onto the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason All-Conference Team.
- Kandra Lamb represented Louisiana Softball on the Extra Inning Softball Elite 100 list and Sam Landry was named on of D1Softball's Top 75 Impact Freshman. The duo was ranked among D1Softball's Top 150 Players.
- With the exception of Sophie Piskos at catcher, Raina O'Neal returning in center field and Taylor Roman at first base, the Ragin' Cajuns are using a new starter at every other position.
- For Gerry Glasco, his fifth season in Louisiana has a different look and feel: the team largely consists of players he recruited and went from being one of the oldest in the nation to one of the youngest. The Ragin' Cajuns went from a roster in 2021 that was predominantly sixth-year and fifth-year players to a group in 2022 that includes eight freshmen and 12 total newcomers.
- Louisiana is in a transition year in the pitching circle following the departure of former All-American and two-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Summer Ellyson. After working alongside Ellyson last season to lead the Ragin' Cajuns to repeat champions in the Sun Belt, Kandra Lamb takes her turn as the pitching staff's leader.
- The 2022 season has brought the much-anticipated debut for Louisiana's 2021 recruiting class, which was ranked No. 1 by Extra Inning Softball and includes the No. 4-rated recruit in pitcher Sam Landry and the No. 15-ranked prospect in Louisiana native Maddie Hayden.
ABOUT LOUISIANA
During the 2021 season, the Ragin' Cajuns reached the 40-win mark for the 22nd consecutive completed season, closing out the regular season winning 25 of the final 29 games, and advanced to Championship Sunday of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Louisiana repeated as Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions highlighted by an 11-1 record, regular season and tournament combined, against the league's other three NCAA Tournament participants (Texas State, Troy and South Alabama).
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Moving forward into the 2022 season, Louisiana is armed with the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class of the 2021 recruits by Extra Inning Softball including the No. 4-rated recruit in pitcher Sam Landry and No. 15-rated recruit in outfielder Maddie Hayden, has first team All-Sun Belt performer Kandra Lamb back in the circle seeking to pick up where Summer Ellyson left off, and welcomes back Raina O'Neal and Taylor Roman and their power bats back to the lineup
Â
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
-- RaginCajuns.com --
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/IF
/ Softball
1B/OF
/ Softball
P
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