Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
Sun Belt (45-3, 20-3)
Coming out of the Sun Belt Conference, many have overlooked Louisiana’s superb season. Sure the schedule has been pretty easy compared to some of the other top teams in the nation, but this is a team that has beaten the likes of Mississippi State, Michigan, Kentucky, Tulsa, Arizona State and Georgia Tech.
Big Wins: 2/25 vs Michigan (10-7), 3/15 vs Arizona State (9-2), 3/22 vs Georgia Tech (10-2)
Bad Losses: 3/24 vs Troy (4-9), 4/10 vs Florida International (1-2), 5/5 vs Louisiana-Monroe (2-4)
Coach: Michael & Stefni Lotief (12 seasons at Louisiana)
Why They Can Surprise:
Offensively the Ragin’ Cajuns can compete with anybody. Christi Orgeron is one of the best hitters in the nation no matter which conference she plays in and she has proven that time and time again. Orgeron is a big time power hitter, but she is also a very patient hitter who rarely strikes out and will take what the opposing pitcher gives her. The opposition is smart enough not to give Orgeron many opportunities, but she will be ready once they make a little mistake. But this offense is about more than Orgeron. Nerissa Myers, Matte Haack, Paige Cormier and Sarah Draheim are all strong power hitters. Natalie Fernandez and Katie Smith did not hit for power, but they are the two players at the top of the lineup who can get on base and score some runs.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The hitting should be able to keep up with some of the tougher teams in the nation, but when the going gets tough the pressure will be on the pitchers. Senior Ashley Brignac and freshman Jordan Wallace have split time and have pretty much had pretty similar seasons. In the Sun Belt, they have dominated, but none of their big wins were shutouts. In a victory over Georgia Tech, the Ragin’ Cajuns gave up 11 runs. They just happened to score 12. Against Michigan, Louisiana allowed seven runs and scored ten. The pitching improved when the schedule got easier, but it remains to be seen if the pitchers themselves improved. Certainly Wallace has gained experience throughout her freshman campaign, but Louisiana is going to run into some tough teams sooner or later in the tournament and the pitchers will have to be at their best when Louisiana’s season is on the line.
Key Field Players:
Natalie Fernandez, Sophomore, UTL, .433 BA, 15 RBI, 15 SB
Katie Smith, Senior, OF, .414 BA, 13 RB, 18 SB
Christi Orgeron, Senior, UTL, .388 BA, 19 HR, 86 RBI
Nerissa Myers, Junior, IF, .374 BA, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 16 SB
Matte Haack, Junior, IF, .346 BA, 7 HR, 44 RBI
Brianna Cherry, Junior, OF, .340 BA, 6 HR, 37 RBI
Key Pitchers:
Jordan Wallace, Freshman, Pitcher, 2.15 ERA, 19-2 W/L, 17 CG, 153.0 IP, 146 SO
Ashley Brignac, Senior, Pitcher, 2.13 ERA, 23-1 W/L, 16 CG, 141.1 IP, 136 SO
By the Numbers:
Batting Average: .346 (5th in nation, 1st in conference)
Earned Run Average: 2.25 (43, 2)
Fielding Percentage: .972 (24, 2)
Scoring Offense: 8.27 (1, 1)
Home Runs per Game: 1.22 (10, 1)
Doubles per Game: 1.18 (91, 4)
Triples per Game: 0.24 (29, 1)
Stolen Bases per Game: 1.84 (12, 2)
Slugging Percentage: .533 (10, 1)
Double Plays per Game: 0.29 (122, 6)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2011 | Regional | lost to Houston, defeated Texas State, defeated Texas, eliminated by Houston |
| 2010 | Regional | defeated Texas A&M, defeated LSU, defeated Texas A&M |
| 2010 | Super Regional | eliminated by UCLA |
| 2009 | Regional | lost to Baylor, defeated Northwestern, defeated Texas State, eliminated by Baylor |
| 2008 | Regional | defeated East Carolina, defeated LSU, defeated LSU |
| 2008 | Super Regional | defeated Houston |
| 2008 | WCWS | defeated Florida, lost to Texas A&M, eliminated by Alabama |
| 2007 | Regional | lost to Houston, eliminated by Sam Houston State |
*all team stats through 5/6
See All Softball Postseason Capsules
