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Cajuns travel to Appalachian State for weekend series

Posted at 9:42 PM, Apr 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-12 22:42:51-04

THE WEEKEND SERIES
Dates: Friday-Sunday, April 13-15, 2018
Location: Boone, N.C.
Site: Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium (1,000)
Times: 5:00 p.m. CT (Fri) | 2:00 p.m. CT (Sat) | 11:00 a.m. CT (Sun)
Opponent: Appalachian State (8-23, 1-11 Sun Belt)
Radio: News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM
Television: ESPN3
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com
 
STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: LHP Colten Schmidt (LA) vs. LHP Colin Schmid (APP)
Saturday: RHP Jack Burk (LA) vs. LHP Andrew Vaccacio (APP)
Sunday: LHP Hogan Harris (LA) vs. TBA (APP)
 
BOONE, N.C. – The Louisiana baseball team returns to Sun Belt Conference play on Friday at 5 p.m. CT as the Ragin’ Cajuns face Appalachian State in a three-game series at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
 
Game two of the series is slated for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, while the two teams wrap up the weekend on Sunday with an 11 a.m. CT first pitch.
 
Where to Listen/Watch
 
All three games will be broadcast on News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM with Jay Walker and Jeff Schneider on the call. The contests can also be seen live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. Live stats for the series are available on RaginCajuns.com.
 
The Series
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns hold a 5-4 edge in the all-time series against Appalachian State having won three of the last four meetings. Louisiana took two of three from the Mountaineers a year ago at home winning 3-0 and 4-3 sandwiched around a 12-4 loss.
 
The Cajuns only visit to Boone, N.C. came in 2015 as the team dropped two of three despite outscoring App State 25-15 in the series.
 
Scouting Louisiana
 
Louisiana (17-17, 5-7 SBC) is coming off of a pair or hard fought midweek victories against McNeese 12-10 and Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 in 11 innings. The Ragin’ Cajuns picked up their first series victory last weekend against West Division leader UT Arlington claiming the first two games of the series 2-0 and 4-2.
 
Offensively, the Cajuns are hitting .225 with 45 doubles, eight triples and seven home runs while averaging 4.1 runs per game.
 
Daniel Lahare paces the team with a .292 average and a .365 on base percentage. Senior Kennon Fontenot and junior Hunter Kasuls continue to battle for the team lead in RBI as Kasuls has a team-best 25 coming on seven doubles, three triples and two home runs, while Fontenot has 24 and is on a 14-game on base streak.
 
Schmidt Hold Back-To-Back Honors
 
Senior Colten Schmidt became the seventh player in program history to earn multiple Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week honors in the same season after posting eight scoreless innings in the win over UT Arlington last Friday. The left-hander joins Gunner Leger and Hunter Moody as the only players to do so in back-to-back weeks.
 
Schmidt ranks third in the SBC and 14th in the nation with a 1.26 ERA allowing just one run in his last 17 innings of work. The reigning LSWA Pitcher of the Week, Schmidt ranks eighth in the nation in walks per nine innings (0.79), 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.00) and 15th in WHIP (0.82). He currently leads the team with five quality starts on the year.
 
Scouting Appalachian State
 
Appalachian State (8-23, 1-11 SBC) has lost four straight coming into the series after dropping a pair of midweek games to North Carolina 4-1 and North Carolina A&T 9-2.
 
The Mountaineers rank 12th in the conference in hitting (.199) ninth in pitching (5.22 ERA) and tenth in fielding (.963). App State is averaging 3.2 runs per game with 48 doubles, five triples and 12 home runs.
 
Senior Conner Leonard has a team-best .237 average with four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI. Junior Drew Beck paces the team with 14 RBI and six doubles.
 
Up Next
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns return home for a four-game week at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park starting Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Louisiana Tech. Louisiana then plays host to SBC foe Little Rock in a three-game series starting Friday, April 20 at 6 p.m.