Louisiana makes its much-awaited return home to Lamson Park from March 21-23 with a three-game Sun Belt series against ULM.
The series vs. ULM marks the Ragin' Cajuns conference home opener.
Cajuns play on their home field for the first time since February 22.
Louisiana is kicking off a four-game homestand that includes a visit from No. 3-ranked LSU on March 25 that wraps up the season series.
It's the earliest regular season matchup of the Cajuns and Warhawks in SBC play, who had played the final series each year from 2007-23.
Tuesday night at McNeese started a stretch of five (5) straight games within the state's borders – after 13 of the previous 14 were out-of-state.
Alyson Habetz (UL) and Molly Fichtner (ULM) meet as head coaches for the first time – Habetz coached Fichtner at Alabama from 2013-14.
Louisiana was tested in non-conference play, the team's non-conference strength of schedule ranking No. 13 nationally.
UL has protected leads, standing 11-1 when leading after five, and owns two comeback wins in the seventh or later (Ole Miss, Houston).
Louisiana enters the weekend ranked No. 1 nationally in double plays turned per game (0.92) and in the overall total number turned (24).
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Series Record: Louisiana leads, 122-28
Last: 4/28/24 – UL 5, ULM 2 (Monroe, La.)
In Lafayette: UL leads, 54-11
Streak: UL, +11
Most-played series in Louisiana's program history, standing at 150 games.
Two programs became Sun Belt foes when the Warhawks joined the league in 2007.
Second straight season the series is held prior to the final weekend of the regular season.
Earliest point in the season meeting as SBC foes; had met at end of regular season from 2007-23.
Louisiana claimed all 17 previous Sun Belt series.
Programs first met back in 1981, UL's inaugural season, and met every season through 2005.
Series between the in-state foes resumed in 2007 when ULM joined the Sun Belt.
THIS 'N THAT
Sam Roe generated team-best totals in hits (6), RBI (7) and average (.667) during the Sun Belt Opening Weekend series at Marshall.
Bethaney Noble thrived in relief situations in February and early March, yielding only five (5) runs and tallying 22 strikeouts over 19.0 IP.
Bethaney Noble posted her fourth scoreless relief effort at McNeese. She's yielded only nine runs in 28 IP and has a 2.25 ERA as a reliever.
Kayla Falterman reached base each of the first 19 games, pacing her .542 on base percentage which ranks Top 50 nationally.
Cecilia Vasquez, with a team-best 28 RBI, has posted at least one RBI in 17 of 27 games and has a team-leading eight (8) multiple-RBI games.
RBI total (28) for Cecilia Vasquez marks her personal single-season best.
The third inning is the most-scored in (31 runs) by UL this season.
Louisiana is undefeated (10-0) when pitching yielding two runs or less and has found success when plating at least three runs (14-5 record).
Maddie Hayden has multiple hits five of the last seven games. She leads with 12 multi-hit games and is on pace for her third career 50-hit season.
Maddie Hayden posted her 200th career hit on March 7 in Tuscaloosa. She joins older sister Haley Hayden
(2014-17) in posting 200 hits as a Cajun.
Maddie Hayden, Kayla Falterman and Cecilia Vasquez, Nos. 1-3 in the lineup, have combined for 83 hits on a
.364 average.
Savannah White has controlled the run game, her six (6) caught steal ranking Top 60 nationally. Foes have a
63% success rate (10/16).
In the Saturday sweep in Tuscaloosa, Mallory Wheeler and Tyra Clary, combined. held Iowa and Alabama to 10 hits on a .204 average in 14 innings.
Freshman pitcher Mallory Wheeler has had a hand in both of UL' s shutouts. She leads the pitching staff in
wins (5) and innings pitched (49.0).
UL has recorded 1,904 wins, a total that ranks Top 5 in NCAA history.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana wraps up its four-game homestand on Tuesday, March 25 when No. 3-ranked LSU visits Lamson Park for a 6:00 p.m. contest to wrap up the season series between the two programs.
The Ragin’ Cajuns look for their first midweek victory of the season and a split with the Tigers. LSU came away victorious, 14-0 (5 inn.), when the two teams opened the season series on March 11 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge.
UL and LSU will be completing a sixth consecutive season of annual home-and-home regular season meetings, a trend that began in 2020.
Live coverage is available on ESPN+, the Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network (The Goat 103.3 FM/1420 AM and Varsity Sports app) and CajunStats.com.
After the LSU contest, the Ragin’ Cajuns return to Sun Belt weekend series play on the road in Conway, South
Carolina from March 28-30 at Coastal Carolina.