Kats face offensive-minded Cajuns Friday
5/28/2013 6:43:00 AM | Baseball
NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Tournament Central
Link to complete information about regional action
Louisiana-Lafayette, Sam Houston's foe in the first round of Friday's Baton Rouge NCAA regional, is one of a record four Sun Belt Conference schools appearing in the NCAA Baseball Championship.
The Ragin' Cajuns joined Sun Belt regular season co-champion Troy (at large), South Alabama (at large) and conference tournament winner Florida Atlantic (automatic bid) in the regional round
Louisiana-Lafayette (41-18, 19-11 Sun Belt) is set to appear in the NCAA Baseball Championship for the 13th time overall and first time since participating in the 2010 Austin Regional.
For head coach Tony Robichaux, it will be his ninth time leading the Ragin' Cajuns into the NCAA Championship.
Sam Houston and Louisiana-Lafayette have met 19 times in the past. The Cajuns own the advantage with 11 victories to eight. Their first meeting was in 1950.
As NCAA Division I opponents, they pair have met eight times with Louisiana-Lafayette winning seven of the games.
The pair's last meetings came in 2005.
On Feb. 16, 2005, in Huntsville, the Kats and the Cajuns began a game that was not completed until a month later in Lafayette.
Thanks to a grand slam home run by Kolin Hatfield, the Bearkats won the suspended game 6-5. Future Reds major leaguer Robert Manual was the winning pitcher for the Kats.
The contest was completed prior to a scheduled single game in Lafayette that the Cajuns won 14-5.
The Ragin' Cajuns bring one of the nation's top offensive units into the Baton Rouge regional. Louisiana-Lafayette ranks in the top 10 nationally in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, home runs and slugging percentage.
The team is hitting .352 and slugging .587 since May 1 scoring five-plus runs each game during the timeframe.
Louisiana-Lafayette has won 15 of its last 20 contests to secure the program's first 40-win season since 2007. The Ragin' Cajuns are making their fifth appearance in an NCAA Regional in Baton Rouge and first since 2002.
Louisiana-Lafayette's all-time NCAA Baseball Championship record is 20-25 and includes Super Regional appearances in 1999 and 2000 and a College World Series berth in 2000.
The Cajuns record in the regional round is 15-20.
This is the first NCAA Championship appearance for all members of the Cajuns roster except Chase Traffica who was a freshman on the 2010 squad.
Dex Kjerstad is the team's hottest hitter with a 13-game hitting streak intact and a team-and Sun Belt-best .398 average. He has accrued 94 base hits which leaves him seven hits shy of the school record .
Michael Strentz will get a crack and the single-season record for doubles during the NCAA postseason as his 23 doubles leaves him two shy of the record 25 by Kevin Meyers in 1988..
Regional tickets not purchased by season ticket holders by 5 p.m. Tuesday will go on sale to the general public at 8 a.m. Thursday. A limited number of bleacher seats and standing-room only booklets will also go on sale Thursday. There will be a limit of four tickets per account.
Individual-session tickets, if available, will go on sale at 8 a.m. Friday.
The Alex Box Stadium Ticket Office is open this week from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.LSUtix.net or call 225.578.2184.
NCAA BATON ROUGE REGIONAL SCHEDULE (All times Central)
Friday, May 31
Game 1: No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Jackson State – 2 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 3 Sam Houston State – 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 1
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser – 2 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner – 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 2
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser – 2 p.m.
Game 6: Regional Championship Game: Game 5 winner vs. Game 4 winner – 7 p.m.
Monday, June 3 (if necessary)
Game 7: Second Regional Championship Game: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser – 7 p.m.
