RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech Softball team is back in action when it hosts Louisiana-Lafayette for a 6 p.m. midweek showdown at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field on Wednesday.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 20, 6 p.m.
Location: Dr. Billy Bundrick Field (Ruston, La.)
Watch: ESPN+
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Promotions: MS Awareness | Student Tailgate
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (19-5)
Louisiana Tech is 19-5 this season and coming off a 2-1 series win at Middle Tennessee this past weekend. The Bulldogs took games one and two 5-1 and 5-3 before falling in the series finale 5-1 on Sunday.
The Bulldogs enter the matchup having won 10 of their last 12 and five straight at home.
Center fielder
Alexis Gilio has been scorching hot at the plate this season. She leads LA Tech with a .438 batting average, 32 hits, 12 RBI, 13 Runs scored, nine walks, and a team-leading eight stolen bases. Gilio had a walk-off single in the Bulldogs' last home game, a 2-1 win over Northwestern State on March 12. She also led Tech with a .333 batting average in the four games played last week.
Second baseman
Caroline Easom is batting .397 with 29 hits, five doubles, 17 RBI and six runs scored this season. Easom also leads the Bulldogs with a .444 on-base percentage.
Sophomore
Alannah Rogers has broken onto the scene this season. The Surprise, Ariz., product is batting .345 with 20 hits, 13 runs scored, 10 RBI, and 10 walks. She also has a .441 on-base percentage.
Third baseman
Claire Raley leads LA Tech with three home runs and four triples this season.
As a team, LA Tech has already recorded 10+ hits in eight games this season after doing it eight times a year ago.
Opponents are hitting .226 against the Bulldogs' pitching staff in 2024. LA Tech holds a team ERA of 1.75 and a 1.06 WHIP in 164 innings pitched this season. In the last two seasons, the Bulldog pitchers have held opponents to two runs or less in 45 of their 80 games played.
Allie Floyd leads LA Tech in innings pitched (69.1) and strikeouts (49) this season while owning a 1.31 ERA. She has a 9-1 record and four saves this season. Floyd has already surpassed her 2023 win total of eight.
Brook Melnychuk is 7-3 this season with a 1.27 ERA, .94 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts. Opposing hitters are batting .180 against her.
Melnychuk and Floyd rank 35th and 39th nationally in earned run average. Louisiana Tech is one of 10 programs to have two pitchers in the top 50 nationally, joining the likes of Oklahoma, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Alabama, Texas, and Florida Gulf Coast.
Catcher
Brooke Diaz has been very effective at limiting opponents on the base paths. Her nine runners caught stealing this season rank eighth nationally.
The Bulldogs checked in at No. 42 in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings on March 18, ranking first among all CUSA programs.
LA Tech is led by head coach
Josh Taylor, who is 90-49 in three seasons at Tech and 323-217 in his career. He previously served as head coach at Nevada (2017-2021) and Feather River College (2009-2012).
ABOUT UL-LAFAYETTE (18-12)
Louisiana-Lafayette is 18-12 this season and coming off a series sweep of a formidable South Alabama team by the scores of 3-2, 6-2 (15-3, 8 inn.).
The Ragin' Cajuns are batting .302 as a team with 238 hits, 42 doubles, four triples, 23 home runs, 142 RBI, 76 walks, and 165 runs scored.
Mihyia Davis leads the Cajuns with a .416 batting average, 42 hits, and 48 total bases. Maddie Hayden (36 H, 9 2B, 11 RBI, 26 R) and Sam Roe (26 H, 3 2B, 20 RBI) are batting above the .300 mark at .379 and .325 respectively. Sophie Piskos leads UL-Lafayette with five home runs and 21 RBI.
In the circle, the Ragin' Cajuns have a 3.08 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 193.1 innings pitched. Sam Landry is the ace of the ULL staff, with a 9-5 record, 2.12 ERA, and 76 strikeouts in 89.1 innings of work. Chloe Riassetto is also one of their most trusted arms, with a 3.08 ERA and 6-2 record.
Gerry Glasco is in his seventh season leading Louisiana-Lafayette with a career record of 273-81. Prior to ULL, he served as assistant at Texas A&M (2015-17) and Georgia (2009-14).
SERIES HISTORY
The Bulldogs and the Ragin' Cajuns will be meeting for the 83rd time. UL-Lafayette leads the all-time series 51-30. The Ragin' Cajuns took the last matchup, 9-3 on Feb. 20.
Claire Raley homered in the loss.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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