Friday, April 12
Jacksonville, AL
6:00 PM
Louisiana Tech University
at
Jacksonville State
Photo by: Darrell James
Bulldogs Continue CUSA Slate at Jax State
4/11/2024 7:18:00 AM | Softball
RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech Softball team continues its Conference USA slate with a three-game series at Jacksonville State this weekend.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, April 12, 6 p.m. | Saturday, April 13, 1 p.m. | Sunday, April 14, 1 p.m.
Location: Jacksonville, Ala. (Jana McGinnis Field)
Watch: Game One | Game Two | Game Three
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (24-11, 7-5 CUSA)
Louisiana Tech is 24-11 this season and coming off a 1-2 weekend that featured a thrilling 13-10 slugfest win over Georgia Tech. LA Tech was scheduled to play a doubleheader against Ole Miss on Wednesday but it was postponed due to rain.
On April 8, the Bulldogs checked in at No. 44 in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings, the second-best mark among all Conference USA schools.
Aubree Seaney and Nicole Hammoude hit back-to-back home runs during the win over Georgia Tech. Seaney hit a two-run home run and Hammoude followed it up with a tape-measure solo shot. They became the first Tech teammates to accomplish the feat since Caroline Easom and Katelin Cooper did so on April 23, 2023, in a 13-2 win at UTEP.
Hammoude leads LA Tech with 28 RBI and five home runs this season. In the win over Georgia Tech, she went 2-4 with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored. With her two home runs, she became the first Bulldog to hit multiple home runs in a game since Kara Goff did so in a 3-2 extra-innings loss against North Alabama on February 27, 2021.
Center fielder Alexis Gilio has been one of the best hitters in Conference USA this season. She leads LA Tech with a .394 batting average, 41 hits, 14 RBI, 22 Runs scored, 13 walks, and a team-leading nine stolen bases. Defensively, Gilio has committed one error in 57 chances. She collected three hits and a sacrifice fly in the win over Georgia Tech.
Second baseman Caroline Easom is batting .352 with 37 hits, seven doubles, 22 RBI, and seven runs scored this season. She has struck out just nine times in 105 at-bats. Easom's 194 career starts rank 14th in program history. The Bossier City product gave the Bulldogs the lead with a two-run double in the fifth inning of the win over Georgia Tech.
Easom Gilio and Hammoude were named to the War Eagle Classic All-Tournament Team after their performances this past weekend.
Katelin Cooper leads LA Tech with 25 walks this season. She became the first Bulldog to post 20+ walks in three consecutive seasons since Morgan Turkoly accomplished the feat from 2017-19.
As a team, LA Tech has already recorded 11+ hits in 10 games this season after doing it eight times a year ago.
Opponents are hitting .247 against the Bulldogs' pitching staff in 2024. LA Tech holds a team ERA of 2.44 and a 1.22 WHIP in 232.2 innings pitched this season. In the last two seasons, the Bulldog pitchers have held opponents to two or fewer runs in 48 of their 90 games.
Allie Floyd leads LA Tech in innings pitched (98.2) and strikeouts (62) this season while owning a 2.06 ERA. She has a 12-3 record and four saves this season. Floyd leads CUSA and ranks 40th nationally in victories. Floyd has held opponents to a .225 batting average in 2024.
Brook Melnychuk is 7-6 this season with a 2.42 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts. Opposing hitters are batting .227 against her.
Melnychuk and Floyd's career ERAs of 2.23 and 2.35 rank first and third among all Tech pitchers since 2000 (100 IP).
The Bulldogs reached the 1,300-win mark earlier this season, becoming the 39th DI program (DI and AIAW included) to accomplish the feat.
LA Tech is led by head coach Josh Taylor, who is 95-55 in three seasons at Tech and 328-223 in his career. He previously served as head coach at Nevada (2017-2021) and Feather River College (2009-2012).
ABOUT JAX STATE (17-22, 6-6 CUSA)
The Gamecocks are 17-22 this season and 6-6 in Conference USA play. Jax State is coming off a 2-1 series win against New Mexico State last weekend. They won the series opener 11-0 (5) and the series finale 6-1 while dropping game two 10-2.
The Gamecocks are batting .261 as a team with 263 hits, 32 home runs, 151 RBI, and 161 runs scored.
Offensively, Jax State is led by senior infielder Emma Jones-Hubbard, who is batting .352 with 44 hits, 15 doubles, and 31 runs scored while also leading the team with a .445 OBP. Lindsey Richardson leads the Gamecocks with 10 home runs and 41 RBI while posting a .331 batting average.
In the circle, Jax State owns a 3.97 team ERA. Kat Carter is the ace of the pitching staff with a 3.59 ERA and 53 strikeouts in a team-leading 80 innings pitched. She is 7-6 on the season.
Jana McGinnis is in her 31st season as the head coach of Jax State. She has led the Gamecocks to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and six regular-season conference titles. Her career head coaching record is 1,032-599. Her 1,032 career wins are tied for the 42nd most in NCAA History.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisiana Tech and Jax State will be meeting for the 8th, 9th and 10th times this weekend. JSU leads the all-time series 6-1. LA Tech took the last meeting between the programs, 4-0 on April 27, 2016 in Ruston. Anna Cross went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the win.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in LA Tech Softball, follow us on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LATechSoftball).
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, April 12, 6 p.m. | Saturday, April 13, 1 p.m. | Sunday, April 14, 1 p.m.
Location: Jacksonville, Ala. (Jana McGinnis Field)
Watch: Game One | Game Two | Game Three
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (24-11, 7-5 CUSA)
Louisiana Tech is 24-11 this season and coming off a 1-2 weekend that featured a thrilling 13-10 slugfest win over Georgia Tech. LA Tech was scheduled to play a doubleheader against Ole Miss on Wednesday but it was postponed due to rain.
On April 8, the Bulldogs checked in at No. 44 in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings, the second-best mark among all Conference USA schools.
Aubree Seaney and Nicole Hammoude hit back-to-back home runs during the win over Georgia Tech. Seaney hit a two-run home run and Hammoude followed it up with a tape-measure solo shot. They became the first Tech teammates to accomplish the feat since Caroline Easom and Katelin Cooper did so on April 23, 2023, in a 13-2 win at UTEP.
Hammoude leads LA Tech with 28 RBI and five home runs this season. In the win over Georgia Tech, she went 2-4 with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored. With her two home runs, she became the first Bulldog to hit multiple home runs in a game since Kara Goff did so in a 3-2 extra-innings loss against North Alabama on February 27, 2021.
Center fielder Alexis Gilio has been one of the best hitters in Conference USA this season. She leads LA Tech with a .394 batting average, 41 hits, 14 RBI, 22 Runs scored, 13 walks, and a team-leading nine stolen bases. Defensively, Gilio has committed one error in 57 chances. She collected three hits and a sacrifice fly in the win over Georgia Tech.
Second baseman Caroline Easom is batting .352 with 37 hits, seven doubles, 22 RBI, and seven runs scored this season. She has struck out just nine times in 105 at-bats. Easom's 194 career starts rank 14th in program history. The Bossier City product gave the Bulldogs the lead with a two-run double in the fifth inning of the win over Georgia Tech.
Easom Gilio and Hammoude were named to the War Eagle Classic All-Tournament Team after their performances this past weekend.
Katelin Cooper leads LA Tech with 25 walks this season. She became the first Bulldog to post 20+ walks in three consecutive seasons since Morgan Turkoly accomplished the feat from 2017-19.
As a team, LA Tech has already recorded 11+ hits in 10 games this season after doing it eight times a year ago.
Opponents are hitting .247 against the Bulldogs' pitching staff in 2024. LA Tech holds a team ERA of 2.44 and a 1.22 WHIP in 232.2 innings pitched this season. In the last two seasons, the Bulldog pitchers have held opponents to two or fewer runs in 48 of their 90 games.
Allie Floyd leads LA Tech in innings pitched (98.2) and strikeouts (62) this season while owning a 2.06 ERA. She has a 12-3 record and four saves this season. Floyd leads CUSA and ranks 40th nationally in victories. Floyd has held opponents to a .225 batting average in 2024.
Brook Melnychuk is 7-6 this season with a 2.42 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts. Opposing hitters are batting .227 against her.
Melnychuk and Floyd's career ERAs of 2.23 and 2.35 rank first and third among all Tech pitchers since 2000 (100 IP).
The Bulldogs reached the 1,300-win mark earlier this season, becoming the 39th DI program (DI and AIAW included) to accomplish the feat.
LA Tech is led by head coach Josh Taylor, who is 95-55 in three seasons at Tech and 328-223 in his career. He previously served as head coach at Nevada (2017-2021) and Feather River College (2009-2012).
ABOUT JAX STATE (17-22, 6-6 CUSA)
The Gamecocks are 17-22 this season and 6-6 in Conference USA play. Jax State is coming off a 2-1 series win against New Mexico State last weekend. They won the series opener 11-0 (5) and the series finale 6-1 while dropping game two 10-2.
The Gamecocks are batting .261 as a team with 263 hits, 32 home runs, 151 RBI, and 161 runs scored.
Offensively, Jax State is led by senior infielder Emma Jones-Hubbard, who is batting .352 with 44 hits, 15 doubles, and 31 runs scored while also leading the team with a .445 OBP. Lindsey Richardson leads the Gamecocks with 10 home runs and 41 RBI while posting a .331 batting average.
In the circle, Jax State owns a 3.97 team ERA. Kat Carter is the ace of the pitching staff with a 3.59 ERA and 53 strikeouts in a team-leading 80 innings pitched. She is 7-6 on the season.
Jana McGinnis is in her 31st season as the head coach of Jax State. She has led the Gamecocks to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and six regular-season conference titles. Her career head coaching record is 1,032-599. Her 1,032 career wins are tied for the 42nd most in NCAA History.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisiana Tech and Jax State will be meeting for the 8th, 9th and 10th times this weekend. JSU leads the all-time series 6-1. LA Tech took the last meeting between the programs, 4-0 on April 27, 2016 in Ruston. Anna Cross went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the win.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in LA Tech Softball, follow us on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LATechSoftball).
Players Mentioned
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OF
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1B
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