UL Softball Preview: Central Arkansas

The 9th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun softball team will take on the Central Arkansas Bears on Saturday, in their second game in the Louisiana Classic Tournament at Lamson Park.

The Louisiana/Central Arkansas match-up, the second game of the second day on the tournament schedule, is slated for Saturday afternoon at 12:30 pm, with the first game of the day slated for 10 am.

Central Arkansas, members of the Southland Conference, returns seven starters from last year’s squad, which finished with a record of 25-34, good enough for a sixth place finish in the SLC.

The Bears are picked to finish fourth in the Southland Conference this year, behind McNeese St., Northwestern St., and Sam Houston St..

Last season, Central Arkansas finished the season with a 25-34 record, with a 13-13 mark in SLC play, including wins over Temple, Memphis, and Stephen F. Austin.

Offensively, the Bears hit a .266 in 2014 with 39 home runs and 239 runs batted in, along with 53 stolen bases.

Sophomore outfielder Briana Whisenhunt, a preseason All-Southland Conference honoree, led the way for Central Arkansas last season, hitting a .341, along with 21 RBI’s and 14 stolen bases, while junior outfielder Sam Forrest, who also returns this season, hit a .338 with 8 home runs and 43 RBI’s.

Last season, Central Arkansas was out-hit by the opposition, .295/.266, and out-homered by foes, 54/39, while stealing 53 bases in 67 attempts.

In the circle, the Bears returns senior right-hander Kylee Studioso, a preseason All-Southland Conference selection, who went 17-13, with a 3.20 ERA. last season, her first at Central Arkansas.

The top power threat for the Bears also returns this season, in junior catcher Jessie Taylor, who hit a .269, along with 10 homers and 49 RBI's in 2014.

Louisiana defeated Central Arkansas last season, 5-0.

The Cajuns will play NC State on Friday at 3 o’clock, before playing twice more on Saturday, taking on Central Arkansas at 12:30 pm, and Eastern Illinois at 3 o’clock.

UL wraps-up play in the tournament on Sunday at 2 pm, when they face Eastern Illinois.

You can hear all the play-by-play action on Sports Radio ESPN 1420, and espn1420.com, beginning with the pre-game show 20 minutes prior to first-pitch for each game.