UL Softball Set For Big Series With Oklahoma

The 23rd-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team returns to action on Friday evening, playing host to the 19th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the opening game of a three-game, weekend, non-conference series at Lamson Park.Louisiana, who defeated Lamar, 14-3, in their only game last week, is currently riding a seven-game win streak, and is 15-5-1 on the season.

Oklahoma, the defending national champions, has won four-consecutive games, including eight of their last nine, and currently stand at 17-6.

The Cajuns are currently hitting a .276 as a team, along with 37 home runs, 123 RBI's, and 14 stolen bases.

Offensively, Louisiana is led by senior second baseman Natalie Fernandez, who leads the team in hitting (.439) and on-base percentage (.543) and freshman outfielder Hayley Hayden, who leads the team in both home runs (9) and RBI's (25).

The Sooners are hitting a .316 as a team, along with 34 home runs and 33 stolen bases.

Offensively, Oklahoma is paced by junior third baseman Shelby Pendley, who is hitting a .434, with seven homers.

Pitching-wise, Louisiana brings a an overall team ERA. of 3.75 into the series. Junior right-hander Christina Hamilton is currently 6-1, with a 1.58 ERA., while junior right-hander Jordan Wallace is 7-1, with a 3.93 ERA.

Oklahoma, who brings a combined team ERA. of 3.05 into the series, is paced by sophomore Kelsey Stevens, who is 11-3, with a 2.26 ERA.

First-pitch for Friday night's single game is scheduled for 6 pm, with a 2 o'clock doubleheader set for Saturday.

You can hear all the play-by-play action on Sports Radio ESPN 1420 & espn1420.com, beginning with the pre-game show, 15 minutes prior to first-pitch.