THIS WEEKEND IN WKU SOFTBALL ...
Saturday, April 28 - SENIOR DAY
#6/#7 Louisiana-Lafayette at WKU (DH) - 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
1 p.m. game to be webstreamed on WKUSports.com
Sunday, April 29
#6/#7 Louisiana-Lafayette at WKU - 12 p.m.
LADY TOPPERS HOST #6/#7 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE THIS WEEKEND: The WKU softball team plays its final home Sun Belt series of the season this weekend, hosting the #6/#7 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. This series will mark the third time in four years that the Lady Toppers will have played a top-10 team. Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. with WKU Athletics honoring seniors Laura Smith and Amanda Walden between games for Senior Day. Sunday’s series finale is set for 12 p.m.
MATTOX CLOSING IN ON WKU HOME RUN RECORDS: Sophomore outfielder Kelsie Mattox hit her 13th home run of the season on April 25 against Lipscomb. That long ball put her past Jessie Richardson for the third-most home runs in a single-season in program history. Lindsey Antone holds the Lady Toppers’ single-season home run record with 15 in 2008. Mattox’s home run Sunday was also her 21st of her career, moving her into fifth all-time in home runs at WKU.
WKU VS. TOP-TEN: For the first time in program history, WKU is hosting a top-10 team at the WKU Softball Field as #6/#7 Louisiana-Lafayette comes to Bowling Green this weekend. This weekend’s series marks the third time in the last four years that the Lady Toppers will play a top-10 team. WKU split two games with #6 Michigan at Louisville last season, and lost to #5 Stanford in 2009.
CRUCE DRIVING IN RUNS: Since March 31, freshman infielder Preslie Cruce has hit .341 with six home runs and 12 RBI. She has had two RBI in three of the last five games, including a pair of two-RBI games in the Lipscomb doubleheader on Wednesday. In her last 16 games, Cruce has posted a .423 on base percentage and an .818 slugging percentage for an OPS (on base plus slugging) of 1.241. She currently leads the Sun Belt in hits by pitch with 23, sixth in on base percentage (.462), and ninth in slugging percentage (.571).
SCOUTING LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE: The #6/#7 Ragin’ Cajuns are the nation’s top scoring team, averaging 8.7 runs per game. They’re also third in the country in batting average, hitting .350 as a team. Louisiana-Lafayette has the top four hitters in the Sun Belt, led by Katie Smith’s .434 average. Christi Orgeron leads the conference with 18 home runs and 83 RBI. Freshman pitcher Jordan Wallace leads the Sun Belt with 21 wins.
