ULL to open baseball season

After waiting 255 days, the 14th-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team will return to action as they open the season at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field today at 6 p.m. in the first of four games against Eastern Illinois.
The Cajuns and Panthers are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday, starting at noon before closing out the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
Junior Austin Robichaux is set to open the series for the Ragin’ Cajuns and will be matched up with sophomore right-hander Jake Johansmeier. Newcomers Carson Baranik and Greg Milhorn will make their debuts on the mound Saturday for the Cajuns, while senior Cody Boutte will make the start Sunday to close out the weekend.
Since 1972, Louisiana-Lafayette is 29-13 in season openers and has won 14 of its last 16 season openers. Under Tony Robichaux, the Ragin’ Cajuns are 15-4 in season openers. Last season, Louisiana-Lafayette opened the year with a 12-6 win against Central Michigan at the “Tigue.”
M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field enters its 37th year of service (1978-present) to the Cajuns baseball program. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 795-311-2 all-time in the facility.
The Cajuns finished 43-20 a season ago and reached the championship game of the Baton Rouge Regional. The squad was picked the favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference this season and boasts both the Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year in Caleb Adams and the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in Robichaux.
This is the second meeting between EIU and Louisiana. The previous meeting took place on March 20, 1976, with the Panthers claiming a 10-7 victory in New Orleans.
The Panthers return 20 letter winners from a year ago, including six position starters and eight pitchers. The Panthers also return all four starting pitchers and bring back starting pitchers Troy Barton and Christian Slazinik, who missed the entire 2013 season with injuries. Both players were members of the 2012 pitching staff that led the Ohio Valley Conference in earned run average.
There are still both season tickets and individual game tickets available for the series this weekend. Call 337-265-2357 for more information.