Lafayette Up Next as Trojans Face Cajuns This Weekend

Little Rock at Louisiana
Location	Lafayette, La.
Venue	Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park
First Pitch	Friday, Apr. 20 - 6 p.m. Saturday, Apr. 21 - 6 p.m. Sunday, Apr. 22 - 1 p.m.
Records	Little Rock (20-15, 9-5 SBC) Louisiana (20-18, 8-7 SLC)
Watch	Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network
Stats	TrojanStats.com
Twitter	@LittleRockBSB
Cajun Preview	RaginCajuns.com

LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock baseball will try to hold its grasp on first place in the Sun Belt West Division this weekend with a three game series against Louisiana at Russo Park. The series will see two night games, one on Friday and one on Saturday, starting at 6 p.m. The series finale will wrap-up on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Penciled-in Starters:
Little Rock will be using the same rotation as last weekend's sweep of ULM with Chandler Fidel throwing Friday, Pablo Ortiz on Saturday, and Aaron Funk getting the Sunday start.
 
Fidel has seen the most action on the mound for Little Rock this year throwing 58.1 innings as he gets set to make his team-high 10th start on the year. He is second on the Trojans in strikeouts with 53, 34 of which have come against conference foes. His ERA is fifth best on the team, sitting at a 3.70 average.
 
This will be Ortiz's fourth start on the year as he holds the team-low ERA with a 2.28 average in 23.2 innings of work. In each of his three starts he has lasted through five innings or more in every outing, giving up four hits in his starts while striking out nine.
 
Funk will get his sixth start of the year while making his 13th appearance. He currently holds a 3.86 ERA and is one of eight Trojans to have an ERA under four.
 
North Little Rock Native:
Danny Mitchell Jr. has essentially been the Trojans only production on the scoreboard over the past two games. In his eight at-bats in those two games, he has registered five hits, producing three RBI's, scoring three times, and smacking one out of the park. He also has two stolen bases during that span.
 
Record Book Notices:
Chase Coker has been looming around a program record ever since he tied the record for triples in a single season hitting his fourth against UT Arlington in late March. One more will give him sole possession of that claim with 18 games left in the season to accomplish the feat.
 
Justin Garcia has a season-high nine saves, which has him tied for the second in the program for saves in a single season. He is four off from Darek Braunecker who threw 13 in 1991. In his career, Garcia has thrown 11 saves which is tied for fourth in career saves with JR Boling (2009-10).
 
In just his second season as a Trojan coming from McLennon Community College, Garcia is already just two games away from cracking the program's top-10 in career appearances. He tied the program record last year in appearances in a single season with 33 and has the nation's fifth most this season so far with 23.
 
To cap it all off, Garcia has the eighth highest strikeout per-nine-innings average in the nation with a 13.74 off of 58 strikeouts in just 38.0 innings thrown. That is on pace to break Brad Cherry's 12.98 program record set back in 2002.
 
Scouting Louisiana:
The Sun Belt Western Division favorites struggled at the beginning of conference play, but have regrouped in recent games and are now 20-18 on the season and right behind the Trojans in the division, sitting at 8-7 entering the weekend.
 
Every loss in conference play they have given up five or more runs while their hitting sits at fourth worst against Sun Belt opponents with a .240 average.
 
Look for the Ragin' Cajuns to bunt with runners on base as they lead the conference in sacrifice bunts with 20, compared to Little Rock's three, and have nine more than the next team.
 
Their pitching has been inefficient at times as the Ragin' Cajuns sit last in total strikeouts while having the fewest batters struck out looking. They also have the second most wild pitches against Sun Belt opponents and have recorded the most hit-by-pitches of opposing players in the league.
 
Series Against Louisiana:
The last time these two teams met in Lafayette, the Ragin' Cajuns were ranked No. 16 in the nation, but the Trojans battled to win two of the three games to claim the series. Louisiana got revenge last year in Little Rock with a series sweep of the Trojans. Overall, the Ragin' Cajuns hold the series edge over the Trojans at 51-17.
 
Road Trip Continues:
Once the trip to Lafayette wraps up, Little Rock will be halfway through its eight-game road trip, but the next game won't take the Trojans far from home. Little Rock will head to Pine Bluff for a midweek game against UAPB on Tuesday, April 24, with first pitch at 3 p.m.

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