Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Baseball
The Diamond ‘Dogs (18-12, 4-2 CUSA) are set to take the field with the FIU Panthers (20-10, 4-2 CUSA) for a three-game weekend series at the Love Shack.
Game 1 is today at 2 p.m. after the start time was moved up due to the forecast. Saturday’s game is currently set for 2 p.m. (weather-pending) and Sunday 1 p.m.
All three games can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on 97.7 FM.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 1-1 road trip, falling to the seventh-ranked LSU Tigers before defeating UL-Lafayette, 16-6, on the Ragin’ Cajuns home field. Zeb Ruddell homered in both games to become the fourth Bulldog this season with a home run in consecutive games.
The last time these two programs met, FIU took two of the three games during the weekend series played at the FIU Baseball Stadium in Miami during the 2024 season, marking the first time the Panthers won a series over the Bulldogs since 2014 and for the first time at home since 2001. Prior to the series loss Tech had won 16 of the previous 20 matchups with the Panthers and have not lost a series at home since that 2014 series.
Sebastian Mexico has been on a tear at the plate in the last 10 games, batting .448 with four runs, 13 hits, a double, two triples, two homers and a team-high 13 RBI in that span while just playing in nine of those games with seven starts. He also currently leads the team on the season with a .324 batting average and a .424 on-base percentage.
Landon Fontenot is set to make his first start on the mound as part of the weekend rotation and just his second overall career start. The freshman southpaw has been lights out for the Bulldog pitching staff, allowing just two earned runs on four hits and one walk through 10 innings, punching out 12 batters along the way.
Luke Cooley has become a mainstay in the weekend rotation as the Saturday starter, leading the team with a 3.34 ERA, 35 innings, 43 strikeouts and has held opponents to a .233 combined batting average. Brooks Roberson is set to make his fifth start and ninth appearance in the series finale, carrying a 3.90 ERA with 27 strikeouts to 17 walks allowed this season. The freshman has a team-best .198 opposing batting average and is one of four pitchers to have at least three wins this season.
FIU enters the weekend coming off a midweek road victory over local rival Miami Wednesday night after clinching a CUSA series win on the road at Middle Tennessee, where the Panthers dropped Game 1 and forced a rubber match with a narrow 6-5 Game 2 victory before taking the series finale, 10-5. FIU is 20-10 on the season and tied with LA Tech at a 4-2 record in conference play.
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Softball
Louisiana Tech softball will put its five-game home winning streak on the line as the Bulldogs welcome the Jacksonville State Gamecocks to Dr. Billy Bundrick Field for a three game Conference USA series this weekend.
LA Tech and Jax State will play a single game on Friday at 2:00 p.m., followed by single games on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. (weather-pending). All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.
This will be the 11th all-time meeting between LA Tech and Jax State. The two schools first met as members of the CUSA last season during Jax State’s first year in the league. The Bulldogs won the series 2-1 after winning the final two games 4-2, 8-3. The Gamecocks won the series opener 8-7.
The two schools first met in 1999 with Jax State winning the first six meetings. LA Tech took down Jax State 4-0 in 2016 for their first win against the program. This weekend’s series will be just the second time that Jax State has traveled to Ruston, with the only other meeting being Tech’s 2016 win.
LA Tech (21-14, 8-4 CUSA) struggled to string together hits in its loss to ULL on Wednesday as the Ragin’ Cajuns outhit the Bulldogs 7-3. Elena Heng collected two singles in the game while Nicole Hammoude tallied one base knock.
The Bulldogs have five players with 30+ hits and just one with 40+ in Heng (42). Hammoude is second on the team with 38 hits followed by Claire Raley who has 37 base knocks. Alexis Gilio has tallied 34 hits followed by Reagan Marchant with 3. Hammoude holds the team lead with 30 RBI, followed by Raley and Marchant who have 26 apiece.
Allie Floyd moved to 16-7 in the circle after taking the loss in Wednesday night’s contest against ULL. Despite the loss, Floyd remains as one of CUSA’s top pitcher, leading the league in several categories. She leads the league in wins (16), innings pitched (130.0), and strikeouts (131), while her 10 complete games are tied for first. She ranks second in the NCAA in wins, fourth in innings pitched and 16th in strikeouts.
Jax State (23-14, 6-6) enters the weekend after falling 3-2 to Chattanooga on Wednesday night. The Gamecocks are 2-2 in CUSA series wins as they swept UTEP and took the series 2-1 against FIU last weekend. Jax State lost its series with New Mexico State 1-2 and was swept by Liberty.
The Gamecocks are batting .294 as a team and have outhit their opponents 284-229 this season. Jax State’s offense is powered by Emma Elrod who leads the CUSA with 51 hits, while her 39 runs scored are second best in league. She leads the team with a .389 batting average and 13 doubles, while her nine home runs are tied for the team lead.
Jax State carries the second-best team ERA in CUSA with a 2.74. The Gamecocks have four pitchers with at least five wins, as Kat Carter leads the way with an 8-3 mark. Carter leads the team with 79.2 innings pitched and 67 strikeouts. She has allowed 63 hits and has walked 31 batters.
