App State Returns Home to Face Reigning Sun Belt Champs

BOONE, N.C. – The App State Mountaineers are set to return to Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium for the first time in Sun Belt action, hosting the reigning Sun Belt Champion Louisiana Ragin's Cajuns for a three-game set this Thursday-Saturday. It will mark the second consecutive week that the Mountaineers will face a ranked team as Louisiana enters play ranked 23rd. First pitch on Thursday is set for 6 p.m. Every game can be streamed on ESPN+. Admission to Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium is free. 
   
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers battled hard against a ranked Texas State team on the road this past weekend, working to get several baserunners aboard across the three games, but the Bobcats' pitching staff helped them claim a series win at home. 
 
Kayt Houston stayed hot at the plate against the Bobcats, recording two hits on Friday and a third hit on Saturday to give her 43 for the year. She sits in second place in the Sun Belt Conference in total hits entering the weekend and has hit safely in all but three games this season. 
 
Freshmen Grace Barrett and Brooke Kennerly also tallied a multi-hit game this weekend, with Barrett's coming in the weekend finale and Kennerly's coming on Saturday in her first start of Sun Belt play. Kennerly's multi-hit outing on Saturday marked her first career game with at least two hits. 
 
Making her first start in over a month, Delani Buckner capped off the weekend with a complete-game gem that saw her allow just one run. Buckner matched the four-time pitcher of the Week, Jessica Mullens, pitch for pitch and struck out three while walking just one. She needs just 13 strikeouts to reach the 250 career strikeout mark. 
 
First Pitch  

• Head coach Shelly Hoerner sits just seven wins away from 700 career head-coaching wins. She is already the winningest coach in program history with 155 and became the first Mountaineer head coach to reach 150 career wins after defeating ETSU on March 11. 

 

• Senior outfielder Kayt Houston tallied three more hits at Texas State this past weekend, inching her closer to the program's all-time hits record. She currently has 218 hits, putting her second on the list, and needs just 12 more to pass Lindsay Glover's record of 229. 

 

• The Mountaineer bats have been red hot to start the season as they enter this weekend's series averaging 5.4 runs a game, which is the third-best mark in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers have scored at least five runs 15 times this season and are 14-1 when they do so.

 

• Home runs have played a large role in the potent Mountaineer offense as they have hit 24 homers in 28 games this year, an average of 0.86 per game. App State has six games this season with multiple long balls, which includes a four-homer game against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 18. When the Mountaineers hit a home run in a game, they are 12-2 this season. 

 

• As a team, App State is tough to strike out as they enter the weekend with the fewest strikeouts in the Sun Belt with only 98. Grace Barrett is the toughest hitter in the conference to strike out as she has gone down on strikes just twice in 98 at-bats, giving her an average of one strikeout every 47.5 at-bats. 

 

• Because of App State's ability to put the ball in play, opposing teams see traffic on the basepaths in almost every inning they face the Mountaineers. Entering play against Louisiana, App State has seen at least one runner reach in 80 percent of the innings played this season, giving them a top-five team batting average in the league. 

 

• In the circle, the Mountaineer staff pounds the strike zone, making opposing hitters work to reach base. Heading into the weekend, the Mountaineer pitchers boast the 35th-best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the country at 2.64. Kaylie Northrop, who tossed a no-hitter on March 11, leads the team in that category with 57 strikeouts to just 13 walks, putting her fifth in the SBC in strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

 
On the Mountaineers 

• App State enters the weekend in the top five of the Sun Belt Conference in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and RBIs entering the weekend. With a .313 team batting average, the Mountaineers boast the 37th-best team batting average in the country heading into Thursday. 

 

• Houston has had an especially good start to her year as she sits in the top three of the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, on-base percentage hits, doubles, home runs and runs scored. The lefty is one of only five players in the league with a batting average greater than .400 entering Thursday. 

 

• The depth of Coach Hoerner's squad has shined bright this year as entering play against Louisiana, 15 different players have tallied at least one hit while 15 different players have recorded at least one RBI on the season. Additionally, four players have driven in at least 20 RBIs and five different hitters boast at least a .300 batting average heading into Thursday. 

 

• The trio of Houston, Barrett and Peyton Darnell at the top of the order has done nothing but produce this season, combining for 105 hits, 24 doubles, 17 homers and 77 RBIs. All three enter the weekend with a slugging percentage over .500. 

 

• Since the calendar flipped to league play, Barrett has been on fire as she leads the team in doubles, homers and slugging percentage in Sun Belt action. Her two-homer, nine-RBI weekend against Georgia State to open Sun Belt play helped her bring home App State's second Player of the Week honors of the season. 

 

• In the circle, the duo of Sejal Neas and Northrop have spearheaded the Mountaineer staff, combining to toss 128.2 innings while striking out 117 batters. Neas' 2.78 ERA is the 14th-best in the Sun Belt entering the weekend. She has not allowed more than two earned runs in each of her last five starts.

 

• App State has allowed the third-fewest walks in the Sun Belt entering play on Thursday, walking just 59 hitters. 

  
Series History 

• App State vs. No. 23 Louisiana
  • Record: 2-12
  • Last Meeting: March 25, 2023
  • Trends: 
    • App State beat Louisiana in Lafayette last season, marking the Mountaineers' first win over a ranked opponent in program history. 
    • The Mountaineers took a game from the Ragin' Cajuns the last time they came to Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium, winning 4-1. 

 
Up Next
The Mountaineers will remain in the High Country for the next five games, with their next weekend set coming next Friday-Sunday. This time, App State will welcome the South Alabama Jaguars. First pitch on Friday, April 5 against the Jaguars is slated for 5 p.m. Admission to every home softball game is free.