GAMETHREAD: Baseball @ SLI\USL\ULLaf, 6:30pm, Cox Sports/ESPN3

The marathon continues. Tonight the Tigers head down I-10 to face them pesky Cajuns what change their names every couple of years. AJ Labas, after a good, but short, outing this past Sunday, will get a chance to stretch out a little more in a hostile environment. Also, after taking a pitch right in the face mask last night, it’s unlikely we’ll see catcher Nick Coomes in any capacity this evening. Hunter Feduccia was probably going to start behind the plate anyway, but now there’s one less available bat on an increasingly injury-ridden bench. There are also the rumblings that, after a simulated game on Monday, FR RHP Nick Storz might make some kind of an appearance (or not, he might be starting Sunday. Mainieri is playing this one close to the vest). The Tigers will need it all tonight against one of the tougher teams they’ll face in midweek action this year.

The Ragin’ Cajuns (4-7) are off to a rocky start for 2018, but there are fits and spurts where they seem like a great team against a very difficult schedule. They only got 1 win from Texas on opening weekend, but it was in Austin. They beat Nicholls, but like LSU have a midweek loss on the road in Hammond, America. At the Houston Classic last weekend they lost a close one to Miss St, beat Vandy in a shutout, then got demolished by Kentucky. They lost a home weekend series vs Wright St. Like I said, all over the place. Also, the Cajuns, as a team, have a .177/.257/.257 batting line, with Jr OF Gavin Bourgeois “leading” the team with a .275 BA. Sr. LHP Colten Schmidt (1-0, 1.69 ERA. 16 IP, 1 BB, 15 K) will be on the mound and he has good numbers, but has mostly appeared in midweek action.

Like all in-state road games, tonight’s matchup will be broadcast on the increasingly annoying Cox Sports Net and ESPN3, with an online blackout covering the entire state. If you aint got cable, it’s a bar or the radio tonight.