Louisiana baseball riding momentum into second half of 2026 season

Just when you think Louisiana baseball is dead to rights, the Ragin’ Cajuns find a way to win. That was the case when No. 10 Southern Miss came to town for a Sun Belt Conference series.

After dropping Game 1 to the Golden Eagles, the Cajuns (21-15, 6-9) dug deep to secure their second SBC series win of the season.

“To be able to bounce back Saturday and Sunday, I thought our team showed a lot of heart and fight, and doing so against a really good team,” UL coach Matt Deggs said. “So, hopefully that gives us a little boost, little jump start going into the second half of the season. We’re more than capable of playing championship-level baseball.”

Playing up to that standard is what Deggs and company have in mind as they look to climb the SBC rankings. This past weekend was the stepping stone the Cajuns needed with picking up both conference wins and their second and third ranked wins of the season.

Blaze Rodriguez 29, Louisianas Ragin Cajuns take on Southern Miss Baseball. Friday, April 10, 2026.

Louisiana baseball's bullpen comes alive

In Game 2 and Game 3 against the Golden Eagles, pitching was key to the Cajuns’ success. Kicking things off was senior lefty Andrew Herrmann, who was locked in from start to finish Saturday. He threw all nine innings, giving up just five hits and four runs while striking out nine batters.

Herrmann’s stellar outing landed him his fourth win of the season and marked his third complete game, the most of any pitcher in Division I.

“For Herm to give us the start that he gave us was gigantic,” Deggs said. “What a performance. Not shocked by seeing that kid do stuff like that. He’s very, very, very uncommon, and he’s just a throwback so I really have enjoyed getting a chance to coach him, be around him for three years.”

Along with Herrmann, the Cajuns’ Sunday relief pitchers were crucial in escaping with a 6-5 win. Sophomore Parker Smith came in to relieve Ty Roman and in 2⅔ innings of work, he gave up just two hits and a run. That was enough to earn the right-hander his second win of the season.

Coming through with his fifth save of the season was junior Cody Brasch, who has quickly become one of the most reliable arms in relief for the Cajuns. In three innings of work, he struck out three batters, walked one and gave up only one hit.

Starting pitcher Cody Brasch 15, Louisianas Ragin Cajuns Baseball beats the LSU Tigers 7-2 at M.L. Tigue Moore Field in Lafayette, LA. Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

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Bright spots from Louisiana baseball’s lineups

Offensively, it has been an up-and-down season for the Cajuns and that showed in the series. In Game 1, UL went cold, scoring just one run on five hits, something common across the Cajuns’ losses this year.

Having a short memory was key for the Cajuns in the next two games. UL was able to rediscover its offense, along with capitalizing off of Southern Miss’ control issues on the bump. Senior Lee Amedee, junior Steven Spalitta and freshman Josh Lim had key at-bats for the Cajuns.

“It’s our ability to score with two outs that’s been the difference maker as of late for this team,” Deggs said. “For instance, nothing going two outs, nobody on base and their catcher comes to the plate, third baseman stays back, we bunt and are able to execute the bunt and that leads to a quick score right there. To do it with two outs shows that you still have some fight to you, some heart and some grit.”

Lim ended the weekend with five hits and a run, emerging as a reliable young slugger for the Cajuns. The only Cajun player to go yard this series was Spalitta, who hit a two-run homer in Game 2 to propel them to an 8-4 victory.

Amedee, who holds a team-high batting average, was just as reliable against the Golden Eagles. The senior first baseman ended the weekend with two hits, three RBIs and three walks. UL will look to have more bright spots offensively as it hits the road to face Troy for its next SBC series.

Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana baseball riding momentum into second half of 2026 season