No other Sun Belt programs made a regional.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sid
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No other Sun Belt programs made a regional.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sid
we are a #3.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sid
I really like this regional!!! We know we can beat Houston when we play to our potential.
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INDIANAPOLIS—Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns will make their school-record ninth consecutive NCAA appearance, as they earned one of 35 at-large berths to the tournament. The Cajuns will travel to College Station, Texas to compete in the Regional on May 18-20, hosted by Texas A&M. Exact game times will be announced at a later time to be determined by the host institution.
No. 23 Louisiana (46-16) will play Houston (42-16) in the opening game. The Cougars were the Conference USA regular season and tournament champions. The teams met in Lafayette on April 18, with the Cajuns sweeping a twin bill, 5-0 and 14-0.
No. 7 Texas A&M (40-10) earned the NCAA’s No. 4 national seed and will meet Southland Conference Tournament Champion Sam Houston State (37-24).
The Cajuns boast a better record vs. the Top 25 than any of the three other teams in their region, but have the least experience against their regional foes. UL is 5-3 vs. the Top 25, while TAMU is 7-6, UH is 1-10 and SHS is 0-4
UL had just the two games vs. UH on their schedule, but the Cougars met all three regional opponents twice, losing to the Cajuns and Aggies both times, but defeating the Bearkats twice. The Aggies and Bearkats met once during the season with TAMU prevailing by a 9-0 score.
The winner of the region will advance to a super-regional to face the NCAA’s No. 13 region consisting of No. 17 Georgia Tech, No. 18 Texas, No. 19 Florida, and Stetson.
The Cajuns have made the NCAA Tournament every season under head coach Stefni Lotief – a streak of seven straight appearances.
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U know what this means? Besides pulling for the Lady Cajuns, I'm going for a monumental upset by Stetson of all the other teams in their regional, meaning that we'd host a super regional. (I believe the way it works is that the highest seeded victorious team from the 2 regionals is the host)
God Bless
GEAUX UL RAGIN CAJUNS SOFTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't have much doubt about them getting in also, I'm just surprised about some of the surrounding circumstances. No Baton Rouge, they go to College Station to play a team they have easily beaten this year, recently too. LSU wins the SEC tournament and they have to hit the road, not just once, but twice, to PAC-10 sites to make it to the WCWS. FAU, with a top 50 RPI and the regular season and tournament champion of a Top 10 RPI conference, is told to go back home and be more successful against top 25/50 ball clubs (1-6/4-11), and play more games on the road (26 road/neutral, 39 home).
I would say that UL going to College Station and LSU going to Palo Alto are both surprising. For the Cajuns, it mean't a drop from #2 seed to a #3because they were 7-3 in their last 10 games and were bounced from the Sun Belt Tournament. I'm not surprised that FAU did not, because there is not a automatic bid for the Sun Belt Tournament Champion. And the Selection committee has told the Cajun staff they must improve their schedule.Quote:
Originally Posted by lcitsh
link to the brackets
http://www.ncaasports.com/softball/w...l64/2007/DI_64
Doesn't matter. If we can beat A & M, we can beat Texas. I like Texas over Georgia Tech or Florida in that region.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sid
I would say that they got in, not just because they improved the schedule, but that they were successful against it. 8-3 vs. the top 25 RPI, 13-3 vs. the top 50. FAU was 1-6 vs. the top 25, 4-11 vs. top 50. Also, Cajuns played 31 games @ home, 31 road/neutral, while FAU played 39 @ home, 26 road/neutral.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunGuru
I checked out University of Houston's website and they have us set for Friday at 1:00. If we win we play Saturday at noon, if we lose we play Saturday at 2:30. Double elimination. We can do this! We've beat them (twice) including a 14-0 beating in five innings. They don't have any memorable wins over ranked teams except Michagan back in February.
Their website with info if you want to see for yourself: http://uhcougars.cstv.com/sports/w-s...051307aab.html
I started this thread with my "Chicken Little" question. Everything is okay, but just to be certain I insured that the sun did rise in the East this a.m. and that it did set this p.m. in the West!:D
Then this morning I am perusing the Advocate sports page and see an article on the girls high school all star softball game, which was held at lsu. They quoted in the article that a girl, Stala Guffey, and Donna Bourgeois are lsu signees. They stated further that five UL signees, Katie Smith,Gabby Bridges, Ashley Brignac, Christine Orgeron, and Katlyn Stanford, also played.
Well to my knowledge Bourgeois signed with the Cajuns. I believe it was a deliberate misquote because they were too embarassed to quote that lsu had signed only one girl, versus six who have signed with the Cajuns, that played in the All-Star game.
So, I have shed my "Chicken Little" attitude. Our Ladies are headed to the aTm regional, and lsu, after being denied a regional, is headed to the west coast. It can't get much better than this. .~. ..O.. .~.
Charlie if this signing class lives up to its potential???????? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunCharlie
I felt for lsu for about 30 seconds, then I remembered what the NCAA did to us in 2004. Arizona, Oklahoma, UL, South Carolina(?) all in the same region... we were highly ranked, coming off of a World Series appearance the year before and got shafted...Still almost pulled that mutha off!
Dont remember anyone having any sympathy for us.
If there is a regional that we have a shot in its this one. If the girls can overcome whatever was ailing them the last 2 weeks, who knows?
Z.
Without the oppurtunity of looking at the field in details it seems that a lot of #1 seeds are traveling (eight I think). A number of NE and Midwest locales which could be an attempt to garner more interest in those areas. I'll be interested to see how many #1 seeds make it through those regionals. As noted I haven't looked the field over closely but keep in mind that they are going to try real hard to prevent conference foes from meeting one another until the WCWS.Quote:
Originally Posted by lcitsh
That goes without saying, but yes you have to win. Bottomline, the Cajuns did what they had to do and won some impressive games this years. I look forward to this team getting even better next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by lcitsh
Man, I looked over their schedule and results and there is nothing there that impresses me.Quote:
Originally Posted by angellebertrand
Question Mark??? Can we get our heads together and win this thing.
WILL THE REAL LADY CAJUN SOFTBALL TEAM, PLEASE STAND UP!
Z.
I don't like putting a damper on things when this is a time for enthusiasm and happiness, so I'm going to wait until after this season is done to temper your last sentence.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunGuru
I read your take on next year, on the Delphi site. From a talent stand point, there will be more next year. I'll wait to see what the health of this team is coming out of the fall.Quote:
Originally Posted by lcitsh
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The disappointments, the concerns and the bad memories were all wiped out for UL's softball team Sunday, and all it took was one television graphic.
The Ragin' Cajun squad, coming off a two-and-out appearance in its worst-ever Sun Belt Conference Tournament appearance, saw its name pop up during the NCAA Division I Tournament's pairings show Sunday afternoon on ESPNews, touching off a celebration that was more relief than anything else.
"It was like a great weight was lifted," said senior infielder Tara Hamilton when it was announced that UL had received its 17th NCAA at-large tournament invitation in 18 seasons and its ninth straight bid.
The 23rd-ranked Cajuns (46-16) are headed to College Station, Texas, as the third-seeded team, and will face second-seeded Houston (42-16) in Friday's opening round of the tournament. The host and national number-four seed Aggies (40-10) will face Sam Houston State (37-24) in Friday's other opening game.
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Regional play runs Friday through Sunday, with the eventual survivor of the double-elimination event moving to the NCAA Super Regional round May 25-26. The College Station regional is matched up with the Gainesville, Fla., regional (13th-seeded Florida, Georgia Tech, Texas and Stetson) for Super Regional competition.
The winner of that Super Regional earns one of the eight spots in the Women's College World Series May 31-June 6 in Oklahoma City, Okla. UL has made four trips to the World Series since 1993.
"That's our goal again," said junior designated hitter Holly Tankersley Sunday. "We've had our bad week, and now it's exciting to still be playing. We're not out to prove anyone wrong, we just need to prove to ourselves that we can do this."
The Cajuns failed to win either the Sun Belt's regular-season or tournament titles, both for the first time since the league inaugurated softball play in 2000. UL finished one-half game behind Florida Atlantic in the regular-season race and lost two straight games to North Texas and Western Kentucky - teams the Cajuns swept in the regular season - and were the first team eliminated from the league meet.
Now, UL is the only Sun Belt team still in action, even though Florida Atlantic won both the regular-season and tournament titles. UL also swept FAU during the regular season.
Because of the down finish, nothing was certain when the team met at Lamson Park Sunday afternoon to watch the bracket telecast. When the pairings were listed, though, UL found itself in a first-round matchup with a Houston team the Cajuns trounced 5-0 and 14-0 in a home twinbill in mid-April.
"We all started screaming when we saw our name," said senior first baseman Lacey Bertucci. "It was an immediate answer to a lot of prayers."
"We were all very confused going in," Tankersley said. "We weren't sure. Not winning the conference was a heartbreaker, and that made it a guessing game. We were one of those fifty-fifty teams, not knowing if we were in or not."
"I'm feeling a lot better now," said head coach Stefni Lotief, who will make her seventh straight NCAA appearance.
The Cajun squad heads to College Station Thursday. Game times for the regional are expected to be announced today.
"We absolutely needed this," Bertucci said. "It's a confidence booster and a new start. Hopefully nobody will remember what happened at conference and they'll remember us going to regionals and giving it the best regionals we can."
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"please stand up, please stand up"Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeebart21
signed, the real slim shady!
Z, you are getting soft with age.....30 seconds of sympathy for lsu? Man, I recall some bygone comments by you, and they were "Katie, bar the door" when it came to lsu.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeebart21
I agree that we have a shot at this regional. Don't know how good aTm is, but they are ranked fourth. So, they must be pretty good. Still if we can pick where we left off early in the season we can play with just about anyone. Hope that group appears in the regional.
Haven't checked the Advocate this a.m.. I am certain that they are blasting the NCAA. In the Sunday edition they not only expected to host a regional, but felt like they were a lock for a super regional. Nada, boo hoo!;)
Z, you are getting soft with age.....30 seconds of sympathy for lsu? Man, I recall some bygone comments by you, and they were "Katie, bar the door" when it came to lsu.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeebart21
I agree that we have a shot at this regional. Don't know how good aTm is, but they are ranked fourth. So, they must be pretty good. f we can pick up where we left off early in the season we can play with just about anyone. Hope that group appears in the regional.
Haven't checked the Advocate this a.m.. I am certain that they are blasting the NCAA. In the Sunday edition they not only expected to host a regional, but felt like they were a lock for a super regional. Nada, boo hoo!;)
Z, you are getting soft with age.....30 seconds of sympathy for lsu? Man, I recall some bygone comments by you, and they were "Katie, bar the door" when it came to lsu.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeebart21
I agree that we have a shot at this regional. Don't know how good aTm is, but they are ranked fourth. So, they must be pretty good. If we can pick up where we left off early in the season we can play with just about anyone. Hope that group appears in the regional.
Haven't checked the Advocate this a.m.. I am certain that they are blasting the NCAA. In the Sunday edition they not only expected to host a regional, but felt like they were a lock for a super regional. Nada, boo hoo!;)
They can be beat, trust me if the girls show up to play this one is ours. We got a good regionalQuote:
Originally Posted by CajunCharlie
I wonder if the old basketball saying "it is hard to beat a team 3 times" holds as true in softball.