For non-Softball fans

[CajunRed]

I went ahead and bought a season ticket this year for the simple fact that I want to support our program. After making all 5 games this past weekend, I intend on going to every game possible as long as it doesn't conflict with baseball.

I'll go back to my high school days when we had one of the best softball pitchers in the state. I sat back and laughed as my teamates talked trash and said they could hit her. 7 of our 9 starters couldn't even sniff her. Although it is a different game, it is not inferior to the game of baseball. The pace of the game is unbelievable and watching Matte Haack put a couple dead softballs over the trees at lamson makes me believe she, as well as others on that team, are pretty damn athletic.

Well said.

[TheRaginCajun06]

I think a lot has to do with perception. These girls are so fun to watch. I find the softball games are better than the baseball games. The whole perception that women athletes are inferior to male athletes is just perception.

These girls can play serious ball. The game is fast paced. Stealing... bunting... going yard... multiple triples... stellar defense... lights out pitching. What more could you want? Maybe some local softball coaches could take their teams out to the park on a Saturday to watch the Lady Cajuns rock out.

I think people who haven't even given it a shot are missing out!

[ULshooter2491]

I attended my first lady Cajuns game this year. I had a good time and have since caught at least parts of four games. The games are fast paced and enjoyable, I'll continue to support them when I can and I agree that anyone who hasn't checked them out gives it a shot.

[bbbilly]

I had basketball season tickets for 28 years. Had center court tickets 8 rows up. Gave them up because after going to many softball games with my 80 something parents it is the only game worth going to see. If you have not been to a cajun softball game you have no idea what you are missing.

[jwallace]

I understand where the gentleman is coming from about "the perception" that women aren't as athletic as the men. However, let me speak to the athleticism of softball. I am the parent of one of the players. She started playing organzied ball at the age of four and has stuck with it through college. Also, I'm a former baseball pitcher and know a good deal about this sport as well. After years of learning the sport of softball, I will argue that hitting a softball is one of the most difficult feats to accomplish in sports (men or women's sports). At the Division I level, the ball is being hurled at 63 to 70 mph from 43 feet away. This is equivalent to swinging at a baseball from 60' 6" away at 90-100 mph based on the reaction time to make contact with the ball. A baseball and softball pitcher can throw a straight fastball, curve ball, screw ball (commonly called a "slider" in baseball), drop ball and change up. Here's where softball seperates itself and takes hitting to another level. Because of the underhanded throwing motion in softball, the ball can actually rise. The batter goes after what they think is a pitch right over the plate and the ball actually rises several or more inches over the bat. This adds a fourth plane to react to as a softball batter instead of three planes or angles as a baseball batter. By the way, at the college level you never throw a fast ball. Movement of the pitch is more important than speed. College level hitters are not usually fooled by speed in and of itself.

In response to the gentleman's statement, women are not as athletic as men. I would like to offer the challenge of your hitting a softball delivered by a quality softball pitcher and see if you think it takes a lot of athleticism to hit a softball.

I would have not really payed attention to women's athletics if God had not blessed me with such a wonderful daughter being fair and honest. That being said, I've come to love women's softball because of the heart that they play with and the love of the game. They're not trying to go pro and earn millions of dollars someday. Women's softball is one of the last venues of true sportsmanship with how the ladies support each other from the dugout and the fact that they always shake their opponents hands at the end of every game. The men shake their own teammates hands and head straight to the locker room. Have you ever met any of the Lady Cajuns? They are all well-spoken good hearted young ladies that many play with injuries and you don't see them cry when they get hurt or hit by a pitch. There's nothing soft about a softball. It will do more damage than a baseball because of it's physical mass. Look at the basic physics here.

I'm only offering my opinion here and this is the first time that I have ever responded to a blog in my life. We all have responsibilites and interests that vie for our time and dollars. However, I would appreciate your supporting our Lady Cajuns. They play their hearts out and have come from behind in every game this last week to keep their perfect record alive. Come spend time at Lamson Park. It is one of the finest softball complexes in the country. I would argue it is one of the best entertainment values in Lafayette. Our ballpark announcer will keep you laughing throughout the game. The food is good for ballpark fare too!

These are only my humble opinions. I know that I rambled on way too long. I hope that I've made some cogent points as to why a person would want to attend a softball game. I hope that we do well in CA this week! It is the highest level of competition you could ever ask for. Thankfully we have three of the finest coaches in the country to carry our ladies into battle. After all, 23-0 speaks for itself in any Division I sport. If we win most or all of the games, will you be convinced then? After all, we beat Michigan, Kentucky, Tulsa (last year's CUSA Co-Champs) etc... Georgia Tech beat Georgia tonight and we face Georgia Tech soon!

[GeauxCajuns]

I understand where the gentleman is coming from about "the perception" that women aren't as athletic as the men. However, let me speak to the athleticism of softball. I am the parent of one of the players. She started playing organzied ball at the age of four and has stuck with it through college. Also, I'm a former baseball pitcher and know a good deal about this sport as well. After years of learning the sport of softball, I will argue that hitting a softball is one of the most difficult feats to accomplish in sports (men or women's sports). At the Division I level, the ball is being hurled at 63 to 70 mph from 43 feet away. This is equivalent to swinging at a baseball from 60' 6" away at 90-100 mph based on the reaction time to make contact with the ball. A baseball and softball pitcher can throw a straight fastball, curve ball, screw ball (commonly called a "slider" in baseball), drop ball and change up. Here's where softball seperates itself and takes hitting to another level. Because of the underhanded throwing motion in softball, the ball can actually rise. The batter goes after what they think is a pitch right over the plate and the ball actually rises several or more inches over the bat. This adds a fourth plane to react to as a softball batter instead of three planes or angles as a baseball batter. By the way, at the college level you never throw a fast ball. Movement of the pitch is more important than speed. College level hitters are not usually fooled by speed in and of itself.

In response to the gentleman's statement, women are not as athletic as men. I would like to offer the challenge of your hitting a softball delivered by a quality softball pitcher and see if you think it takes a lot of athleticism to hit a softball.

I would have not really payed attention to women's athletics if God had not blessed me with such a wonderful daughter being fair and honest. That being said, I've come to love women's softball because of the heart that they play with and the love of the game. They're not trying to go pro and earn millions of dollars someday. Women's softball is one of the last venues of true sportsmanship with how the ladies support each other from the dugout and the fact that they always shake their opponents hands at the end of every game. The men shake their own teammates hands and head straight to the locker room. Have you ever met any of the Lady Cajuns? They are all well-spoken good hearted young ladies that many play with injuries and you don't see them cry when they get hurt or hit by a pitch. There's nothing soft about a softball. It will do more damage than a baseball because of it's physical mass. Look at the basic physics here.

I'm only offering my opinion here and this is the first time that I have ever responded to a blog in my life. We all have responsibilites and interests that vie for our time and dollars. However, I would appreciate your supporting our Lady Cajuns. They play their hearts out and have come from behind in every game this last week to keep their perfect record alive. Come spend time at Lamson Park. It is one of the finest softball complexes in the country. I would argue it is one of the best entertainment values in Lafayette. Our ballpark announcer will keep you laughing throughout the game. The food is good for ballpark fare too!

These are only my humble opinions. I know that I rambled on way too long. I hope that I've made some cogent points as to why a person would want to attend a softball game. I hope that we do well in CA this week! It is the highest level of competition you could ever ask for. Thankfully we have three of the finest coaches in the country to carry our ladies into battle. After all, 23-0 speaks for itself in any Division I sport. If we win most or all of the games, will you be convinced then? After all, we beat Michigan, Kentucky, Tulsa (last year's CUSA Co-Champs) etc... Georgia Tech beat Georgia tonight and we face Georgia Tech soon!

i think you make valid points. i have stood in the box against top softball pitchers. I used to get in the box for brooke mitchell's practice sessions with joy webre behind the plate. interesting to say the least. having said that, you also made a point for the opposition. Your daughter has played the game since she was 4 so she is geared to that now. Everyone wants to talk about a baseball player getting in the box to hit a softball pitch. I would go out on a limb and say he would be more successful than a female volleyball player getting in to hit a pitch. men are more athletic than women. that doesn't mean there arent amazing female athletes, there clearly are, but physically men are superior. i would venture to guess if someone would put their son in softball at the age of 4 and let him progress, at age 18, 19, or 20 he would be able to hit those pitches, and hit them a long way. with all that being said, i love the lady cajuns and i love watching softball. the players arent faster than baseball players, but the pace of the game is faster, and that is what keeps me interested, and being a huge fan of all Cajuns athletics. these are my humble opinions, good luck to your daughter and the rest of the ladies in Cali, hopefully they keep that train rolling

[jwallace]

Yes if a male athlete played softball for that long and provided they were a quality athlete with no doubt would they be able to hit the ball well. They would be a fully bonafide softball player and there are many great male fastpitch softball players. That's more of an Ohio & Arizona thing. I'm arguing that the skill set of hitting a softball in fastpitch is just as hard if not harder to hit than a baseball. I wasn't talking about a baseball player getting in the box and hitting off of a softball pitcher. I was talking about you getting in the batter's box and hitting off of a quality softball pitcher for you to decide whether they are top athletes or not. The male species (my being one) are definitely physically stronger than women. You miss my point. Softball is a game of skill just like baseball. Great physical strength like weight lifting, playing the line in football, or the world's strongest man competition are irrelevant to being a great softball player. If this is the mindset of those not willing to come to the ballpark and support our Lady Cajuns (economic issues aside) then they are the ones missing out on the fun. I go to my share of male athletic events as well. This group of ladies this year are a very special group and I personally am savoring every minute of it. Of course I have a daughter on the team. It's getting closer to game time. We have our hands full tonight!

[Frenchie35]

the players arent faster than baseball players,

Have you seen some of these gals take of from the plate to first............they have a couple of them that would make our baseball player look like they are standing still...........

[CajunEXPRESS]

Yes if a male athlete played softball for that long and provided they were a quality athlete with no doubt would they be able to hit the ball well. They would be a fully bonafide softball player and there are many great male fastpitch softball players. That's more of an Ohio & Arizona thing. I'm arguing that the skill set of hitting a softball in fastpitch is just as hard if not harder to hit than a baseball. I wasn't talking about a baseball player getting in the box and hitting off of a softball pitcher. I was talking about you getting in the batter's box and hitting off of a quality softball pitcher for you to decide whether they are top athletes or not. The male species (my being one) are definitely physically stronger than women. You miss my point. Softball is a game of skill just like baseball. Great physical strength like weight lifting, playing the line in football, or the world's strongest man competition are irrelevant to being a great softball player. If this is the mindset of those not willing to come to the ballpark and support our Lady Cajuns (economic issues aside) then they are the ones missing out on the fun. I go to my share of male athletic events as well. This group of ladies this year are a very special group and I personally am savoring every minute of it. Of course I have a daughter on the team. It's getting closer to game time. We have our hands full tonight!

I have watched seveal softball first basemen, or women do something no male ever has done, catch a ball doing a banna split keeping that foot on the bag. Sure men elite male athletes are superior to elite female, but I love the softball at UL. I guess it may have something to do with being elite and darn good at what they do. This team has the feel of being special even for this program.

Sports that are more fun to watch elite females to elite males. Tennis, gymnastics, volley ball, are clearly more entertaining.

If some people would, or could get over their bias they could enjoy these young women more than any group at UL.

They will have their work cut out for them this week. At the end of the week I think we will be as proud of them as ever regardless if they win every game or lose every game. They come to compete period.

[tank]

Just come to 1 game and see if you like it. I think you will be hooked.The LADY CAJUNS will welcome your support.

Mr.JWallace, Welcome to CAJUN COUNTRY !!

[CajunMarineBBK]

Tank I am ready for a bear down south I will be home Monday baseball on Tuesday. Just might have to cook for the girls again this year I will have to set that up.

[tank]

Ga tech Thursday March 22 doubleheader