Louisiana vs. WKU (SBC Conf Game#8)

[wcd35]

You said that FIU was only marginally better in RPI, going into the tourny, FIU has an RPI of 58, while UNT has an RPI of 81. With FIU defeating Troy and potentially UNT next, I would prefer to face FIU with the higher RPI, while I realize that unless we get bonus points in the top 50 it doesn't really matter, I would still prefer to face the better team in FIU.

Also, they have a slightly better WP

And after all that, my point still remains. FIU is still the better matchup but its not a massive impact either way with one versus the other. Their impact on our RPI isnt as great as the gap between their RPI rankings. Go off their WP, not their RPI ranking for the basic comparison. If by some chance FIU lept into the top 50, then that would be on their side as well.

[CajunEXPRESS]

The hay is in the barn. Win out, and we host or don't. FIU or UNT will make not one lick of difference as to our chance for a host location. If it comes down to that, then it is simply straw dog the committee can use to deny us. Right now I want a regional, but we simply cannot get too ramped up about hosting. Our team has done a great job without hosting. If fact the last time we hosted we were ousted, and LSU decided they would never play us again because we were not nice, nice.

[wcd35]

The hay is in the barn. Win out, and we host or don't. FIU or UNT will make not one lick of difference as to our chance for a host location. If it comes down to that, then it is simply straw dog the committee can use to deny us. Right now I want a regional, but we simply cannot get too ramped up about hosting. Our team has done a great job without hosting. If fact the last time we hosted we were ousted, and LSU decided they would never play us again because we were not nice, nice.

All basically true, but we still are playing to be ranked higher. That is something we still want to achieve (highest possible ranking to avoid being paired with a very high national seed.) Playing USA in the finals will help that. Also, listening to Steve, he still feels that a National Seed is possible, though, that's a longer shot and we would need to have the committee weigh other factors heavier than RPI.

All that being said, one game at a time. All we can do is beat the pants off the teams we play now

/inb4Briandisproveseverythingiposted

[CajunDreDog]

Friday, May 11
TIME	EVENT		LOCATION
9:30 AM	G7 - No. 3 FIU 1, No. 2 South Alabama 9	Box Score | Recap | Photos	FAU Stadium
30 minutes after conclusion of Game 7	G8 - No. 5 Western Kentucky 1, No. 1 seed Louisiana 12 (6 innings)	Box Score | Recap | Photos	FAU Stadium
$Following game times are approximate:
11:00 AM	G9 - No. 7 Louisiana-Monroe vs. No. 5 seed Western Kentucky	Live Stream | Live Stats | Box Score | Recap	FAU Stadium
1:30 PM	G10 - No. 4 North Texas vs. No. 3 FIU	Live Stream | Live Stats | Box Score | Recap	FAU Stadium
4:00 PM	G11 - No. 2 South Alabama vs. Game 9 Winner	Live Stream | Live Stats | Box Score | Recap	FAU Stadium
6:30 PM	G12 - No. 1 seed Louisiana vs. Game 10 Winner	Live Stream | Live Stats | Box Score | Recap	FAU Stadium

[wcd35]

Yeah, they need to update the times since those are all listed as eastern. They're 2 hrs behind the standard game times.

[CajunDreDog]

Yeah, they need to update the times since those are all listed as eastern. They're 2 hrs behind the standard game times.

Yes, I was hoping they would.

[CajunAmos]

The hay is in the barn. Win out, and we host or don't. FIU or UNT will make not one lick of difference as to our chance for a host location. If it comes down to that, then it is simply straw dog the committee can use to deny us. Right now I want a regional, but we simply cannot get too ramped up about hosting. Our team has done a great job without hosting. If fact the last time we hosted we were ousted, and LSU decided they would never play us again because we were not nice, nice.

If I understood what Brian (gonegolfin) covered on the show with Scott yesterday afternoon, based on what other teams in our area of the RPI did yesterday, he felt we'd be a top 16 seed even if we lost our next two games. We would still have a marginal shot at a National seed (top 8), but it would take a whole lot of other things going on and for the committee to make us a national seed with a 10/11 RPI. Possible, but not likely).

[Turbine]

I missed where
Brian would be on the radio.

I try to never miss those appearances
.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Hoax give up a two out three run homer in the top of the 7th and lose to Toppers 5-3.

[RaginDave]

Good for us on a number of fronts. One I hate ULM and everything to do with them. Secondly they are the worst RPI team left in the tourny, meaning now the Cajuns do not have to play a team with a losing record or a team with an RPI outside of 100. We need FIU to defeat UNT and get a little help and possibly slip into the top 50 RPI (currently 58), that way we could possibly play two teams with RPI within the top 50 to finish the season.

Here is what the RPI looked like going into the SBC Tourny:

13 UL 2-0 in the tourny
50 USA 2-0 in the tourny
58 FIU 1-1 in the tourny
81 UNT 0-1 in the tourny
79 WKU 2-1 in the tourny
59 Troy eliminated
130 ULM eliminated
153 FAU eliminated

Either FIU or UNT will be eliminated next.

Geaux Cajuns!!!!!

PS: Is anyone else impressed with what USA has done in such a short time in regards to softball. They are a top 50 RPI team and a team that I think the Cajuns are going to have to worry about in the future.

[GoneGolfin]

You said that FIU was only marginally better in RPI, going into the tourny, FIU has an RPI of 58, while UNT has an RPI of 81. With FIU defeating Troy and potentially UNT next, I would prefer to face FIU with the higher RPI, while I realize that unless we get bonus points in the top 50 it doesn't really matter, I would still prefer to face the better team in FIU.

wcd35 was referring to "RPI considerations" ... meaning, what will be the impact on UL's RPI by playing a given team? As I have often repeated, it is erroneous to determine this simply by looking at RPI rank.

For example, it would be better (RPI-wise) for UL to face #79 Western Kentucky than #58 FIU. This is due to the weight of the OWP contribution vs. the OOWP contribution.

In the case of #58 FIU and #81 North Texas, it is very close. FIU has a very slight edge ... but nothing that is going to make much of a difference.

The best opponent the Cajuns can play (RPI-wise) in an upcoming game is South Alabama ... other than that, Western Kentucky.

Brian

[GoneGolfin]

Also, they have a slightly better WP

FIU has a better winning percentage ... but they have a lower OWP contribution to UL than that of North Texas. It is not enough to simply look at overall WP when determining the OWP contribution for a team (unless the teams have not yet met in a scheduled game).

Brian