The Book: Lady Cajuns softball 2007 Season

[NewsCopy]

UL's softball team didn't post the numbers it's used to getting on the All-Sun Belt Conference Team announced Tuesday on the eve of the league tournament. The Ragin' Cajuns had four first-team selections and none on the second team, after getting five, six and five first-team picks in the past three seasons and never having fewer than six overall selections since the league began softball in 2000. And, for the first time, UL was shut out on the two top awards, with regular-season league champion Florida Atlantic claiming both Player of the Year (second baseman Mandie Fishback) and Pitcher of the Year (Jen Musillo) honors. The Cajuns did claim one individual award, with pitcher Brittany Cuevas being named Freshman of the Year. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Everyone wears a mask, in one form or another. Most are figurative in nature, meant to hide something from the outside world. Some are physical entities, intended to preserve the anonymity of the wearer. Others are worn to intimidate others. That wasn't Brittany Cuevas' plan, but if it has that effect on opposing batters, so be it. A select few are worn to protect. That was Raymond Cuevas' idea nine years ago, when he told his 10-year-old daughter that she wasn't going to be a softball pitcher without it. After all, the softball pitching circle is virtually on top of the plate, and a pitcher is only a few steps by the time a pitch reaches a batter. Hitters use metal bats, refined into weapons of destruction, and the only thing soft about those bright-yellow softballs is the name. "He sort of encouraged me to wear it," the younger Cuevas said. "The first few games, I didn't wear it because all the other kids made fun of me." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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The goal is the same for UL's 24th-ranked softball team today when the Ragin' Cajuns open play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. They'll just be attacking that goal from a different angle. The Cajuns (46-14) are the No. 2 seed in the tournament, which begins at 10 a.m. at Middle Tennessee's Blue Raider Softball Complex in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Troy and Western Kentucky open the event at 10 a.m., with UL meeting seventh-seeded North Texas at 12:30 p.m. in its first-round game. For the first time since the Sun Belt inaugurated softball in 2000, the Cajuns are not the No. 1 seed. That honor went to Florida Atlantic (37-22), which claimed the regular-season title by one-half game over UL (16-8 to 15-8) thanks to a three-game sweep of nearly rival Florida International in last weekend's season finales. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[Turbine]

Lady Cajuns 12:30

get on board

[ragincajunette]

we're watching it now. we just scored (vallie gaspard). 1-0 UL.

[ragincajunette]

a mean green just scored off a missed ball. scored, now tied 1-1.

[ragincajunette]

tara just hit a solo homerun out of left field. no one else on base. 2-1 UL.

[CajunGator]

_ tara just hit a solo homerun out of left field. no one else on base. 2-1 UL. _

Geaux Miss Hamilton

[ragincajunette]

mean green solo homerun. now tied 2-2.

[CajunGator]

Close game

[ragincajunette]

Holly just hit a shot into center field bringing in Vallie. Now they are intentionally walking Lacey. Desi is up. Now were up again, 3-2 UL, bottom of the fifth.

[RaginDave]

_ Holly just hit a shot into center field bringing in Vallie. Now they are intentionally walking Lacey. Desi is up. Now were up again, 3-2 UL, bottom of the fifth. _

6 OUTS TO GO TO STAY IN THE WINNERS BRACKET. HOPEFULLY BRITNEY CAN BRING IT HOME.

I AM PUMPED ABOUT HAVING A PITCHING STAFF NEXT YEAR OF CUERVAS, BRIGNAC, SIGUR AND AMANDA HILL AND EVEN HAVING TANKERSLY AS ANOTHER OPTION.

WOW!!!!