The Book: Lady Cajuns softball 2007 Season

[IHateLaState]

_ Not trying to start anything because I am not privy to any of the inner workings of UL softball, but....you have to wonder if there is some internal chemistry problem???

That will put pull even the most talented teams apart.

Very strange happenings the last half of the season for Louisiana Softball????

Z. _

I love the ladies like anyone but when I heard the score the same thing ran through my mind... Whats going on here... Coach comes on the radio and calls out the Seniors....im not sure what to think.... I was thinking next year we had a legit shot at the gold ring.... not an appearance but winning it all.... hope things (whatever they may be) can get worked out

[LuLu]

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What do you mean, "Coach comes on the radio and calls out the Seniors..." Was that a bad thing? I don't listen to the radio show and I don't know what you mean. Did one of the coaches say the seniors weren't pulling their load?
:
The Sun Belt Conference with the addition of Florida Atlantic has risen in STATUS in the major conferences. The last I looked in the Warren Nolan Report for RPI, the Sun Belt was listed as # 10 in Conference standings. That is not a bad thing, since there are 31 Conferences. The Sun Belt has improved tremendously. The records of the teams in the league are not good because they are playing tough competition in order to be ready to play well at the end. AND they have.

Check here:

http://www.fullysports.com/softball/2007/conferencerank

[NewsCopy]

Two and through. No one expected UL's 23rd-ranked softball team to make this early a departure from the Sun Belt Conference tournament, especially since the Ragin' Cajuns had never lost a game in the event's history. Thursday morning, they lost for the second time in less than 24 hours, falling to sixth-seeded Western Kentucky, 4-1, in an elimination game at Middle Tennessee's Blue Raider Complex in Murfreesboro, Tenn. That loss left the Cajuns (46-16) as the first team eliminated from the tournament - one they had won every year since it was inaugurated in 2000 - and left UL in question of receiving an at-large bid when the NCAA tournament field is announced Sunday afternoon. The loss also meant that UL went 0-2 in the tournament against teams they swept during the regular season. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[CajunCharlie]

The Lady Cajun softball team went into a tailspin. What are some of the consequences that could arise?

One thing I really fear is that the ladies that committed will get a lot of pressure from teams who also recruited them to change their minds. Are they strong enough with their committment to withstand the pressure?

Do we get a bid to a Regional? I don't think so, but I have been wrong more times than I have been right.

[Turbine]

I think the Lady Cajuns get a regional. Their body of work is still very imrpessive.

Softball still isn't as strong (as many strong teams) nationally as the other "Big 5 Sports"

If I were a recruit looking for a team to play on I would read "Job Opening"


jmo

[ulforlife]

They'll be fine I think, don't like what has happened don't get me wrong, but...
Finishing regular season right at top 25 and a mid twenties rpi with a 9-2 record against top 30 teams (Fresno State & Houston) should be enough to at least get them into a regional. How far will they go? Depends on A LOT of things.

For recruits and such, as I know you have heard EVERYBODY say it, this is a young team. They are only going to be better next year, and that is just with who is on the team right now. That is the way I feel personally. Girls like Melissa Verde, Lana Bowers, Vallie Gaspard, and of course Brittany Cuevas, have had a standout year and are going to get better with hitting, getting on base, pitching and all that good stuff. Especially when Mike Lotief gets his way with them. 14 freshman; they are going to be around for a while. And when they gel, they are going to play strong for the next 3 years together. The girls who are coming in are not going to change their minds because we lost our first conference tournament in 8 years. Name another team that can boast that...

Keep cheering for whatever we can get this year, and just wait, next year will be a lot of fun.

[Cajunsmike]

They'll be fine I think, don't like what has happened don't get me wrong, but...
Finishing regular season right at top 25 and a mid twenties rpi with a 9-2 record against top 30 teams (Fresno State & Houston) should be enough to at least get them into a regional. How far will they go? Depends on A LOT of things.

For recruits and such, as I know you have heard EVERYBODY say it, this is a young team. They are only going to be better next year, and that is just with who is on the team right now. That is the way I feel personally. Girls like Melissa Verde, Lana Bowers, Vallie Gaspard, and of course Brittany Cuevas, have had a standout year and are going to get better with hitting, getting on base, pitching and all that good stuff. Especially when Mike Lotief gets his way with them. 14 freshman; they are going to be around for a while. And when they gel, they are going to play strong for the next 3 years together. The girls who are coming in are not going to change their minds because we lost our first conference tournament in 8 years. Name another team that can boast that...

Keep cheering for whatever we can get this year, and just wait, next year will be a lot of fun.

Girls coming next year have already signed. That is more than a commitment.

[CajunCharlie]

_ Girls coming next year have already signed. That is more than a commitment. _

I did not realize that. I thought only committments had been made. That is good news!!

My question(s) were not to be of the "Chicken Little" type. I just wanted to find out the pulse of the fans. Sounds like the pulse is beating very well. Regardless of the answer outcomes I am still a true fan, and will not waiver in my support for our programs.

[NewsCopy]

Florida Atlantic's conference changed, but its result stayed the same. FAU won the Sun Belt softball championship Saturday at MTSU with a 1-0 win over Troy. A first-year member of the Sun Belt, FAU had won nine Atlantic Sun titles in the previous 10 years. FAU is only the second Sun Belt champion in league history, as Louisiana-Lafayette had won the first seven Sun Belt titles. FAU pitcher Jen Musillo was named the Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player after tossing 44 innings and three shutouts in the four-day tournament. FAU and Troy combined for only five hits in the title game. FAU's Melissa Moore walked with one out in the third inning, and Annie Voyles cranked an RBI double off the left-centerfield wall — her sixth RBI in 65 games this season. The rest of the story By ADAM SPARKS sparks@dnj.com 615-278-5167

[Zeebart21]

didnt we sweep these girls in the regular season?

Z.

[Turbine]

_ didnt we sweep these girls in the regular season?

Z. _

Yes the 3 game score was 13-4

So if there is one team we wanted to win the tourney (besides us) it would be FAU. A season sweep against the champs can't do to much damage.

[Turbine]

The Lady Cajuns were 7-3 their last 10 games.

11-4 was their record for the last 15 games.

I have no doubt they are in.

I think we are judging them against themselves and not the rest of the field.

I just hope the NCAA commitee doesn't pit step vs rep. In other words I hope they don't use UL-Women vs Lady Cajuns to decide. This team deserves a bid without a doubt.