The Book 2007 Ragin' Cajun Baseball

[BabbForHeisman]

I'll cook and provide. It'll all be there when you guys get there. I just want to know who's gonna pay for it? Ha

Actually, that isn't a bad idea. It can be a hosting for any coming from Lafayette, and as a gathering of Houston Cajuns who can team up and help with things like Drifference Makers and fundraising and such.

I'm in on that! Just let me know when and where...

[GoneGolfin]

I remember seeking shelter in the fieldhouse during one of the many rain delays in that regional. And I agree that it's a very nice facility.

Ahh yes. Those rain delays were palatable because the Cajuns were doing so well. I remember catching the Rice University broadcast of the Lubbock regional during our sequestration in the fieldhouse, hoping that somehow the Red Raiders would win and that we would host Tech in the supers (Rice lost the opening game to #4 seed UW-Milwaukee and then ran the table).

A little story from that regional (sorry if this bores folks) ... some folks may remember this particular UT fan (I know Steve M. does).

If you recall, Houston was the #1 seed, Louisiana (USL then) was the #2 seed, Texas was the #3 seed, and SW Texas State (now Texas State) was the #4 seed. My wife (Shannon) and I proceeded to sit down in our seats behind home plate about 30 minutes before the opening game against the Longhorns. We happened to be situated next to a late 30's early 40's woman that was a big UT fan (let's call her redhead). As we were getting ourselves situated, I overheard her grousing to someone that it was an incredible injustice that the no-name Cajuns from the Sun Belt were a #2 seed while the mighty Longhorns from the Big XII were a #3 seed. Especially considering the weak schedule the Cajuns had played (as if she had a clue concerning the Cajun schedule) and the fact that the Cajuns were the recipient of an automatic bid from a weak conference that routinely sent only a single team to postseason play (Sun Belt == SWAC). We were brought into the conversation and I politely explained to her that the Sun Belt was one of the seven best baseball conferences in the country and that three teams were participating in postseason play. Texas, meanwhile, finished 6th in the Big XII and was 35-24 entering the postseason. Texas was really having a down year under third year coach Augie Garrido, but that did not matter to her. She was not in the mood for any of it. The Cajuns went on to thrash the Longhorns and starter Dax Leone 13-6. She had that pained look on her face the entire game. Some of the other Cajun faithful around us were having a lot of fun with the situation. She had irritated a number of people around us and they were dishing it right back.

The next day, she arrived at her seat after a rain delay and was upset that her seat was all wet. We had been drying off our seats with some paper towels that Shannon fetched from the restroom. Seeing that her seat was all wet, we offered her some of our paper towels. She looked at us and made a "hmmph" sound, refusing the paper towels. She then proceeded to sit down in the wet seat. It took all my strength not to just bust out laughing.

Texas went on to eliminate SW Texas State, but then was eliminated by Houston in a game that ended in the wee hours of the morning. The mighty Longhorns that were shafted by the NCAA Selection Committee had been ousted in three games by the lowly and undeserving Cajuns and the Houston Cougars. I remember redhead still complaining about the Cajuns being a #2 seed after the Longhorns had been eliminated and the Cajuns were about to play in the championship game undefeated against the one loss Cougars. You just had to laugh.

A year later Shannon and I happened to see her from a distance at Rosenblatt Stadium. The Longhorns had upset #7 national seed Arizona State in the Tempe regional and as a result, were allowed to host a cupcake Penn State squad in the super-regionals. I wondered what she thought of the Cajuns not only making it to Omaha, but actually finishing third. Meanwhile, the mighty Longhorns (and Beau Hale) were throttled by LSU 13-5 (Brad Hawpe was all over UT pitching) and eliminated by Florida State (Longhorns gone in two). Two years later when Texas won the national championship, the Cajuns had actually defeated Texas 2-1 in the Astros College Classic. It was like she unleashed the curse on the Longhorns when it came to the Cajuns. The weauxf gods were listening and employed their wrath.

Brian

[Kernel]

Ahh yes. Those rain delays were palatable because the Cajuns were doing so well. I remember catching the Rice University broadcast of the Lubbock regional during our sequestration in the fieldhouse, hoping that somehow the Red Raiders would win and that we would host Tech in the supers (Rice lost the opening game to #4 seed UW-Milwaukee and then ran the table).

A little story from that regional (sorry if this bores folks) ... some folks may remember this particular UT fan (I know Steve M. does).

If you recall, Houston was the #1 seed, Louisiana (USL then) was the #2 seed, Texas was the #3 seed, and SW Texas State (now Texas State) was the #4 seed. My wife (Shannon) and I proceeded to sit down in our seats behind home plate about 30 minutes before the opening game against the Longhorns. We happened to be situated next to a late 30's early 40's woman that was a big UT fan (let's call her redhead). As we were getting ourselves situated, I overheard her grousing to someone that it was an incredible injustice that the no-name Cajuns from the Sun Belt were a #2 seed while the mighty Longhorns from the Big XII were a #3 seed. Especially considering the weak schedule the Cajuns had played (as if she had a clue concerning the Cajun schedule) and the fact that the Cajuns were the recipient of an automatic bid from a weak conference that routinely sent only a single team to postseason play (Sun Belt == SWAC). We were brought into the conversation and I politely explained to her that the Sun Belt was one of the seven best baseball conferences in the country and that three teams were participating in postseason play. Texas, meanwhile, finished 6th in the Big XII and was 35-24 entering the postseason. Texas was really having a down year under third year coach Augie Garrido, but that did not matter to her. She was not in the mood for any of it. The Cajuns went on to thrash the Longhorns and starter Dax Leone 13-6. She had that pained look on her face the entire game. Some of the other Cajun faithful around us were having a lot of fun with the situation. She had irritated a number of people around us and they were dishing it right back.

The next day, she arrived at her seat after a rain delay and was upset that her seat was all wet. We had been drying off our seats with some paper towels that Shannon fetched from the restroom. Seeing that her seat was all wet, we offered her some of our paper towels. She looked at us and made a "hmmph" sound, refusing the paper towels. She then proceeded to sit down in the wet seat. It took all my strength not to just bust out laughing.

Texas went on to eliminate SW Texas State, but then was eliminated by Houston in a game that ended in the wee hours of the morning. The mighty Longhorns that were shafted by the NCAA Selection Committee had been ousted in three games by the lowly and undeserving Cajuns and the Houston Cougars. I remember redhead still complaining about the Cajuns being a #2 seed after the Longhorns had been eliminated and the Cajuns were about to play in the championship game undefeated against the one loss Cougars. You just had to laugh.

A year later Shannon and I happened to see her from a distance at Rosenblatt Stadium. The Longhorns had upset #7 national seed Arizona State in the Tempe regional and as a result, were allowed to host a cupcake Penn State squad in the super-regionals. I wondered what she thought of the Cajuns not only making it to Omaha, but actually finishing third. Meanwhile, the mighty Longhorns (and Beau Hale) were throttled by LSU 13-5 (Brad Hawpe was all over UT pitching) and eliminated by Florida State (Longhorns gone in two). Two years later when Texas won the national championship, the Cajuns had actually defeated Texas 2-1 in the Astros College Classic. It was like she unleashed the curse on the Longhorns when it came to the Cajuns. The weauxf gods were listening and employed their wrath.

Brian

I had a few similar experiences that regional with UT fans. The 1st game against Houston was about as much fun as I've had watching baseball in my life.

[NewsCopy]

Last year's Sun Belt Conference baseball race came down to one game separating regular-season champion Troy and runner-up UL. This year's preseason league poll is no different. Of the league's 11 coaches, six voted Troy first and UL second. The other five voted the Cajuns first and the Trojans second. It resulted in a one-point difference in the poll announced Tuesday by the league office. The teams also split the top individual honors, with Cajun junior lefthander Hunter Moody tabbed as preseason Pitcher of the Year and Troy reliever-first baseman Josh Dew named as Player of the Year. The Cajuns, who open their season on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m. against Nicholls State at Moore Field, had four representatives on the preseason team. In addition to Moody, sophomore right- hander Danny Farquhar joined Dew as relief pitcher, Jonathan Lucroy was tabbed as catcher and Devery Van De Keere was picked at third base. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[LARaginCajun]

I thought Florida Atlantic was suppose to be good in baseball.

[RaginDave]

I thought Florida Atlantic was suppose to be good in baseball.

I think 4th in a league that is one of the top 10 baseball conferences around aint to shabby.

They are behind:

A top 25 team from last year in TROY
A consistant NCAA tournament representitive in USA
A team 6 years removed from the CWS and consistant NCAA participant

Not bad at all, they are ahead of FIU, Middle and UNO who consistantly put quality teams on the field.

4th in this league is where they should be rated, but I would not be suprised if they finish anywhere from 1st - 6th. This is going to be a strong league from top to bottom.

[Zeebart21]

I thought Florida Atlantic was suppose to be good in baseball.

They are, we're just that much better.

Is this the year that it will be "about the kids again"??? I forget.

Z.

[RaginFan2]

They are, we're just that much better.

Is this the year that it will be "about the kids again"??? I forget.

Z.

It will never, ever be "about the kids" again! NEVER!! There... I said it. The real question is, was it ever about the kids???

[BirdofParadise]

I thought Florida Atlantic was suppose to be good in baseball.

Florida Atlantic will threaten us as far as the best weekend rotation in the league is concerned. They have had some injuries to a couple of everyday players who are lost for the year.

I personally think they'll finish third.

[Zeebart21]

Florida Atlantic will threaten us as far as the best weekend rotation in the league is concerned. They have had some injuries to a couple of everyday players who are lost for the year.

I personally think they'll finish third.

you flying out of West Palm, Ft Lauderdale, or Miami?

Z.

[BirdofParadise]

you flying out of West Palm, Ft Lauderdale, or Miami?

Z.

Fort Lauderdale. Team is flying out this morning. I'm staying to do the women's game and flying to Nashville on Friday.

[NewsCopy]

Don't like the weather? Tired of soggy yards, flooded streets, fluctuating temperatures? Be glad you're not coaching baseball or softball in south Louisiana right now, especially on the collegiate level where an inflexible deadline stares you right in the catcher's mask. UL's baseball squad is 15 days away from its Feb. 13 season opener against Nicholls State. The Cajun softball team has only 11 days before it hosts the season-opening Louisiana Classics tournament. They're not ready to play, and the weather's not helping. "It's been tough," said UL softball coach Stefni Lotief. "We've moved practice times, gotten up early to go dump water off the tarp, practiced in the mist. We've done the best we can." "I'd be frustrated if it was only us," said Cajun baseball coach Tony Robichaux. "But everybody in this area's going through it. A lot of teams we're going to play are going through it." An unusually wet January has created field and practice problems, and cold snaps on dry days have created uncomfortable conditions at best and injury risks at worst. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com