Season long look at UL's trek through the Baseball RPI rankings

[NewsCopy]

The minute Jonathan Lucroy stepped off UL's practice field Monday, two scouts were waiting for him. It's a part of life for the Ragin' Cajun catcher, and has been ever since he wrapped up a standout sophomore season 12 months ago. It's even more a part of life with Major League Baseball's first-year player draft just over two weeks away, sandwiched right in between the NCAA Regional and Super Regional rounds. Right now, Lucroy's concerned about getting the Cajuns to those levels, a run that begins Wednesday in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Mobile, Ala. But the possibilities, what can happen in a life-changing draft moment, are in his thoughts. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[cjr3888]

I'm glad to see Tony has the 'Ardoin Rule' that helps keep the players focused.

[NewsCopy]

RPI Out * Cajuns No. 13 The NCAA's final Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for baseball was released Wednesday, and the Cajuns remained in the No. 13 spot that they held the previous week. Rice remained the RPI leader followed by Vanderbilt, Texas, North Carolina, Arizona State, Florida State, Coastal Carolina, Texas A&M, Long Beach State and South Carolina. The rest of the story

[El Sidonio]

These are the RPI standings for the teams that are ahead of us by only a single digit margin (as of Thursday morning, 5/24)

8 0.611 35 17 35 17 Long Beach State
9 0.611 41 16 41 16 South Carolina
10 0.605 41 15 41 15 San Diego
11 0.605 41 16 41 16 Texas A&M
12 0.604 42 13 42 13 Virginia
13 0.604 41 14 41 14 Louisiana

Since single digit margins are the most realistic to overcome b4 regionals, what do we need these teams to do in order to overcome them? how many of them can we possibly surpass, if any at all?

God Bless

GEAUX UL RAGIN CAJUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cajun90]

_ These are the RPI standings for the teams that are ahead of us by only a single digit margin (as of Thursday morning, 5/24)

8 0.611 35 17 35 17 Long Beach State
9 0.611 41 16 41 16 South Carolina
10 0.605 41 15 41 15 San Diego
11 0.605 41 16 41 16 Texas A&M
12 0.604 42 13 42 13 Virginia
13 0.604 41 14 41 14 Louisiana

Since single digit margins are the most realistic to overcome b4 regionals, what do we need these teams to do in order to overcome them? how many of them can we possibly surpass, if any at all?

God Bless

GEAUX UL RAGIN CAJUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! _

With numbers this close you can't just look at these teams. The opponents opponents can cause a shift also. For example Virginia's RPI could move today prior to their game with Georgia Tech due to other games early in the day involving teams that have a prior "connection" to Virginia. Virginia has 150 "common opponents" and any one of those could cause a shift to Virginia's RPI number. By the way the Cajuns have 152 common opponents.

I would say Texas A&M is the one we most likely have a shot at passing up as they already have one loss in their bracket of the Big 12 tournament and face Texas in a game this afternoon.

[GoneGolfin]

SEBaseball.com Adjusted RPI (through games of 5/23)

1 0.6395 Rice
2 0.6313 Texas
3 0.6252 Vanderbilt
4 0.6222 North Carolina
5 0.6202 Arizona State
6 0.6160 Florida State
7 0.6138 Coastal Carolina
8 0.6110 Long Beach State
9 0.6106 South Carolina
10 0.6046 San Diego
11 0.6045 Texas A&M
12 0.6044 Virginia
13 0.6041 Louisiana-Lafayette
14 0.6032 Mississippi
15 0.5968 Missouri
16 0.5938 Miami Florida
17 0.5931 Arkansas
18 0.5916 North Carolina State
19 0.5900 Clemson
20 0.5878 Southern Mississippi
21 0.5864 Arizona
22 0.5846 Mississippi State
23 0.5846 Wake Forest
24 0.5842 Georgia Tech
25 0.5830 Wichita State

I cannot emphasize how tight the RPI (Adjusted RPI) is between the 10->14 teams. If the right things happen today/tonight, the Cajuns can move into the Top 10. But they must beat Troy.

Brian

[Jacob81]

brian, why are san diego and lbsu so much higher on se than warren nolan?

[GoneGolfin]

brian, why are san diego and lbsu so much higher on se than warren nolan?

Because Warren Nolan is not an accurate version of the RPI used by the NCAA. Don't bother with it.

The SEBaseball.com RPI and Boyd Nation's RPI are very similar. The difference is that Boyd Nation does not count ties. SEBaseball.com and the NCAA do count ties. The SEBaseball.com RPI and the official NCAA RPI is scary close. I examine both in detail each week (same release dates).

Warren Nolan only computes the Base RPI, not the Adjusted RPI. The Adjusted RPI (which accounts for certain bonuses and penalties - I can describe if you like) is what is used by the NCAA. He also does not compute the Base RPI the way the NCAA does. His Nitty Gritty report is also inaccurate with respect to what the NCAA uses. See the following post ...

https://forumeus.com/sh...25&postcount=1

Brian

[NewsCopy]

MOBILE, Ala. - UL's baseball team jumped out to an early lead in its pivotal winners' bracket game late Thursday night in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, couldn't make it stand up, and then turned to its biggest offensive threat at the most opportune time. Troy's Trojans had pushed across five runs in the fifth inning to build what looked like a comfortable 6-3 lead, especially with Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Josh Dew coming in relief one-half inning later. But Cajun catcher Jonathan Lucroy took a hanging Dew slider over the left-field wall for a grand-slam homer in the top of the sixth inning, propelling UL to a 9-7 victory over the Trojans in Thursday's late-night contest at Eddie Stanky Field. "That was the whole difference in the game, because he (Dew) is that good," said Cajun coach Tony Robichaux. "We were fortunate enough to load the bases and Luke put a good swing on a pitch." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana-Lafayette's Jonathan Lucroy apparently hadn't heard about -- or wasn't impressed with -- Troy relief pitcher Josh Dew's reputation. Dew, who had 90 strikeouts in 59 innings heading into Thursday's Sun Belt Conference tournament game, made his first appearance in the tournament in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded, one out and the Trojans leading by three runs. He gave up a run-scoring single to Matt Hicks, followed by a Lucroy grand slam that sailed well over the left-field fence to send the Ragin' Cajuns on their way to a 9-7 victory at Stanky Field. The blast, Lucroy's 16th homer and second grand slam of the year, was Lafayette's answer to a five-run fifth inning by the Trojans that featured five hits and threw the momentum in Troy's favor. The rest of the story By KIM SHUGART and TOMMY HICKS Sports Reporters

[El Sidonio]

(NCAA - as of may 21)------- Division I Only --------
Rank Name Conf W-L Road Neut Home Non-Div I
13 Louisiana Sun Belt 40-14 18-12 0- 0- 0 22-2 0-0

(boydsworld - as of today)
13 0.604 42 14 42 14 Louisiana

(warrennolan - as of today)
12 Louisiana 42 14 0.5984

(USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll - as of may 21)
24 Louisiana-Lafayette 40-14 96 NR

(Collegiate Baseball - as of may 22)
22. La.-Lafayette 40-14 447

(NCBWA - as of may 21)
24. Louisiana Sun Belt 40-14 2-1 28

[GoneGolfin]

I think that it is likely that the Cajuns will move past Mississippi and Virginia into the #11 spot, temporarily, and close ground on Texas A&M at #10 in tomorrow's RPI calculation. San Diego will fall a bit away from the Cajuns. Mississippi will lose a little ground, but will be very close to the Cajuns and can pass them with another win against a more tired Vanderbilt team tomorrow. Missouri and Clemson will fall further away, but Miami will close some ground on the Cajuns after the win over FSU.

Virginia, Mississippi, and possibly Miami and Arkansas will have a chance to pass the Cajuns tomorrow.

Brian