Louisiana Deals With High Hopes for 2014 Baseball Season

[NewsCopy]

With what it did last season, what it is bringing back and what it has added, expectations in 2014 are high for the UL baseball team.

Preseason polls say it's so, and the Ragin' Cajuns know it.

The rest of the story.

[aBuckfromLuck]

UL has added outstanding pitching this year to compliment an already polished offense. The only, only thing that prevents them from not getting a super regional birth and win is rotation injuries or the Tigue burns down! Look at the scenario of the pitching. Robicheaux, enough said, Baranick and Milhorn, two JUCO "studs" that where initial D1 freshman, they where D1 for a reason too. Plitt and Boutte, two guys who you know can compete and have lived this before and know what the bar is because of what now surrounds them. And then you add the freshman Bazar who was drafted this June by the Pirates. He wasn't drafted for being fun, he has major tools and I would assume the 8th and 9th inning guy. Major pitching change from last year and a staff that I think should end number 1. Why 1st, they're scrappy guys who I see have something to prove and those are intangibles you can't measure.

[RaginDave]

Overall I could not be more excited to start this baseball season and let me prefice this by saying I think this is going to be a special year, but a few questions going into the season could derail this. These are the questions and I know that Coach Robe is probably thinking the same way.

* Who replaces both Dex's bat and feilding for the Cajuns? He was a special player and overall our best position guy, that bat and feilding ability will not be easily replaced.

* What condition does Chris Griffith come back in? Chris has the ability to be a weekend starter, weekday starter and/or long relief guy, if he comes back near the ability he did the last year he played for the Cajuns, our staff got immediatley better.

* How do these new potential starters (both weekend and weekday) Baranick, Milhorn, Plitt and even Griffith and Boutte perform for the Cajuns this year. They all come in with huge ability, but now they have to show that they can be a D-1 starting pitcher at a high level.

* How does Nick Thurman perform as a more regular starting catcher? I think everyone is under the assumption that Strentz will play more outfield and DH this year and Thurman who performed extremely well as a backup last year, will now take on a more prominent roll as a consistant starting catcher.

* How do Wilson and Hicks perform as closers? Hicks (I love his play, but he drives you nuts sometimes) has struggled as a closer and Wilson will be moving to that roll. We need a shutdown guy or guys, I hope they are ready this year.

* Does Austin Robe, improve even more from last season to this? When we have been really good, we have had a shutdown guy on Friday night, Robe moved into that roll a little last season, but now we need him to be a guy that does this every Friday night. It always makes your team better if your Friday night guy doesn't make your bullpen work to hard.

* Can our Sunday starter (whomever that is) and Saturday for that matter, be good enough to consistantly win? Our issues for both Saturday and Sunday's have been inconsistancy. We have had good performances from Boutte and Wilson, but you never knew who was going to show up.

* Who takes over the roll as weekday starters? Midweek games have become more important in the last couple of years. We need consistant good outings from our weekday guys. I think Griffith could definitly help here.


These are the only concerns I have going into the season, I hope injuries or other issues do not arise that would cause us any other questions. But I am ready for an outstanding season and a run to the CWS.

Geaux Cajuns