Top 8 National Seed Comparison ...

[GoneGolfin]

The following teams look like solid bets for a Top 8 National Seed (Softball has 16 National Seeds, unlike Baseball) ...

In no particular order ...

Alabama
Florida
Oregon
UCLA
Georgia
Florida State

--

Arizona State began the week with a #10 RPI ranking and loses 2/3 to UCLA this weekend. The Sun Devils finish 15-7-1 in conference play ... good for 3rd place behind Oregon and UCLA. I have a feeling the selection committee will award the Sun Devils a National Seed over the Cajuns ... not that I think it is deserved when you compare the resumes ... and the selection criteria used in the past.

Arizona State resume ...
#10 RPI entering the week ... probably will be between #9 and #11 ... possibly ahead of #9 Missouri ... probably ahead of #11 Arizona ... and possibly behind #12 Baylor (plays Texas tomorrow).

43-8-1 Overall Record
15-7-1 Conference Record ... 3rd place in #2 RPI Conference
8-6-1 vs. RPI Top 25
15-7-1 vs. RPI Top 50
29-10-1 vs. RPI Top 100
#10 Non-Conference RPI
6-4-1 Road Record
5-4-1 in Last 10 Games
1-0 Head-to-Head record vs. Oklahoma
4-0 vs. common opponents with Louisiana vs. 4-4 (Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois State, Michigan)
* 3-3-1 vs. RPI Top 10 (not part of Nitty Gritty)

Then let's look at Louisiana and Oklahoma for the last remaining spot ...

Louisiana resume ...

Looking like an RPI ranking of #7 (more games to be played that affect this) ... but a shot at #6 (Florida State).

44-8-1 Overall Record
22-2 Conference Record (includes Sun Belt Tournament) ... 1st place in #4 RPI Conference
9-5 vs. RPI Top 25
11-8 vs. RPI Top 50
24-8-1 vs. RPI Top 100
#6 Non-Conference RPI
13-0 Road Record (only undefeated road team in country)
9-1 in Last 10 Games
2-1 Head-to-Head record vs. Oklahoma
4-4 vs. common opponents with Arizona State vs. 4-0 (Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan, Illinois State)
4-2 vs. common opponents with Oklahoma vs. 5-2 (Illinois State, Baylor, Texas)
* 2-1 vs. RPI Top 10 (not part of Nitty Gritty)

Oklahoma resume ...

Looking like an RPI ranking of #8 (more games to be played that affect this).

44-10 Overall Record
15-2 Conference Record ... 1st place in #3 RPI Conference
7-8 vs. RPI Top 25
16-9 vs. RPI Top 50
30-10 vs. RPI Top 100
#15 Non-Conference RPI
7-5 Road Record (only undefeated road team in country)
10-0 in Last 10 Games
1-2 Head-to-Head record vs. Louisiana
0-1 Head-to-Head record vs. Arizona State
5-2 vs. common opponents with Louisiana vs. 4-2 (Illinois State, Baylor, Texas)
* 2-1 vs. RPI Top 10 (not part of Nitty Gritty)

There still could be some shifting due to RPI bonuses and a few remaining games. But this is where we are now.

Brian

[jllanclos]

We're not going to get it. It's going to be Oklahoma. We're going to get hosed.

[GoneGolfin]

We're not going to get it. It's going to be Oklahoma. We're going to get hosed.

Make your case using the criteria ... and don't bail.

Brian

[CajunDreDog]

"We didn't even have them on the table as an option with their #12 poll ranking."
-Selection Committee man tomorrow night



I can hear it now....

[GoneGolfin]

"We didn't even have them on the table as an option with their #12 poll ranking."
-Selection Committee man tomorrow night
I can hear it now....

But the selection committee has gone out of their way to not use the polls in past years. It has been RPI, RPI, and RPI ... and of course conference finish. They were ranked #6 in the polls at selection time in 2012 ... with a #12 RPI. Are you saying they reverse?

Brian

[jllanclos]

Make your case using the criteria ... and don't bail.

Brian

The case using the criteria says that we should NOT have gotten a top 8 national seed in 2012, and that we ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT QUESTION, should get one this year.

When our name comes up at #9 or 10 tomorrow night, just chalk it up to this: if we traded resumes with a team that had a name across their chest (like "Oklahoma,") we'd be a top 8 national seed.

We're all going to be p*ssed tomorrow night. If I'm wrong, pull this thread back up and everybody can flog me. I'd be happy to be wrong, but the softball committee isn't interested in awarding the top 8 teams in the country national seeds if one of those 8 teams is "Louisiana-Lafayette."

The softball committee is Lucy holding the football, and we're Charlie Brown. I'm not getting all geeked about finally kicking that football.

Kicking LSU out of yet another regional? THAT I'll get geeked up about.

[CajunDreDog]

But the selection committee has gone out of their way to not use the polls in past years. It has been RPI, RPI, and RPI. Are you saying they reverse?

Brian

I was being sarcastic in how they will screw us.
They'll use the one thing against us they can. We may get it, we may not....was just being a smart ___.

[GoneGolfin]

I was being sarcastic in how they will screw us.
They'll use the one thing against us they can. We may get it, we may not....was just being a smart ___.

Sure ... I realized you were.

And I am not saying the Cajuns won't get hosed ... but the Cajuns have fallen victim to the metrics the selection committee has used over the years. Now these metrics are on the Cajuns' side. If the "ump now changes the strike zone in the middle of the game", the selection committee deserves to be grilled hard and their inconsistency highlighted for all to see.

Brian

[J-Town Cajun]

Thanks Brian! Great breakdown. I don't see Oklahoma getting the nod over us, and I think we deserve the #7 seed over Arizona St. but I'll take the #8 seed right now.

[CajunDreDog]

Sure ... I realized you were.

And I am not saying the Cajuns won't get hosed ... but the Cajuns have fallen victim to the metrics the selection committee has used over the years. Now these metrics are on the Cajuns' side. If the "ump now changes the strike zone in the middle of the game", the selection committee deserves to be grilled hard and their inconsistency highlighted for all to see.

Brian

Agree.

Again, thanks for all you do. I know we all appreciate it very much and it makes us all that much better fans of the diamond sports. I could barely spell RPI years ago, and now I can.

[Cajun Soldier]

I don't understand how you play the schedule, win the games set yourself up to be a top 8 national seed. Finish with a top 8 RPI and still possibly not be a top eight national seed. If we met the criteria and don't get it then why play the games (tongue in cheek). This is crazy we are an over achieving young team and deserve that top 8 National seed. It sickens me to think we might lose out to someone we beat head to head on the diamond.

[jllanclos]

Thanks Brian! Great breakdown. I don't see Oklahoma getting the nod over us, and I think we deserve the #7 seed over Arizona St. but I'll take the #8 seed right now.

We certainly fared alright last time we faced #1 in OKC, so I'm alright with that.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNIjvWYyQLk