The Book: 2004 Baseball

[1stTake]

12-8
Yahooooo

[NewsCopy]

BURAS, PREAU SHOW CAJUNS DEPTH

Mobile, Ala.- Rhett Buras and Kevin Preau each went deep twice finishing with five RBIs each in the contest as the Ragin' Cajuns rolled to a 12-8 victory over the New Mexico State Aggies Wednesday afternoon at Stanky Field.

A five run seventh inning gave the Ragin’ Cajuns a four-run cushion securing the squad’s first round one Tournament win since 1999.

Heavy-hitting designated hitter \Buras was at it again, this time launching a three-run shot deep to left and gone to give the Ragin’ Cajuns a 10-8 lead. Buras’s second longball of the afternoon came after Micah Cockrell singled to third and Phillip Hawke drew a free pass to start the bottom of the seventh frame.

Brad Saloom kept the inning going for the Cajuns with a walk before Preau went deep for the second time in the ball game to give the team in vermilion and white a 12-8 lead.

Brandt Sanders came on in relief of starter Jered Salazar to earn the win. Sanders (2-4) allowed one run on two hits while fanning five through three and one-thirds innings. Salazar threw five and two-thirds innings getting key outs to keep his club in the ball game.

Rory Coppinger took thius afternoon’s loss for NMSU. Coppinger (7-2) allowed seven runs on six hits through four innings of work in relief.

The Aggies jumped ahead early in the top of the first when leadoff hitter Chris Ewen singled to center and scored on Dustin Mote’s two-run shot over the wall in left giving NMSU a 2-0 lead.

Salazar settled in striking out a pair en route to retiring the New Mexico State side in order in the top of inning two.

The Cajuns cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second. Ryan Core singled through the left side to score Josh Landry who reached base on a fielder’s choice.

Buras gave the Cajuns a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third with his ninth homerun of the season. The two-run bomb plated Cockrell who singled down the third base line and swiped second earlier in the inning. Buras’s homerun was his fourth jack in six days at Stanky Field.

Emory Davies went deep for New Mexico State scoring Adrian Ballesteros who drew a walk. Davies’s two-run homerun gave the Aggies a 4-3 lead.

Preau singled in a run to tie the game at 4-4 after Saloom and Core started the bottom of the fourth with a pair of singles off of NMSU starter Brian Gausman. Preau’s base knock put Cajuns on the corners.

John Coker gave the Cajuns the lead with an RBI fielder’s choice that allowed Core to cross home.

Coppinger came on in relief of Gausman in the bottom of the fifth. Coppinger issued a walk to Hawke, but pitched his way out of the inning without allowing the Louisiana baserunner to advance.

Davies singled a run for New Mexico State in the top of the sixth tying the game at five apiece. Mark Aranda dropped a two-out single into right-center just before Salazar walked Ballesteros.

Brandt Sanders came on in relief to face Gavin Monjaras. Sanders surrendered a homerun to Monjaras on an 0-1 count giving NMSU an 8-5 advantage.

Preau pulled the Cajuns to within one at 8-7, with a two-run shot that left the yard over the fence in left. Preau’s homer plated Saloom who singled to reach base.

Sanders closed out the Aggies getting the last nine outs without allowing a run to score.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by LSU Bob
Here is a quote from Kevin Garnet

Um this is Garnett's quote

"It's for all the marbles. I'm sitting in the house loading up the pump, I'm loading up the Uzis, I've got a couple of M-16s, couple of nines, couple of joints with some silencers on them, couple of grenades, got a missile launcher. I'm ready for war."

Big difference between the 2 don't you think?

[NewsCopy]

Mobile, Ala. - University of Louisiana has put four players on the 2004 All-Sun Belt Baseball Teams as voted on by the coaches of teams in the Sun Belt Conference.

Justin Bourque was named All Sun Belt Conference first team designated hitter. Bourque hit .333 with 12 doubles, one triple and six homeruns while driving in 24 in the 2004 campaign for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Making the second team were catcher Ryan Core, first baseman Phillip Hawke, and third baseman Dallas Morris.

Core finished the regular season with a .313 batting average in conference play. Four of Core’s 10 homeruns have been hit off of Sun Belt Conference pitchers. Core is also known for his defensive prowess posting a .994 overall fielding mark this season.

Hawke hit .397 in conference play this year with five of nine total doubles and four of 10 longballs coming in conference games. Hawke has driven in 42 runs for the Cajuns this year.

Before a May 1st injury sidelined Morris for the remainder of the season, the University of Louisiana third baseman was able to post a .373 average with nine doubles, five triples and 12 homeruns. Morris picked up 51 RBIs in his shortened season.

The Cajuns start play in the Sun Belt Conference tournament today at 3:30 p.m. in Mobile at Stanky Field. The number four seeded Ragin’ Cajuns will take on the Aggies of New Mexico State in round one.

LOUISIANA SI

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana slugs its way to a 12-8 victory.

MOBILE, Ala. — No three-hole hitter, no four-hole hitter, no number one starter.

No problem.

All UL Lafayette’s beaten-up baseball team had to do was find a couple of new heroes here Wednesday, and because they did the Ragin’ Cajuns were successful in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

High school teammates Rhett Buras and Kevin Preau each hit a pair of home runs and Brandt Sanders posted a solid relief pitching effort as the Cajuns won a 12-8 slugfest with New Mexico State at South Alabama’s Eddie Stanky Field.

The fourth-seeded Cajuns (32-21), taking a first-day win in the league tournament for the first time since 1999, advanced to today’s 6:30 p.m. contest against top-seeded Middle Tennessee. MTSU took an easy 12-2 run-rule win over Arkansas State in Wednesday’s second game.

Buras and Preau, both products of Holy Cross High in New Orleans, combined for the four homers and 10 runs batted in. More importantly, they helped the Cajun squad rally from deficits three different times in the see-saw contest.

“We’re learning how to answer,” said Cajun coach Tony Robichaux. “We’re learning how to play nine innings. All we had to do was pitch some.”

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[NewsCopy]

MOBILE, Ala. — They have been teammates for just about as long as they can remember.

The last time that Kevin Preau and Rhett Buras sat in opposing dugouts was somehwere around their ninth birthdays.

“We started playing against each other when we were about six,” Buras said of some long-ago games in New Orleans Recreation Department leagues. “But we’ve been playing together since we were nine.”

From the sixth grade on, they were teammates at Holy Cross, and even when they were separated for two years it was only 90 minutes apart at South Louisiana schools across the southern Interstate — Buras at Southeastern La. and Preau at UL Lafayette. In 2003, they teamed once again on the Ragin’ Cajun squad for their final two collegiate seasons.

But in all that time — untold games in New Orleans all-star leagues, nearly a decade at Holy Cross, summer leagues and the past two years with the Cajuns — the pair has never had a day like Wednesday at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

By the time they sat on opposite sides of head coach Tony Robichaux at a postgame press conference, the pair had accounted for four home runs, 10 runs batted in and three rallies from behind, and the Cajuns had a 12-8 victory over New Mexico State.

And both wore big smiles.

“It sure feels good to have two guys from the same high school do this,” said Preau. “But it feels even better to hit the way this team is hitting right now.”

The rest of the story

[BonCajun]

I was real proud of the Cajuns early in the year. I remember thinking a twenty and nine record, this is going to be a fun season. Then I don't know something kind of happened. I got a little down on the team and myself and figured it was over, everybody was getting hurt, coach says wait till next year. Now I'm talking to a friend of mine and he tells me USL won (I didn't correct him) and LSU lost and Tulane lost in their tournaments. I guess I was right in the beginning, I have a reason to be real proud of my Cajuns, won't you join me?

[RedBug58]

Coach Robe is the baseball god....

He brings in excellent talent and develops it. Pitchers are going down with injuries everywhere in college baseball. I don't think most human bodies were designed to whip the arm like that many repetitive times. The last time we had a season low in injuries on the pitching staff was 2000?? Dohman, Gabriel, & Gros (& my man O'Brien) Those were the days.

[Cajun Express]

Originally posted by BonCajun
I was real proud of the Cajuns early in the year. I remember thinking a twenty and nine record, this is going to be a fun season. Then I don't know something kind of happened. I got a little down on the team and myself and figured it was over, everybody was getting hurt, coach says wait till next year. Now I'm talking to a friend of mine and he tells me USL won (I didn't correct him) and LSU lost and Tulane lost in their tournaments. I guess I was right in the beginning, I have a reason to be real proud of my Cajuns, won't you join me?

If you can be proud of a team that is not really special then be proud, we lost again last night. I am proud of this team, we have really battled with a lot of serious injuries thoughout the line up and pitching. If our pitching lives up to expectations next year will be special.

[NewsCopy]

Blue Raiders Hand Cajuns First Tournament Loss
Louisiana will play NMSU today at 12:30 in an elimination game.

MOBILE, Ala.- The Cajuns made it interesting in the ninth inning, but couldn’t get enough going to stop the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee rode their starter John Williams to an 8-7 win in round two of the Dodge Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Stanky Field.

Middle Tennessee opened up the contest in the eighth frame.

The Blue Raiders loaded the bases with a trio of singles, two coming by way of bunts in the bottom of the eighth. MTSU took the lead on a sacrifice fly to center.

A passed ball allowed McNamee to score before a Nate Jaggers’ single brought two more Raiders home putting the Cajuns behind 7-4.

Shane Kemp kept the inning alive with a single off of new Cajuns pitcher Thad Montgomery. Montgomery allowed a single to Jeff Beechum, scoring Jaggers from second to put Middle up 8-4.

Williams (8-3) allowed four earned runs on nine hits through eight and one-thirds innings in the winning effort. Matt Scott picked up his first save of the season getting the last two outs in the ninth.

Tonight’s loss went to Kraig Schambough. Schambough (6-4) pitched six innings allowing seven runs, five earned, on nine hits.

Williams sat the top of the Louisiana-Lafayette lineup in order to start the game.

Cajuns righty Ian Pecoraro walked a pair of batters, but struck out a pair to help him and the Cajuns get out of the first inning without allowing any runs to score.

MTSU claimed an early 1-0 lead in the second after Pecoraro walked the bases loaded and then issued a free pass to Eric McNamee on a full count, walking in a run.

Schambough came on in relief of Pecoraro with the bases loaded. Schambough got Chuck Akers to hit into a spectacular 4-6-3 double play.

A Middle Tennessee defensive miscue helped the Cajuns whitewash the lead. Justin Merendino reached base on a fielding error that plated Ryan Core. Core reached base by singling through the left side and took second when John Coker was hit with a pitch.

Coker crossed home as Merendino was caught in a run-down between first and second to give UL Lafayette a 2-1 lead.

Schambough surrendered a double to Phillips and walked Jaggers to start the bottom of the third, but got out of the inning unscathed with a strikeout and a couple of routine fly balls to the outfield.

Williams again sat the Cajuns in order, this time putting down Louisiana-Lafayette in the top of the fifth.

Jaggers opened the bottom of the fifth with an infield single and took second on a fielder’s choice and an errant throw to the bag. Beachum singled into right-center to load the bases. Marcus Taylor put the Blue Raiders up 3-2 with a two-run double to right.

A Troy Harp sacrifice fly ball plated Beachum to give Middle a 4-2 advantage after five.

Middle got a leadoff double from Phillips in the bottom of the sixth, but Schambough would pitch out of the inning holding the Raiders off of the scoreboard.

The Cajuns inched closer at 4-3 in the seventh on a Merendino double to right. Merendino’s base knock plated Josh Landry who drew William’s second walk of the ball game.

Kevin Preau tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the eighth with an RBI double that plated Brad Saloom. Saloom doubled with two-outs in the inning to reach base.

Louisiana nearly came back in the ninth when Coker drew a walk and advanced to third on a Merendino double. Micah Cockrell singled in both runners pulling the Cajuns to within one at 8-7.

Scott; however, got the last two outs without allowing the tying run.

With tonight’s loss, The Cajuns will again face the New Mexico State Aggies, this time in an elimination game, tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.

LOUISIANA SI

[NewsCopy]

HOW IT LOOKED INTO THE EIGHTH

Cajuns, Raiders tied in late Sun Belt tilt

MOBILE, Ala. — Louisiana’s baseball squad, already beaten up physically and short on pitching because of sore arms, still had life late Thursday night in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

The Ragin’ Cajuns were perilously close to falling into the losers’ bracket late Thursday night, trailing Middle Tennessee 4-3 in the top of the eighth inning, but Kevin Preau’s line drive to center field scored Brad Saloom with the tying run.

That left the game tied at 4-4 at press time in the second-day finale of the double-elimination event at South Alabama’s Eddie Stanky Field.

The Cajuns were only four outs away from falling into a 12:30 p.m. matchup today with New Mexico State in an elimination game before Preau’s game-tying hit. UL Lafayette, which took a 12-8 win over NMSU in Wednesday’s tournament opener, would face the task of winning four games in two days to claim the league title and the accompanying NCAA Tournament berth with a Thursday night loss.

However, a victory would put the Cajuns into a 6:30 p.m. contest tonight against the survivor of a 12:30 p.m. matchup between Middle Tennessee and New Mexico State. The winner of that game would be one victory away from the tournament crown.

The Cajuns have not had coach Tony Robichaux’s top selection as a starting pitcher in either of their first two games in the tournament. Normal league-opening starter Kevin Ardoin has not been available for either game with a sore elbow, and anticipated Thursday starter Patrick Green was also not fully recovered from his last start Saturday.

The Blue Raiders did have who they wanted, and lefthander John Williams was the difference for most of Thursday’s contest. The second-team All-Sun Belt pick checked the Cajuns on only four hits through seven innings and did not allow an earned run while fanning nine.

And the Cajuns did not match that mound performance early.

The Blue Raiders jumped on top early without even making contact at the plate, thanks to the wildness of Cajun starter Ian Pecoraro.

The junior righthander walked four batters in the second inning, with Eric McNamee drawing the fourth of those with the bases loaded to plate Shane Kemp for a 1-0 lead.

Pecoraro, who walked six of the 10 Middle Tennessee batters he faced, was replaced by Kraig Schambough, who coaxed a double-play ground ball from returning Sun Belt Tournament MVP Chuck Akers to get out of a bases-loaded one-out situation.

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[Turner]

I'd be a lot prouder if they won two today and two tommorrow.