The Book: 2004 Baseball

[RaginCajun77]

I believe I heard that Josh Landry was working as a pitcher in the Fall??

[TuffGuy84]

Well, Coach doesnt sound to distraught. We got a little bit of momentum, and I dont think were as bad off as we think. Justin Morgan is in our pen, Pecoraro could probably start tommarow, Salazar can pitch relief, and I think Sanders may even be able to spot pitch to finish an inning or 2. But our last ace in the hole to save some face for himself could be Josh Kohrs. No one seems to remember that Kohrs is still on the team after that terrible day he had against Middle a so long ago. In fact, if I were coach, Id go with him tommarow morning so he can save face against the team that destroyed his season.

Tuffguy

[RaginCajunEQM]

Cajun's Loose a dissapointing loss in the conference tournament to MT

[Bert]

Just got in what was the score? Did we lose or get beat? Oh well can't wait for basketball.

[RaginCajunEQM]

we lost 15 - 10

[NewsCopy]

CAJUNS RIDE ENDS ONE GAME SHORT

MOBILE, Ala.- Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns couldn’t catch the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in a Saturday elimination game in the Dodge Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The two teams battled back and forth, but MTSU would ultimately claim the contest by a 15-10 final. With the loss the Cajuns are out of this year’s tournament finishing the season with a respectable 34-23 record.

Jeff Morgan took the loss finishing the season with a 1-2 record. Morgan allowed three runs on two hits through one and one-thirds innings.

Matt Scott (4-1) tossed one and one-thirds allowing three runs on six hits while qualifying for the win. Danny Bourne threw three and two-thirds innings earning his second save of the year.

Kohrs came out firing strikes retiring the top of the Middle Tennessee lineup uin order on three groundballs in the first.

Shane Kemp reached on an infield fielding error and stole second with two gone in the second before Kohrs got Jeff Beachum to pop up to second ending the inning.

Kevin Preau led off the bottom half of the second with a single through the left side before being bunted over to second by a Sport Voorhies sacrifice push. Kline; however, would hold the runner at second getting a strikeout and a routine fly ball to center to end the inning.

Middle Tennessee got their leadoff hitter on in the top of the third when Marcus Taylor was hit with a pitch. Ryan Core threw a strike to Micah Cockrell covering the second base bag to show Taylor his seat after an attempt at a steal.

After striking out Troy Harp, Kohrs put Eric McNamee on with a walk just before Chuck Akers homered to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead.

The Cajuns cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third on a Brad Saloom RBI single to left. Saloom plated Justin Merendino who singled and took second on a throwing error by MTSU shortstop Jeff Beachum.

MTSU cushioned their lead in the fourth when Nate Jaggers walked with one gone in the inning. Jaggers was thrown out at home after Shane Kemp laced a double down the line in left. Josh Landry found the cutoff man in Cockrell who gunned Jaggers down at the plate. Kemp took third on the throw in from
Landry.

Beachum doubled in the runner giving Middle Tennessee a 3-1 lead.

The next batter, Taylor, homered off of Kohrs to score Beachum putting the Blue Raiders up 5-1.

Morgan entered the game in relief of Kohrs with two gone in the frame and got the last out when he struck out Harp swinging.

The Cajuns took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth starting when Preau homered to lead off the frame pulling the Cajuns to within three at 5-2.

Two outs later, Core doubled through the left side and scored on a Cockrell flare that fell for a single in left. Cockrell’s RBI made it a two run contest.

John Coker was hit with a Kline offering to put Cajuns on first and second and chasing the pitcher in favor of Chase Swing.

Swing started by issuing a free pass to Merendino to load the bases. The new MTSU pitcher threw one in the dirt that got away from the catcher allowing Cockrell to score.

Landry came through for the Cajuns with a single to right that plated Coker and Merendino giving Louisiana-Lafayette a 6-5 lead.

Brett Carroll homered in the top of the fifth after Akers hit a one-out double to the gap in right-center. Carroll’s 12th homerun of the season gave Middle Tennessee a one-run advantage.

Thad Montgomery came in to pitch in the sixth inheriting a runner and walking a batter. MTSU went up 8-6 in the frame after a throwing error on a fielder’s choice landed in left allowing a run to score.

Akers singled in the two runners left on base as the Blue Raiders went up 10-6.

Louisiana pulled to within one in the sixth when Coker and Merendino bunted to reach base with a pair of bunt singles. Landry punched a single of his own through the left side to load the bases for Saloom who singled to left scoring two runs to pull the Cajuns to within two.

Buras singled to the wall in center scoring Landry at third inching the score closer at 10-9.

Montgomery started Jaggers and the Raiders with a walk in the top of the seventh prompting a call to the bullpen. Brandt Sanders took the mound for the Cajuns.

Kemp tripled to the wall in center scoring the runner before a passed ball skirted to the backstop allowing Kemp to score from third giving Middle Tennessee a 12-9 lead.

Kraig Schambough came on in relief of Sanders and got a fielder’s choice to get the Cajuns out of the inning.

Middle Tennessee broke the game open with a two-run shot in the top of the eighth off of Cajuns reliever Bubba Olivier. With the homerun, MTSU took over a 14-9 lead.

A Saloom sacrifice fly in the eighth plated Merendino who singled and took third on a Landry base knock.

In the top of the ninth, Middle got another run when a hit batsman scored from third on a bloop single putting the Blue Raiders up by five. MTSU clung to that lead as the Cajuns simply ran out of gas in the ninth.

[NewsCopy]

UL’s run at Sun Belt title ends with 15-10 loss.

MOBILE, Ala. — The lack of pitching depth finally caught up with the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Tony Robichaux held out hope that his team could somehow win a slugfest with Middle Tennessee, or that he could get at least one pitcher to step up with a big effort against the Blue Raiders.

The UL Lafayette coach got the high-scoring game, but MTSU played long-ball better than the Cajuns did here Saturday in a 15-10 win in the final elimination game of the Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament.

Middle Tennessee (40-19) advanced to Saturday’s championship contest against Western Kentucky, with the winner headed for the NCAA Tournament.

Louisiana (34-23), meanwhile, was left to wonder what could have happened with more available arms.

“You can’t hide lack of pitching depth in a tournament like this,” Robichaux said. “We scored enough runs to win the game and get to game two today. But you’ve got to have your pitchers protect your hitters and we didn’t do that.”

The Cajuns rallied from four-run deficits twice in the game, but six different Cajun pitchers couldn’t control a Raider offense that had four two-run homers and scored at least two runs in six straight innings.

The rest of the story

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com

[Turbine]

How ironic, we limp in and arm out.

How did we get so far?

[Oldman]

tid bid:
we open 2005 schedule with la tech in town for weekend 3 games

louisiana-lafayette invitational
st. johns
southern
n'western

mardi gras tour
marist
miami(ohio)
tex. state

off to rainbow classic Honolulu, HI

looks like we will not get the baseball park-extension built this year, anyone know whats going on?

[Rebel02]

Looks like a great way to start the season. Can't wait to see Coach Sim back at the Tigue.

[Cajun Express]

No park for the 2004 football season. I doubt they can complete it in 90 days of bad weather.

[GoneGolfin]

tune in to today's matchup between Stanford and Long Beach State. LBSU took somewhat of a risk in starting their #3 (Jason Vargas) against St. John's. LBSU squeaked by with a run in the bottom of the ninth to win 4-3. Yes, this is the same Jason Vargas that transferred from LSU to Cypress JC after his freshman year. Vargas also leads the team in hitting (.362, 5 HR). Stanford cruised by UNLV 10-4 with their #2 starter Jeff Gilmore.

That sets up a 5pm CSTV broadcast of the best pitcher in America (just ahead of Jeremy Sowers IMHO), Jed Weaver (14-1, 1.68), against Stanford ace Mark Romanczuk (11-2, 4.03). Stanford does not have the pitching they have had in the past. But the pitching is solid and how they can pound the baseball (.327, 91 HR). With Lowrie (.411, 16 HR), Putnam (.394, 16 HR), Mayberry Jr. (.340, 14 HR), Lucie (.313, 12 HR), Ash (.379, 5 HR), and Hall (.354, 9 HR), it should be one fine matchup against Weaver. Maybe this is the year Long Beach State can get out of Palo Alto alive. BTW, the above does not include the slow starting Sam Fuld which now has is average at (.278, 4 HR).

The Dirtbags also have another ace in sophomore lefty Cesar Ramos (10-4, 2.10). Long Beach State pitching is setup exactly the way they want it. They just need to execute offensively.

Brian