LOUISIANA BASEBALL RANKINGS

[MetryCajun]

_ Hold on big boy! Don't start spinning what I said! I did not say the program was a disgrace. To the contrary, I said that this program is the best this university has and has been strong for years which was my comment about Robe not being better than his predecessor. I figured my comments would ruffle some of the sensitive feathers of some baseball diehards here. However, you are proving my point. Preseason rankings had us at 16 last year and all the experts had us as having one of the best pitching staffs in the country! You go .500 in a conference that's not great by any means and barely make your own conference tourney at your home field and lose out with this top 20 talent is a major letdown. We hear Bustle and Lee get a lot of grief (much of it deserved) for their records and lack of accomplishments but Bustle has improved this program from the depths of which he inherited it in the sport that relies the heaviest on athletic budget financing for which we have none. Coach Lee took a good basketball team several years ago and won 20+ games and nearly won a tourney game against Louisville but both are crucified on these same boards. Coach Robe has had success and has also been able to bring in some nice talent to his program. With this increase in talent, you should be able to have better success than what occurred last year don't you think. However, he is rarely talked about in the same manner as Bustle and Lee. Last year was as mediocre is they come and recent years have been similar. So why if everybody is screaming about not accepting mediocrity in other sports are they willing to overlook baseball which should be excelling just about every year? Seems a little hypocritical to me. _

Should we compare records of the 3 coaches? Which one would finish on top by a wide margin? For the record I am only on the Fire Lee bandwagon. He is in over his head, the other two are not.
Last year in baseball was a strange year. The year before we finished in the top25 (hardly mediocre). We returned our pitching staff and most everyone in the field(except for our 2 best hitters and our middle infileders). As you know preseason ranking are based largely on what you did the previous year. It was no surprise to me that we were ranked. As for the team, I saw an awful hitting team and an even worse defensive team. This last point gets overlooked. When you cannot make the routine play and never make the spectacular play, this wears on your pitching staff. Robe makes his pitchers throw srtikes. Since we do not recruit stikeout pitchers, we need a solid defense. Last year that defense really let the pitchers down.
This year I want to see improvement in the defense and hitting. My feeling is if this happens, the pitching will take care of itself and we will have an enjoyable year.

[zephyr]

_ Should be compare records of the 3 coaches? Which one would finish on top by a wide margin? For the record I am only on the Fire Lee bandwagon. He is in over his head, the other two are not.
Last year in baseball was a strange year. The year before we finished in the top25 (hardly mediocre). We returned our pitching staff and most everyone in the field(except for our 2 best hitters and our middle infileders). As you know preseason ranking are based largely on what you did the previous year. It was no surprise to me that we were ranked. As for the team, I saw an awful hitting team and an even worse defensive team. This last point gets overlooked. When you cannot make the routine play and never make the spectacular play, this wears on your pitching staff. Robe makes his pitchers throw srtikes. Since we do not recruit stikeout pitchers, we need a solid defense. Last year that defense really let the pitchers down.
This year I want to see improvement in the defense and hitting. My feeling is if this happens, the pitching will take care of itself and we will have an enjoyable year. _

What you said is correct, especially about the defensive play of this team. Of the past years, how many times have we won conference outright and won the conference tourney? I'm simply asking because truthfully, I don't remember. To me, this program should be amongst the top of league contenders every year. Do you disagree? Why, when we can't get it done is Robe not criticized? That is all I'm saying. I never once came out and demanded him fired or even publicly criticized him until I had to hear the fire Bustle people after this past season especially when they didn't get into the bowl game. Everybody wanted Bustle and the entire administration's head because we didn't get in. The football team was picked to come out 4th in conference and not many thought we'd have more than 4 wins. I think this team exceeded peoples expectations and their play through much of the year did the same. However, when the dust settled, people still wanted Bustle gone because he hasn't produced. Here, we have a coach who has produced at times but a team takes a nose dive and that is overlooked? That doesn't make sense to me.

[MetryCajun]

I think you would be surprised at the amount of heat Robe took last year. This message board was full of negative remarks. In the end he got a pass because of previous accomplishments. But make no mistake, if he serves up another crappy team like he did last year the drumbeat will get louder.
I will say this, history says we will not have back-to-back disappointing years.

I do not know the answer to the SBC stuff, but I do know he has gotten us into the NCAA tourny 3or4 times since 2000.

[CajunAmos]

I think you would be surprised at the amount of heat Robe took last year. This message board was full of negative remarks. In the end he got a pass because of previous accomplishments. But make no mistake, if he serves up another crappy team like he did last year the drumbeat will get louder.
I will say this, history says we will not have back-to-back disappointing years.

I do not know the answer to the SBC stuff, but I do know he has gotten us into the NCAA tourny 3or4 times since 2000.

Since his arrival in 1995, we've made the NCAA tournament seven times (97, 98, 99, 2000, 02, 05, 07), with two super regional and one WCWS appearance.

[BrudaCajun]

_ Since his arrival in 1995, we've made the NCAA tournament seven times (97, 98, 99, 2000, 02, 05, 07), with two super regional and one WCWS appearance. _

WCWS?

[CajunAmos]

WCWS?

Sorry, finger happy (or was I thinking about the ladies again.........).

CWS

[Cajun Express]

_ I agree that he completely got a pass last year, I think that had to do with the equity he has built up over the years. If his team doesn't compete this year in the belt then he should start answering some hard questions. He might need to focus a little more on the business at the Tigue and a little less of the business at "The Next Level Sports Academy!" I still think he is the best coach this university has ever had in any sport. _

He is not even close to the best coach we have had in any sport. Currently we have a pair that are better in softball than he is in baseball. We also in the past have had truly outstanding weight teams, and other lesser sports that have accomplished as much.

We have the 2000 CWS team as a high water mark. Unfortunately he has not even reached the 1999 team since then. Name a Super Regional we have been in since 2000 I must have missed it.

We have been to a couple of regionals and no outright regular season and tournament champs in the same year in the Sun Belt. We have be a good mid major since 2000. I cannot tell you why, but that is a fact.

In no way am I suggesting Robe needs to be fired, but it is time the fans quit acting like he has done a great job since 2000. I think he did his best coaching when he took over with fewer scholarships.

[BeauCajun]

_ He is not even close to the best coach we have had in any sport. Currently we have a pair that are better in softball than he is in baseball. We also in the past have had truly outstanding weight teams, and other lesser sports that have accomplished as much.

_

I agree Express. I can think of 4 or 5 off the top of my head that were much better in their sports than he is.

[ManAboutTown]

_ Hold on big boy! Don't start spinning what I said! I did not say the program was a disgrace. To the contrary, I said that this program is the best this university has and has been strong for years which was my comment about Robe not being better than his predecessor. I figured my comments would ruffle some of the sensitive feathers of some baseball diehards here. However, you are proving my point. Preseason rankings had us at 16 last year and all the experts had us as having one of the best pitching staffs in the country! You go .500 in a conference that's not great by any means and barely make your own conference tourney at your home field and lose out with this top 20 talent is a major letdown. We hear Bustle and Lee get a lot of grief (much of it deserved) for their records and lack of accomplishments but Bustle has improved this program from the depths of which he inherited it in the sport that relies the heaviest on athletic budget financing for which we have none. Coach Lee took a good basketball team several years ago and won 20+ games and nearly won a tourney game against Louisville but both are crucified on these same boards. Coach Robe has had success and has also been able to bring in some nice talent to his program. With this increase in talent, you should be able to have better success than what occurred last year don't you think. However, he is rarely talked about in the same manner as Bustle and Lee. Last year was as mediocre is they come and recent years have been similar. So why if everybody is screaming about not accepting mediocrity in other sports are they willing to overlook baseball which should be excelling just about every year? Seems a little hypocritical to me. _

My God.. The utter stupidity on this Message Board is amazing..

First of all, let me get this out. You ppl p i s s and moan about how putrid every other sport at this university is.. Baseball is the only thing we have to hang our hats on (excluding softball) over the past 10 years, and yet some still find a way to rip that too!?!?!

If football finished in the post season 7 times in 10 years, would anybody be saying anything?! NO
If Basketball would be the basketball 0f 96-05, would you anyone be belly-aching?! NO
If any other coach was as consistent as Tony Robichaux would you be b i t c h i n g?! NOOOO!!!

Now, for the above post: Since when have the "experts" ever gotten any preseason projections correct on any team?! It doesn't happen. You can hoop and holler about "ranking" and "talent" and this and that, but the fact is, we went through a lot last baseball season. Danny started for the first time, in a full season, in his career. And threw the ball OK! We were young, and injured, and played a much stiffer SBC!! Folks, the Sun Belt is getting better!! It won't be a given to win this thing every year!! Stop being spoiled and thinking we should bull-dose the league year after year! Not to mention our OOC schedule, which I applaud Coach for, and think its one of his major strengths.

Baseball is also a sport in which a group of players can have a 40 win season.. Get a couple bad breaks, an injury or two, and some bad luck - and then end up a .500 team the next season. We've seen it happen time and time again, especially in college, especially at Mid-Majors. It takes special coaches, with special staffs, that get some major help to consistently win 35-40 games a season. Stop pouting, and appreciate what Coach Robe has done, and is doing!

Stop comparing Coaches, and other sports to Baseball. It can't be done. You're wasting your time.. The difference between all these coaches (situation wise) are galaxies apart. Bustle took over the worst program in D1, and has improved it somewhat, but still the cries remain because football is america's darling, and we're tired of losing in the sport that everyone "care's about" in college. Lee took over a corrupt laden club, but that club still had the history of success.. He had the excuse that he had to "rebuild" the right way, so that bought him some time.. now, he's shown his ignorance, and ppl are calling for his head - rightfully. Tony took over for a solid team, with some nice history, and ADDED TO IT, CONSISTENTLY! Took the 2000 team further than any UL team has ever been, and got the spotlight on Louisiana! He's one of the best, and he deserves the recognition he gets. The real truth here is that ppl are still dissappointed about last year, because expectations were extremely high. Who's fault was that?! It was not the team's, nor the coaches.. It was media and fan hype..

Realize what you're saying, and think before you speak -

[KACajun]

_ I've been to Next Level several times with members of my son's baseball team, and I've never seen Coach Robe. I think that comment is completely unfair. _

Dude; you’re on a message board, CHILL!!!!!!!!!!!