Lady Cajuns Start Season Ranked No. 24/23

[NewsCopy]

  The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced its 2010 Preseason Softball Poll on Tuesday and Louisiana debuted on the list at No. 24. The ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Collegiate Top 25 Poll, announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA,) has UL listed at No. 23.

The Lady Cajuns finished the 2009 season at the NCAA Waco Regional ranked 25th in the USA Today/ NFCA Division I poll and was receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings.

The Cajuns return six All-Sun Belt Conference selections and eight All-Louisiana honorees. In addition, UL returns the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, Louisiana Pitcher of the Year and Louisiana Freshman of the Year to the roster in 2010.

Ashley Brignac, Donna Bourgeois and Brittany Cuevas are back in the circle to pace the Cajuns' pitching efforts while Melissa Verde, Lana Bowers and Gabriele Bridges are back to power the offense.

The softball team's speedsters - Vallie Gaspard and Katie Smith - return as well. The duo combined for 104 base hits in 2009.

Louisiana opens the season on Friday, Feb. 12, as they host the 24th Annual Louisiana Classics at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park. The Cajuns will face Bryant, Bradley and Syracuse in the three-day tournament.

The Cajuns will face six opponents this season that are ranked in the both preseason polls (Washington - No. 1/1; Michigan - No. 4/3; Missouri - No. 9/9; Georgia Tech - No. 13/14; UMass - No. 20/25; Fresno State - No. 25/24). Four more opponents on the 2010 slate are receiving votes in the NFCA poll (Houston, Texas, Purdue, Cal State Fullerton).

After winning its first-ever national championship in 2009, the Washington Huskies will begin the 2010 softball season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation. Four other participants from last year's Women's College World Series, Alabama, Florida, Michigan and Arizona State, round out the top five.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. Final 2009 records are shown. First-place votes are in parentheses.

The rest of the
Poll on RaginCajuns.com

[ManAboutTown]

Thats a slap in the face. This is AT LEAST a top 15 team.
Pre-Season rankings don't mean s h ! ttt.
We'll destroy the SBC again, and end up in the top 10, hosting a regional.

Geaux Ladies! Good luck this year!

[rgncjn12]

_ Thats a slap in the face. This is AT LEAST a top 15 team.
Pre-Season rankings don't mean _____.
We're destroy the SBC again, and end up in the top 10, hosting a regional.

Geaux Ladies! Good luck this year! _

No way in hell we host a regional this year. We are in the middle of renovating the entire stadium. Calm down.

GEAUX UL!

[ManAboutTown]

_ No way in hell we host a regional this year. We are in the middle of renovating the entire stadium. Calm down.

GEAUX UL! _

My point was, theoritcally, we'll be good enough to host a regional. Settle your self boy.