Power surge continues

[Mark Hemphill]

Sporty, this is not true. While the Sun Belt is not the SEC, it is a quality conference with very good pitching. Also, both Baylor and Oregon have All-America pitchers. We beat both with their ace in the circle, and we beat them with the long ball.

Also, our pitching ain't chopped liver. We are #4 nationally in team ERA.

Like it or not, I think that a case could be made as to there being some validity to Sporty's post. In looking at the individual ERA's for both conferences, the SEC has 9 girls in the Top 20 while the Sun Belt has only 1 (Brown with S. Ala.). For team ERA, the SEC has 6 teams in the top 20 while the Sunbelt has 2 (UL and S. Ala.) Oregon is ranked 30th in team ERA while Baylor is ranked 37th. From a pure statistical viewpoint, I guess that a case could be made that UL's gaudy power numbers have been built on less than stellar pitching.

Now, on the offensive side of things, UL ranks No. 1 in hr/game and slugging percentage. They rank 2 in on-base percentage and 7th in team batting average. Lexie is ranked No. 1 in individual batting average.

This weekend's matchup against Florida is a stat geeks wet dream. You have arguably the nations best offensive team (UL) facing the pitching staff with the best team ERA and whose rotation is ranked 1 (Ocasio), 3 (Gourley) and 16 (Barnhill) in individual ERA. There is no doubt that Elkins's bat will be missed in this particular series.

I can't wait for the weekend to get here!

[Turbine]

UL's opponents look worse, because they faced UL!

[CRAWFISH61]

Like it or not, I think that a case could be made as to there being some validity to Sporty's post. In looking at the individual ERA's for both conferences, the SEC has 9 girls in the Top 20 while the Sun Belt has only 1 (Brown with S. Ala.). For team ERA, the SEC has 6 teams in the top 20 while the Sunbelt has 2 (UL and S. Ala.) Oregon is ranked 30th in team ERA while Baylor is ranked 37th. From a pure statistical viewpoint, I guess that a case could be made that UL's gaudy power numbers have been built on less than stellar pitching.

Now, on the offensive side of things, UL ranks No. 1 in hr/game and slugging percentage. They rank 2 in on-base percentage and 7th in team batting average. Lexie is ranked No. 1 in individual batting average.

This weekend's matchup against Florida is a stat geeks wet dream. You have arguably the nations best offensive team (UL) facing the pitching staff with the best team ERA and whose rotation is ranked 1 (Ocasio), 3 (Gourley) and 16 (Barnhill) in individual ERA. There is no doubt that Elkins's bat will be missed in this particular series.

I can't wait for the weekend to get here!

Is those vaunted sec era's compiled against subpar competition? The sec only has played one third of its games in conference. The rest are out of conference. If they are shutting out inferior competition during two thirds of the schedule wouldn't that also skew their statistics?

[31Ragin97]

Is those vaunted sec era's compiled against subpar competition? The sec only has played one third of its games in conference. The rest are out of conference. If they are shutting out inferior competition during two thirds of the schedule wouldn't that also skew their statistics?

Shhh. Cant dispute the big boys and their narrative

[Big Buds]

It's unfortunate Lexie won't dress out this weekend. Although if we can pull of a series win without her, it may make us unstoppable on her return.

[Boomer]

It's unfortunate Lexie won't dress out this weekend. Although if we can pull of a series win without her, it may make us unstoppable on her return.

---Haven't followed it closely---but how is her sub doing at the plate and behind the plate???

[Mark Hemphill]

Is those vaunted sec era's compiled against subpar competition? The sec only has played one third of its games in conference. The rest are out of conference. If they are shutting out inferior competition during two thirds of the schedule wouldn't that also skew their statistics?

I am just trying to compare apples to apples. Florida's pitching staff has won games (in some instances multiple games) against 7 teams that are rated in the top 20 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings. They are currently the best staff in softball. No disputing that.

My prior post was in support of a post made by SportyCajun who was basically telling another poster to tone down the chest thumping about UL having more homeruns than LSU and Florida combined. UL is an awesome power hitting team. But I do feel that when one is touting their team homrerun totals, you need to take into account the quality of the pitching staffs that some of those homeruns were hit off of. I am not taking anything away from UL, I am just trying to put some perspective on things.

Let me ask you this. I don't know offhand how many homeruns UL has hit in conference play to date. But do you think that they would have the same number of homeruns if they played in the SEC conference? I am strictly talking conference homerun totals if they played in the SEC.

[CajunEXPRESS]

I am just trying to compare apples to apples. Florida's pitching staff has won games (in some instances multiple games) against 7 teams that are rated in the top 20 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings. They are currently the best staff in softball. No disputing that.

My prior post was in support of a post made by SportyCajun who was basically telling another poster to tone down the chest thumping about UL having more homeruns than LSU and Florida combined. UL is an awesome power hitting team. But I do feel that when one is touting their team homrerun totals, you need to take into account the quality of the pitching staffs that some of those homeruns were hit off of. I am not taking anything away from UL, I am just trying to put some perspective on things.

Let me ask you this. I don't know offhand how many homeruns UL has hit in conference play to date. But do you think that they would have the same number of homeruns if they played in the SEC conference? I am strictly talking conference homerun totals if they played in the SEC.

No, but neither would they. As stated they played only a third of their games in the SEC. Add to that almost no road games, bias blue, and weaker non confrence opponents than UL. We have to schedule tough to make up for some true weaklings in SBC, some not a majority.

[Big Buds]

---Haven't followed it closely---but how is her sub doing at the plate and behind the plate???

I'm not sure, Boom, I don't follow softball that closely.

[CRAWFISH61]

I am just trying to compare apples to apples. Florida's pitching staff has won games (in some instances multiple games) against 7 teams that are rated in the top 20 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings. They are currently the best staff in softball. No disputing that.

My prior post was in support of a post made by SportyCajun who was basically telling another poster to tone down the chest thumping about UL having more homeruns than LSU and Florida combined. UL is an awesome power hitting team. But I do feel that when one is touting their team homrerun totals, you need to take into account the quality of the pitching staffs that some of those homeruns were hit off of. I am not taking anything away from UL, I am just trying to put some perspective on things.

Let me ask you this. I don't know offhand how many homeruns UL has hit in conference play to date. But do you think that they would have the same number of homeruns if they played in the SEC conference? I am strictly talking conference homerun totals if they played in the SEC.

Probably not. But what you and sportycajun point out is what sec supporters always say is that our numbers are skewed because of who we play and then point out how tough the sec is though to this point in the season 2/3's of games have been out of conference. The sec also has some donkey teams in it also. I do think that the Cajuns would hit more home runs than any other sec team if they played an sec schedule but we will never know. It should be a fun series.

[CajunAmos]

I am just trying to compare apples to apples. Florida's pitching staff has won games (in some instances multiple games) against 7 teams that are rated in the top 20 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings. They are currently the best staff in softball. No disputing that.

My prior post was in support of a post made by SportyCajun who was basically telling another poster to tone down the chest thumping about UL having more homeruns than LSU and Florida combined. UL is an awesome power hitting team. But I do feel that when one is touting their team homrerun totals, you need to take into account the quality of the pitching staffs that some of those homeruns were hit off of. I am not taking anything away from UL, I am just trying to put some perspective on things.

Let me ask you this. I don't know offhand how many homeruns UL has hit in conference play to date. But do you think that they would have the same number of homeruns if they played in the SEC conference? I am strictly talking conference homerun totals if they played in the SEC.

Mark, the closest I can compare are those games you mentioned against Oregon (3), Baylor (2), South Alabama (2) and maybe Texas Tech (2). Against those teams the Cajuns had 3 HR against Oregon, 1 against Baylor, 3 against South Alabama, and 4 against Texas Tech. Without a doubt Florida will be the best pitching the Cajuns have seen all year (and maybe in a number of years). I think the game will come down to Cajun pitching, which needs to keep the games close for the Cajuns to have a chance at winning one or more game. If you can keep them close, then one swing can change a game. I don't think you can expect to go out and get 8-10 hits (or maybe 5-6) against Florida consistently. A walk, a sacrifice, a double or HR and you have one or multiple runs from one hit. That's how you have to beat top pitching.

[31Ragin97]

How was listing the home run stat, "chest thumping"...... No exclamation point, no " hey this is awesome" simply a fact a stat,......looks like espn doesnt need to sell the narrative some on here do it just fine. Go back to espn and check out some of the simmons double double stats that were mostly skewed just ro leave long out, talk about chest pumping and not just plain facts