Softball Thoughts as Conference Play Starts

[VObserver]

Sun Belt softball is going to be interesting on several levels this year.

First Level: The Sun Belt has 8 teams in the Top 100 RPI as the conference schedule starts, and 3 more between 101 and 150. This means that generally speaking our RPI [or Texas State's or Coastal Carolina's] won't drop significantly [or at all] just because we are playing another SBC team.

15 Louisiana Sun Belt 18-9 3-3 8-5 7-1 0-0
38 Texas St. Sun Belt 18-9 2-0 4-3 12-6 0-0
54 Coastal Carolina Sun Belt 23-4 2-0 2-1 19-3 0-0
73 Troy Sun Belt 19-7 6-2 7-1 6-4 0-0
76 App State Sun Belt 15-6 5-4 10-2 0-0 0-0
77 South Alabama Sun Belt 16-9 2-1 6-5 8-3 0-0
81 Marshall Sun Belt 21-3 1-2 8-1 12-0 0-0
94 ULM Sun Belt 16-10 6-2 2-2 8-6 0-0
123 Southern Miss. Sun Belt 15-5 2-3 0-0 13-2 0-0
127 Ga. Southern Sun Belt 10-12 0-5 3-2 7-5 0-0
145 James Madison Sun Belt 13-5 4-1 5-4 4-0 0-0
218 Georgia St. Sun Belt 8-13 1-2 1-3 6-8 0-0

Second Level: SBC Schools still have 19 games scheduled against Top 100 RPI teams in non-conference play: UL has 5 of those; teams UL plays in conference have 11 of the remaining 14, so more opportunities for RPI gains by UL on both OR and OOR levels. We should pull for our conference mates in all OOC games.

Third level: All conference games [and schedules] are NOT equal. UL does not play Marshall [81], Georgia Southern [127] or Georgia State [218]. For RPI purposes, we should be rooting for these three to lose every conference game they play against teams we do play in conference. Every such game they lose gives us a win in the OR [50% of RPI] column and a loss in the OOR [25%] column. Every little bit helps. Games the three play against each other are a wash for us, yielding 1 win and 1 loss in the OOR column for each game they play against teams we do play.

The math makes my head hurt, but all these mathematical machinations are slightly more in our favor than in most years, provided we take care of business.

[SlickRick]

It's good that our conference is going to be more helpful for us, assuming we continue to win the series games with our conference opponents. That's been an issue in the past.

[VObserver]

It's good that our conference is going to be more helpful for us, assuming we continue to win the series games with our conference opponents. That's been an issue in the past.

We will still likely lose ground to top SEC, PAC 12, Big 12, ACC and Big 10 schools, but not as much as in most years; and most of the ones we will lose ground to are already ahead of us in RPI anyway. Plus we have a Big 12 game and an SEC game remaining on our schedule, both with top 25 RPI teams. We need to win those two.

[Turbine]

Sun Belt softball is going to be interesting on several levels this year.

First Level: The Sun Belt has 8 teams in the Top 100 RPI as the conference schedule starts, and 3 more between 101 and 150. This means that generally speaking our RPI [or Texas State's or Coastal Carolina's] won't drop significantly [or at all] just because we are playing another SBC team.

15 Louisiana Sun Belt 18-9 3-3 8-5 7-1 0-0
38 Texas St. Sun Belt 18-9 2-0 4-3 12-6 0-0
54 Coastal Carolina Sun Belt 23-4 2-0 2-1 19-3 0-0
73 Troy Sun Belt 19-7 6-2 7-1 6-4 0-0
76 App State Sun Belt 15-6 5-4 10-2 0-0 0-0
77 South Alabama Sun Belt 16-9 2-1 6-5 8-3 0-0
81 Marshall Sun Belt 21-3 1-2 8-1 12-0 0-0
94 ULM Sun Belt 16-10 6-2 2-2 8-6 0-0
123 Southern Miss. Sun Belt 15-5 2-3 0-0 13-2 0-0
127 Ga. Southern Sun Belt 10-12 0-5 3-2 7-5 0-0
145 James Madison Sun Belt 13-5 4-1 5-4 4-0 0-0
218 Georgia St. Sun Belt 8-13 1-2 1-3 6-8 0-0

Second Level: SBC Schools still have 19 games scheduled against Top 100 RPI teams in non-conference play: UL has 5 of those; teams UL plays in conference have 11 of the remaining 14, so more opportunities for RPI gains by UL on both OR and OOR levels. We should pull for our conference mates in all OOC games.

Third level: All conference games [and schedules] are NOT equal. UL does not play Marshall [81], Georgia Southern [127] or Georgia State [218]. For RPI purposes, we should be rooting for these three to lose every conference game they play against teams we do play in conference. Every such game they lose gives us a win in the OR [50% of RPI] column and a loss in the OOR [25%] column. Every little bit helps. Games the three play against each other are a wash for us, yielding 1 win and 1 loss in the OOR column for each game they play against teams we do play.

The math makes my head hurt, but all these mathematical machinations are slightly more in our favor than in most years, provided we take care of business.

That's some "Level Three" analysis right there.

Thanks

[JMV JustMyView]

It's good that our conference is going to be more helpful for us, assuming we continue to win the series games with our conference opponents. That's been an issue in the past.

Winning conference series games has not been a problem or issue in the past for UL. In fact they hold the nations longest conference winning streak. I believe UL has won around 72 series in a row.

[roarman]

Winning conference series games has not been a problem or issue in the past for UL. In fact they hold the nations longest conference winning streak. I believe UL has won around 72 series in a row.

I think what he means is, our conference has not been helpful in the past. He doesn't mean we haven't won series in the past as you have pointed out.

[ragin50]

Sun Belt softball is going to be interesting on several levels this year.

First Level: The Sun Belt has 8 teams in the Top 100 RPI as the conference schedule starts, and 3 more between 101 and 150. This means that generally speaking our RPI [or Texas State's or Coastal Carolina's] won't drop significantly [or at all] just because we are playing another SBC team.

15 Louisiana Sun Belt 18-9 3-3 8-5 7-1 0-0
38 Texas St. Sun Belt 18-9 2-0 4-3 12-6 0-0
54 Coastal Carolina Sun Belt 23-4 2-0 2-1 19-3 0-0
73 Troy Sun Belt 19-7 6-2 7-1 6-4 0-0
76 App State Sun Belt 15-6 5-4 10-2 0-0 0-0
77 South Alabama Sun Belt 16-9 2-1 6-5 8-3 0-0
81 Marshall Sun Belt 21-3 1-2 8-1 12-0 0-0
94 ULM Sun Belt 16-10 6-2 2-2 8-6 0-0
123 Southern Miss. Sun Belt 15-5 2-3 0-0 13-2 0-0
127 Ga. Southern Sun Belt 10-12 0-5 3-2 7-5 0-0
145 James Madison Sun Belt 13-5 4-1 5-4 4-0 0-0
218 Georgia St. Sun Belt 8-13 1-2 1-3 6-8 0-0

Second Level: SBC Schools still have 19 games scheduled against Top 100 RPI teams in non-conference play: UL has 5 of those; teams UL plays in conference have 11 of the remaining 14, so more opportunities for RPI gains by UL on both OR and OOR levels. We should pull for our conference mates in all OOC games.

Third level: All conference games [and schedules] are NOT equal. UL does not play Marshall [81], Georgia Southern [127] or Georgia State [218]. For RPI purposes, we should be rooting for these three to lose every conference game they play against teams we do play in conference. Every such game they lose gives us a win in the OR [50% of RPI] column and a loss in the OOR [25%] column. Every little bit helps. Games the three play against each other are a wash for us, yielding 1 win and 1 loss in the OOR column for each game they play against teams we do play.

The math makes my head hurt, but all these mathematical machinations are slightly more in our favor than in most years, provided we take care of business.

Surprising that ODU and Arkansas St. don't play softball, seems like they would be required to by the SBC. Also, the Covid Chickens schedule has been very weak. They might struggle in conference play.

[VObserver]

Surprising that ODU and Arkansas St. don't play softball, seems like they would be required to by the SBC. Also, the Covid Chickens schedule has been very weak. They might struggle in conference play.

Marshall has played an even weaker schedule. Of course we don't play them, so it is of little concern to us except when they play others we do play. Coastal's SOS is 172; Marshall is at 256.

In the SBC, only UL [8], Texas State [50] and Georgia Southern [85] have an SOS better than 100.

[SlickRick]

I think what he means is, our conference has not been helpful in the past. He doesn't mean we haven't won series in the past as you have pointed out.

Correct...that was my point.

[SlickRick]

Marshall has played an even weaker schedule. Of course we don't play them, so it is of little concern to us except when they play others we do play. Coastal's SOS is 172; Marshall is at 256.

In the SBC, only UL [8], Texas State [50] and Georgia Southern [85] have an SOS better than 100.

Of the 3 toughest Belt teams to play, S.Al, TxSt & Troy, we get 2 of them at Lamson. Troy is a road series.

[VObserver]

Of the 3 toughest Belt teams to play, S.Al, TxSt & Troy, we get 2 of them at Lamson. Troy is a road series.

Playing Coastal at Coastal is dangerous. That stadium is a power hitter's park, and the Chants are built to take advantage of that. We can sweep there, but the scores are likely to be 10-7, and that type of game can quickly turn against you if you have problems with your pitchers losing concentration in the circle after bad things have happened.

[JMV JustMyView]

Playing Coastal at Coastal is dangerous. That stadium is a power hitter's park, and the Chants are built to take advantage of that. We can sweep there, but the scores are likely to be 10-7, and that type of game can quickly turn against you if you have problems with your pitchers losing concentration in the circle after bad things have happened.

200 ft all the way around.