Softball Final: UL 2, Seton Hall 4

[CajunSID]

The Good: Smith is a baller. Basically got intentionally walked b/c they wanted to face a senior instead of her with the game on the line.
And clearly that was the right choice.

I like our middle infielders. Wasn’t exactly a strength of previous coach’s regime.

The Bad: Obviously too many walks. Hopefully just a case of adrenaline. It happens.

We hit a lot of balls hard, and to SH’s credit they got all of them for 5 innings.

My only mini-gripe was having 3 slappers in the 6-9 spot of the lineup.

But then again I don’t like slap-hitting. I’m sure there will be lineup tinkering, and they will get it right.

[ZoomZoom]

Box score

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s...20250207023315

[JMV JustMyView]

The Good: Smith is a baller. Basically got intentionally walked b/c they wanted to face a senior instead of her with the game on the line.
And clearly that was the right choice.

I like our middle infielders. Wasn’t exactly a strength of previous coach’s regime.

The Bad: Obviously too many walks. Hopefully just a case of adrenaline. It happens.

We hit a lot of balls hard, and to SH’s credit they got all of them for 5 innings.

My only mini-gripe was having 3 slappers in the 6-9 spot of the lineup.

But then again I don’t like slap-hitting. I’m sure there will be lineup tinkering, and they will get it right.

Walks and lack of big hits hurt the Cajuns. At Ieast I was able to nail down the starting lineup. I believe that Cajuns will have more power once Allen and Knox are ready to go.

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana loaded the bases twice in the final two innings but Seton Hall held on for a 4-2 win in the opening game of the 2025 season on Thursday, February 6 at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.

Louisiana Athletics
RaginCajuns.com
PRESS RELEASE

[VObserver]

Let me get the bad out of the way first:
1.Too many walks by both pitchers and both also let one walk get to them, leading to another walk.
2. Only Smith and Vasquez had timely and productive hits.
3. Our 1 error was unforced; Williams clearly lost focus thinking about throwing out a runner before fielding the ball.

The Good:
1. Our middle infield is really good. Vasquez and Liscano are both exceptional middle infielders. Three DPs in one game just doesn't happen in softball.
2. The walks issue is likely fixable, as first game jitters only last a game or two. Clary has proven herself against Mountain West competition; she will be fine, just not dominant. Wheeler was pitching her first D1 game. Her jitters are easily attributable to that, and to the fact that this was the first time she has pitched in front of more than a couple of hundred fans.
3. In spite of the lack of timely hits, there were several positives offensively. We had no strikeouts. As a general rule, we hit the ball well; just right at the defense. Smith had some really good at bats; she does not act like a freshman at the plate. Hayden was smoking the ball, as we expected. Vasquez also struck the ball well.

Concerns going forward: 1. Pitching depth: We are going to need it. We will have to pitch by committee this year.
2. Hitting after the 6 hole. This must improve.
3. Corner infield play. . Obviously both Roe and Smith must play because of their bats, but I have concerns about them defensively.

Conclusions:

I am disappointed about this game, but it is only one game, and the first one that this team has played together. I certainly do not expect us to beat Texas today, but I do believe we will leave the weekend with a winning record.

I have seen nothing yet to alter my preseason opinion that we will be fine in conference and can possibly keep our streak of 40 win seasons alive. That being said, this is clearly a transition year and anything can happen.

[RaginScotsman]

Let me get the bad out of the way first:
1.Too many walks by both pitchers and both also let one walk get to them, leading to another walk.
2. Only Smith and Vasquez had timely and productive hits.
3. Our 1 error was unforced; Williams clearly lost focus thinking about throwing out a runner before fielding the ball.

The Good:
1. Our middle infield is really good. Vasquez and Liscano are both exceptional middle infielders. Three DPs in one game just doesn't happen in softball.
2. The walks issue is likely fixable, as first game jitters only last a game or two. Clary has proven herself against Mountain West competition; she will be fine, just not dominant. Wheeler was pitching her first D1 game. Her jitters are easily attributable to that, and to the fact that this was the first time she has pitched in front of more than a couple of hundred fans.
3. In spite of the lack of timely hits, there were several positives offensively. We had no strikeouts. As a general rule, we hit the ball well; just right at the defense. Smith had some really good at bats; she does not act like a freshman at the plate. Hayden was smoking the ball, as we expected. Vasquez also struck the ball well.

Concerns going forward: 1. Pitching depth: We are going to need it. We will have to pitch by committee this year.
2. Hitting after the 6 hole. This must improve.
3. Corner infield play. . Obviously both Roe and Smith must play because of their bats, but I have concerns about them defensively.

Conclusions:

I am disappointed about this game, but it is only one game, and the first one that this team has played together. I certainly do not expect us to beat Texas today, but I do believe we will leave the weekend with a winning record.

I have seen nothing yet to alter my preseason opinion that we will be fine in conference and can possibly keep our streak of 40 win seasons alive. That being said, this is clearly a transition year and anything can happen.

Good stuff. Noticed the 0 strike outs too. That's a stat we don't see often.

Seaton Hall did play a good game and fielded almost every ball that was put in play. We helped them out too much, though. That error in right should never happen.

We have been so used to having the bats to pick up pitching and the pitching to pick up the bats if one of those is not working. Both will have to work this year.


Side note - I promised myself that I was not going to lament on what could have been this season, but I had a moment of weakness watching the team struggle last night. That angry feeling from over the summer surfaced thinking of the veteran team we would have had this year. Chalk that up to a forgettable performance the first time out with this new team.

Move on and come out of the weekend with a winning record. A few Ws usually helps.

[VObserver]

The areas where we will suffer the most due to our defectors are pitching and power bats. While the pitchers we have added are ok, none are Landry or Riasseto, at least not yet. Emily Smith is a better power hitter than anyone we lost, but she can't replace them all.

Defensively, I believe we are better than last year. Our outfield is at worst as good as last year and our middle infield is better with Liscano than it was with Langliers. I really like Savannah White at catcher, too. The defense up the middle from White to Vasquez and Liscano to Hayden is stellar.

Only time will tell how we do this year, but I am still cautiously optimistic that we will be ok. I think the coaches in the SBC have it about right, picking us second.

[CajunSID]

The areas where we will suffer the most due to our defectors are pitching and power bats. While the pitchers we have added are ok, none are Landry or Riasseto, at least not yet. Emily Smith is a better power hitter than anyone we lost, but she can't replace them all.

Defensively, I believe we are better than last year. Our outfield is at worst as good as last year and our middle infield is better with Liscano than it was with Langliers. I really like Savannah White at catcher, too. The defense up the middle from White to Vasquez and Liscano to Hayden is stellar.

Only time will tell how we do this year, but I am still cautiously optimistic that we will be ok. I think the coaches in the SBC have it about right, picking us second.

Not sure I totally agree yet with the defensive statements. Corner INF isn’t lockdown and there was a pretty brutal error in the OF last night.

But considering how bad some of our teams have been defensively last few years, maybe you are correct.

Definitely solid up the middle. Pitching and run production will be a major concern (especially against this non-conf schedule). Defense, unfortunately, will have to be close to perfect.

[Cajunrunner]

I think we'll be fine. Coach Habetz has coached with some of the best. She knows what she's doing.

Texas Tech's largest booster, who is a huge softball fan, decided he wanted to buy the program a National Championship. He bought Glasco and several of our players.

Coach Habetz will need some time to recruit to fit her strategy, which may be very different from Coach Glasco's.

[AstroCajun]

Saw a snippet of an outfield play at Texas Tech. Their stadium is an embarrassment. Very disappointed that players would leave our palace to play at that ____hole.