Cajuns return to Astros College Classic and host 2003 Sun Belt TournamentLOUISIANA La. – University of Louisiana head baseball coach Tony Robichaux announced Saturday the 2003 Ragin’ Cajuns baseball schedule which includes 29 home games, a return trip to the Astros College Classic and the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
Louisiana will open the season with a three-game series with Southwest Texas State Feb. 7-9.
The following weekend, the Ragin’ Cajuns make their second trip in as many years to the Houston Astros College Classic at Minute Maid Park. They will face Alabama (Feb. 14), Baylor (Feb.15) and Texas A&M (Feb. 16). Last season the Cajuns posted a 2-1 record including a 4-3 victory over eventual national champion Texas.
Two weeks later the Cajuns will make a return to Houston, this time for a three game set with 2002 NCAA Super Regional participant Houston Cougars on Feb. 28-March 2.
“We are very fortunate to go back to the Astros Classic,” said Robichaux. “It’s going to be nice to play Alabama, Baylor and Texas A&M.
“Then we go back to Houston the next weekend, which helps our recruiting in Texas and gives our Houston area boosters a chance to see our team.”
The following weekend marks Mardi Gras and the return of the Mardi Gras Ball Classic to “Tigue” Moore Field for the first time since the 2001 season. UL will host Wichita State, Ohio State and McNeese State. The tournament runs March 7-9. The Cajuns face OSU March 7 at 6:30 p.m., WSU March 8 at 6:30 p.m. and close out the weekend March 9 at 4:30 p.m. against MSU.
Louisiana opens Sun Belt Conference play March 21-23 in Bowling Green, Ky., against Western Kentucky. The next weekend, March 28-30, the Cajuns will open the home portion of the SBC slate against Middle Tennessee.
Traditional mid-week games dot the Cajuns’ schedule from February to May. Home-and-home series with Lamar (April 1 and 15), Nicholls State (March 11 and May 7), Northwestern State (Feb. 11 and 18), Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 19 and April 9) and Tulane (March 12 and 26), along with a trip to McNeese State on March 18 comprise the Cajuns’ non-conference midweek games.
Perhaps the most noteworthy non-conference weekend series is a trip to Lincoln, Neb., for a three-game series with the 2001 & 2002 NCAA College World Series participant Huskers set for May 2-4.
“We look forward to playing Nebraska so late in the season,” Robichaux added. “It will be a great measuring stick for our club heading into the final month of the season.”
UL will close out the regular season May 16-18 with an SBC weekend set against I-10 rival South Alabama. The league’s conference tournament immediately follows May 21-24 at Moore Field. The Cajuns last hosted the conference tournament in 2001.
The Cajuns are coming off a 39-23 (17-7 SBC) season in 2002 with an appearance in the NCAA Regional championship game. All game times at home remain the same as last season with Friday and midweek games slated for 6:30 p.m., Saturday games for 2 p.m. and Sunday games beginning at 1 p.m.
Another milestone will be set in 2003. Robichaux, entering his ninth season at UL, has 286 wins as the Cajuns’ head boss, needing only six wins to become the school’s all-time career leader in victories.
LOUISIANA SI
LOUISIANA announces signing of seven players
Quote
