Lady Cajuns Ranked 17th in Preseason Poll

[NewsCopy]

After finishing the 2010 season ranked among the nation's elite, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball program will start the 2011 campaign in the same place.

The Preseason USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll has been released, showing the Cajuns in the No.17 slot, a year after finishing at No.16 in the final poll.

UL comes into 2011 after advancing to the program's second NCAA Super Regional in 2010. The Cajuns traveled to Los Angeles and fell to eventual National Champions UCLA in that Super Regional. The Bruins debut 2011 as the No.1 team in the poll.

Finding themselves as a ranked team is nothing new for the Cajuns. UL has been ranked in the final Top 25 poll in 18 of the last 20 seasons.

The Cajuns can look at this season's Preseason Top 25 Poll and see quite a few of their 2011 opponents. The Cajuns will take on four teams that are among the Top 25, including No.2 Arizona, No.6 Alabama, No.13 Arizona State and No.14 Oregon. UL will also match-up with three teams that are receiving votes in the poll. Those include FIU, Notre Dame and Long Island.

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UL-SI

[CajunFun]

_ _

I added in some info from other sources...

http://ultoday.com/node/2809

[RaginScotsman]

I really hope they get Lamson finished in a reasonable time frame. The Lady Cajuns deserve an upgrade.

[NOCajun]

Is Ashley Brignac going to be ready to pitch this season? I've heard different things about whether her shoulder will be healed or not.

[CajunAmos]

I know she pitched all fall and looked good.

[ulforlife]

This team is going to be beast mode

igeaux.mobi

[CAJUN_LXA685]

I'm no women's softball expert, but it seems to me like we slap bunt a whole lot. Just looking back to the series against UCLA, man those girls where just swinging away and crushing the ball and we just keep trying to slap the ball around for a base hit.

I know it is the system of the coaches and it obviously works pretty good considering the success of the program, but seems like in certain situations you would want to swing away more.

Again, no expert just my observation and opinion for what it is worth or not worth.

[BirdofParadise]

_ I'm no women's softball expert, but it seems to me like we slap bunt a whole lot. Just looking back to the series against UCLA, man those girls where just swinging away and crushing the ball and we just keep trying to slap the ball around for a base hit.

I know it is the system of the coaches and it obviously works pretty good considering the success of the program, but seems like in certain situations you would want to swing away more.

Again, no expert just my observation and opinion for what it is worth or not worth. _

The slap has been a part of softball since the women's game was invented.

Arizona has won multiple championships with slappers in the 1, 2 and 9 spots.

Stef and Mike avoided the slap for quite a few years. In the last three years or so they've recruited more of them.

Our slappers have been very very productive players.

The downside to the slap is when they come up with the bases loaded.

[HoustonCajun]

_ I really hope they get Lamson finished in a reasonable time frame. The Lady Cajuns deserve an upgrade. _

Pictures and status, anyone?

[CajunFun]

I added in the ESPN poll... they drop us quite a few slots:

http://ultoday.com/node/2809

[rhineaux]

_ Pictures and status, anyone? _

I passed by the site over the weekend. I don't have any pictures, but when I think back to what I saw in Oct/Nov, it just seems like they haven't accomplished very much.

[CajunAmos]

I think they've been delayed the last couple of days with rain, but they look to be working on the construction of the media section of the grandstand. I think most (if not all) of the understands concrete is poured. The coaches offices and concession area buildings are in place, but not completed. The new dressing room building brick work appears to be completed.

Sorry about the quality of photos, these were from my blackberry on about the 20th. The broadcast area as of today looks to be more completed when I went by for lunch.