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.

The Cajuns will look to solidify their Top 25 ranking beginning on February 11 when they host the 25th Annual Louisiana Classics. The tournament will get under way with Arkansas playing Prairie View A&M at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, February 11. The Cajuns will kick-off the 2011 campaign when they take on Rhode Island at 2:00 p.m. that same day.



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