The Louisiana Ragin' Cajun softball team didn't sit in Pete's Sports Bar and Grill on Sunday evening to find out who they were going to face in the 2005 NCAA Division I Softball Championship.

Because their opponent didn't really matter to them.

But what they did sit in anticipation of was whether or not they were going to be hosting a regional in the 64-team tournament.

The Cajuns (50-8) will not be hosting a regional and instead will travel to Norman, Okla., where they will face Pac-10 member Oregon (34-23) at 5 p.m. Friday.

"Where we went didn't really matter to us," said Cajun senior pitcher Brooke Mitchell. "We know that no matter where we went, we'll still have to go out and play our best anyway."

"We were hoping to host, but we weren't expecting it," said Cajun junior right fielder Danyele Gomez. "It didn't matter where we went, because no matter what we'll have to go and play well."

The No. 14 seed Oklahoma Sooners (50-8), who defeated the Cajuns in the regional championship game in Arizona last year, will join Louisiana on their home turf in Norman, where they will face Wichita State (45-15) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

"I could say the selection could have been better, because we would have been at home," said Cajun co-coach Stefni Lotief. "But I like the location, because it's closer to home and maybe we can have our fans travel with us."

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Eric Narcisse
enarcisse@theadvertiser.com