Baseball Picked to Win the Sun Belt

1/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jan. 18, 2002

BASEBALL TABBED TO WIN THE SUN BELT 2002 Baseball Season Opens Feb. 8 at AstrosCollegeClassic

LAFAYETTE– The season hasn't begun yet, but already people are beginning to take notice ofLouisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team.

The Cajuns were picked as the preseason favorite by coaches in the Sun Belt Conference according to a poll released by the league Friday.

Louisiana-Lafayette, coming off of a 28-28 season in 2001, received 73 points and five first-place votes in the 2002 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll. The Cajuns beat out 2001 SBC Tournament championSouth Alabama(45-19 in 2001) by two points. The Jaguars had 71 points and two first-place votes.

2001 NCAA Super Regional participant Florida International (43-21) received the two remaining first-place votes and 66 points for third in the poll.

MiddleTennessee(49 points) was picked fourth, followed byNew Orleans(47 points), Arkansas-Little Rock (28 points),New MexicoStateandWestern Kentucky(26 points each) andArkansasState(19 points).

Louisiana-Lafayette was also picked to win the league by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

This season, the nine schools will be competing for eight spots in the SBC Tournament being held May 22-25 inMobile,Ala., at Stanky Field.

The Cajuns begin the 2002 season on Feb. 8 at the Astros College Classic at Enron Field inHouston,Texas. There the Cajuns will face Texas Tech (Feb. 8),TexasA&M (Feb. 9) andTexas(Feb. 10).

Head coach Tony Robichaux's squad missed out on postseason action last season, but is poised to make a return in 2002. With almost 10 left-handed hitters and a bullpen that is stocked the Cajuns have what it takes to dismiss the memories of 2001.

“As coaches we're going to have a lot of choices,” Robichaux said. “I think that the pieces to the puzzle are here and the key is going to be putting that puzzle together.”

“I believe that we have enough talent on this team to become a championship ballclub,” Robichaux added. “The most exciting part is that 95 percent of it will be back next year.”

The Cajuns will also be challenged by a rigid schedule that features eight teams ranked in CBN's Fabulous 40 Preseason Poll.

“The schedule will be tough,” Robichaux said. “It's probably the toughest one in my 14 years as a head coach, but we think that it's the only way for us to get better and it's also a good committment to our fans. We've tried to make our ballpark better and we want to always try to bring quality baseball to town and that's our goal, to not only bring it here but to beat it.”

2002 will be a special season for Robichaux. Entering the season, he stands only nine wins away from 500. When the Cajuns pick up their ninth win of the season, Robichaux will become the youngest coach in Divison I to reach the 500-win plateau.

2002 SUN BELT CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL

as selected by the coaches of the Sun Belt Conference

RANK, TEAM POINTS (1ST)

1. Louisiana-Lafayette 73 (5)

2. South Alabama 71 (2)

3. FloridaInternational 66 (2)

4. Middle Tennessee 49

5. New Orleans 47

6. Arkansas-Little Rock 28

7. New MexicoState 26

Western Kentucky 26

9. ArkansasState 19