University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Ranked No. 8 In Final Top 25 Polls
5/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
LAFAYETTE
- A return to the Women's College World Series figured
to be a huge plus for Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball
team.
On Wednesday, the Ragin' Cajuns (47-11) found out just how much.
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association and USA Softball released their respective final Top 25 polls for the 2003 season and both found the Cajuns of head coach Stefni Lotief ranked in the Top 10.
UL Lafayette ended the season where many expected them to be - among the Top 8 in the country. The Cajuns checked in both polls at No. 8 for their final resting place until next season.
Louisiana-Lafayette's No. 8 spot marks the highest finish ever by a Sun Belt school in the national rankings and is the highest finish since the 1996 season.
UL Lafayette also finished ranked in the final polls for the first time since 2001. Last season, the Cajuns were dropped out of the Top 25 following the NCAA Tournament.
In the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, the Cajuns jumped 13 spots from No. 21.
UL Lafayette garnered 259 points and were only 13 points behind No. 7 Alabama. The Cajuns gained 148 points from the NFCA poll released before conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament started.
The Cajuns found themselves ranked higher than DePaul, Cal State Fullerton, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska and in-state rival Louisiana State.
Louisiana-Lafayette entered the NFCA poll on March 24, after not being ranked in the preseason edition, and remained a member each week since - a span of 10 weeks.
In the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll, the Cajuns made a 15-spot jump from No. 23 up to No. 8.
Louisiana-Lafayette, which had 71
points in the poll before NCAA Tournament play, gathered
an additional 264 to reach 335 total points and finish
eighth in the final poll.
The Cajuns joined the USA Softball poll on March 31 and remained ranked for the remainder of the season.
The Cajuns ended the 2003 season with a 47-11 record overall and a 13-3 Sun Belt Conference record.
The Cajuns made their fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999 and 13th in the last 14 years. UL Lafayette's WCWS appearance was the first since 1996 and fourth in program history.
UL Lafayette also won its third straight Sun Belt Conference regular season title and fourth straight SBC Tournament championship as the Cajuns remain the only champion that the league has ever known.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
