University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Hold Strong at No. 5 in the ESPN.com USA Softball Poll
2/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
LAFAYETTE – Another undefeated weekend allowed the nationally ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team to hold on its No. 5 ranking in the latest edition of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll, which was released on Tuesday.
The Ragin' Cajuns (8-0) began the season ranked No. 7 and moved up two spots to No. 5 last Tuesday after beginning the season 5-0 in the 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Classic Feb. 4-6. This week's ranking marks the second straight week for Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 5.
The ranking is Louisiana-Lafayette's highest regular season mark under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief.
The Cajuns remained the highest ranked team in the state of Louisiana for the third straight week (LSU is now No. 10) and are the second-highest ranked team amongst the NCAA Midwest Region schools trailing only No. 3 Texas.
The Ragin' Cajuns garnered 416 points and finished a mere nine (9) points behind No. 4 UCLA (7-2) and 16 points ahead of No. 6 Stanford (6-1).
Louisiana-Lafayette is ranked ahead of Washington, Tennessee, Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Alabama and Oregon to name a few of the teams from larger conferences.
The ranking assured the Cajuns of being a member of the Top 10 for the third straight week.
Arizona, which visits Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park March 25-27, sits atop the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll after being declared co-No. 1's with Pac 10-rival California just a week ago. The Wildcats picked up 12 of the 20 first place votes to edge Cal by only three points for the No. 1 ranking.
The Top 10 welcomed two new teams into its ranks with Alabama leaping five spots to No. 8 with an overall record of 11-0 and Michigan taking over the No. 9 slot.
The fifth-ranked Ragin' Cajuns will be back in action this weekend as they continue their season-opening 14-game homestand by hosting the 19th Annual Louisiana Classics Friday-Sunday, Feb. 18-20 at the Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
