University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Softball Chosen Preseason Favorite in Sun Belt Conference
2/1/2022 4:00:00 PM | Softball
Louisiana headlines the preseason poll voted on by league's head coaches
LAFAYETTE - Preseason nationally ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball, the two-time defending Sun Belt regular-season and tournament champion, has been selected as favorite to win the 2022 Sun Belt Conference softball title in a vote of the league's 10 head coaches.
The Ragin' Cajuns (47-12, 21-3 Sun Belt in 2021) claimed seven of the 10 possible first-place votes in the preseason SBC coaches poll and was selected as the conference's preseason favorite for the fourth consecutive year.Â
Louisiana is ranked in every major national poll, including a No. 19 nod by Softball America.Â
During the 2021 season, the Ragin' Cajuns reached the 40-win mark for the 22nd consecutive completed season, closing out the regular season winning 25 of the final 29 games, and advanced to Championship Sunday of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Louisiana repeated as Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions highlighted by an 11-1 record, regular season and tournament combined, against the league's other three NCAA Tournament participants (Texas State, Troy and South Alabama).Â
Moving forward into the 2022 season, Louisiana is armed with the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class of the 2021 recruits by Extra Inning Softball including the No. 4-rated recruit in pitcher Sam Landry and No. 15-rated recruit in outfielder Maddie Hayden, has first team All-Sun Belt performer Kandra Lamb back in the circle seeking to pick up where Summer Ellyson left off, and welcomes back Raina O'Neal and Taylor Roman and their power bats back to the lineup.
For Gerry Glasco, his fifth season in Louisiana will have a different look and feel than the previous others: the team largely consists of players he recruited and went from being one of the oldest in the nation to one of the youngest. The Ragin' Cajuns went from a roster in 2021 that was predominantly sixth-year and fifth-year players to a group in 2022 that includes eight freshmen and 12 total newcomers.
Sun Belt softball teams begin play on Friday, February 11. The 2022 Sun Belt Conference Softball Tournament will take place May 10-14, 2022 at Jaguar Field in Mobile, Ala.
Louisiana, an NCAA Tournament participant each year since 1999, begins the 2022 season at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park with the 36th Annual Louisiana Classics from Feb. 11-13 – and is scheduled to spend the entire first month inside or near the city limits of Lafayette.
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The official season opener is set for Feb. 11 with a 4 p.m. doubleheader vs. UAB at Lamson Park.
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To view the complete 2022 season schedule, click here.
2022 Sun Belt Softball Preseason Coaches PollÂ
1. Louisiana (7) - 97
2. Texas State (2) - 87
3. Troy (1) - 82
4. South Alabama - 74
5. UTA - 49
6. App State - 46
7. Coastal Carolina - 37
8. Georgia Southern - 32
9. ULM - 27
10. Georgia State - 19
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
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The Ragin' Cajuns (47-12, 21-3 Sun Belt in 2021) claimed seven of the 10 possible first-place votes in the preseason SBC coaches poll and was selected as the conference's preseason favorite for the fourth consecutive year.Â
Louisiana is ranked in every major national poll, including a No. 19 nod by Softball America.Â
Ready to represent. ??
— Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns® Softball (@RaginCajunsSB) February 1, 2022
?????? https://t.co/2OcgzrYtlw
During the 2021 season, the Ragin' Cajuns reached the 40-win mark for the 22nd consecutive completed season, closing out the regular season winning 25 of the final 29 games, and advanced to Championship Sunday of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Louisiana repeated as Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions highlighted by an 11-1 record, regular season and tournament combined, against the league's other three NCAA Tournament participants (Texas State, Troy and South Alabama).Â
Moving forward into the 2022 season, Louisiana is armed with the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class of the 2021 recruits by Extra Inning Softball including the No. 4-rated recruit in pitcher Sam Landry and No. 15-rated recruit in outfielder Maddie Hayden, has first team All-Sun Belt performer Kandra Lamb back in the circle seeking to pick up where Summer Ellyson left off, and welcomes back Raina O'Neal and Taylor Roman and their power bats back to the lineup.
For Gerry Glasco, his fifth season in Louisiana will have a different look and feel than the previous others: the team largely consists of players he recruited and went from being one of the oldest in the nation to one of the youngest. The Ragin' Cajuns went from a roster in 2021 that was predominantly sixth-year and fifth-year players to a group in 2022 that includes eight freshmen and 12 total newcomers.
Sun Belt softball teams begin play on Friday, February 11. The 2022 Sun Belt Conference Softball Tournament will take place May 10-14, 2022 at Jaguar Field in Mobile, Ala.
Louisiana, an NCAA Tournament participant each year since 1999, begins the 2022 season at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park with the 36th Annual Louisiana Classics from Feb. 11-13 – and is scheduled to spend the entire first month inside or near the city limits of Lafayette.
Â
The official season opener is set for Feb. 11 with a 4 p.m. doubleheader vs. UAB at Lamson Park.
Â
To view the complete 2022 season schedule, click here.
2022 Sun Belt Softball Preseason Coaches PollÂ
1. Louisiana (7) - 97
2. Texas State (2) - 87
3. Troy (1) - 82
4. South Alabama - 74
5. UTA - 49
6. App State - 46
7. Coastal Carolina - 37
8. Georgia Southern - 32
9. ULM - 27
10. Georgia State - 19
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
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-- RaginCajuns.com --
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