University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Fall Preview With Softball's Gerry Glasco
10/5/2023 4:14:00 PM | Softball
LAFAYETTE - The arrival of October meant it was time for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team to dive deep into the advanced preparations for the upcoming 2024 season, as the team portion of fall practice officially began in the first week of the month.
There was an increased level of satisfaction found in the success of the 2023 season for head coach Gerry Glasco, a trip to the NCAA Super Regional round in Seattle adding to the accustomed accomplishments for the program.
Now with Season No. 7 in Cajun Country on the horizon for Glasco, the expectations are only heightened. Louisiana's mission now is to advance to the next level, and gain that return trip to college softball's promised land of Oklahoma City for the first time since 2014.
Louisiana is coming off a fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament championship, the program's 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, a No. 9 RPI rating and Top 20 finish across the board in all major national polls.Â
With a now veteran-laden roster, as Glasco's No. 1 recruiting Class of 2022 now enters their junior campaign, plus the key summer transfer additions highlighted by the Florida duo of Lexie Delbrey and Sam Roe, there's plenty reason enough for the lofty aim in the coming spring season.
The fall practice period also introduces the Ragin' Cajuns players to a pair of new faces on the coaching staff in defensive coach Hunter Veach and hitting coach Shellie Landry. Their addition provides Glasco with a specific coach for every facet of the game, to go along with pitching coach Justin Robichaux.
With the team practice period of the fall 2023 session now underway, Glasco took a moment to examine the Ragin' Cajuns goals between now and mid-November.
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Q: As you enter the team portion of fall practice, what will be your message to the team?
GG:Â "The games in the spring, especially the important big games against the Top 25 teams, will be won or lost based upon what we are able to accomplish in our fall practice time. These are critical opportunities for us to get ourselves ready to compete at the highest level possible in the pre-conference portion of our schedule. Â
I want our team to understand how important these next six weeks are going to be, and how big of impact they will have on our spring."
Q: With the addition of new staff members this offseason, how important will it be to establish a connection between the staff and players? From early interactions, how would you assess the transition process thus far? GG:Â "I think all the new coaches and staff members have made a great impression on our roster and our players have bought in to what they are teaching. I think it was an instant connection with both Hunter (Veach) and Shellie (Landry), in large part because both are such competent teachers and coaches.
Also, our players want to win - I believe that! When I recruited these players, I shared with them the history of the program - a history of winning and championships - and they know that when they come here it is important to win and achieve the highest levels. So they have been extremely receptive to our coaching staff's instruction."
Q: With a more experienced squad than in recent years, does the practice schedule/strategy change? GG: "I think that there is an advantage to having an older roster. They have the maturity level of having been through one or two college seasons, and they understand the importance of the pre-conference season as far as the RPI and NCAA seeding process goes.Â
We will scrimmage every Sunday at 4:00 p.m. Those will be very competitive, fiery scrimmages that highlight the amount of talent that we have on the roster. The scrimmages will be the most competitive games of the fall, I believe."
Q:Â How key will be the evaluation process this fall practice session given the amount of talent and depth on the roster?
GG: "It is critical that everyone - players and fans of the program both - understand that I'm not looking for nine starters. I am personally of the opinion today that the best way to get to the Women's College World Series is to find those 14 or 15 position players, and at least five pitchers in the bullpen, who want to go to war with each other and our program. I think that it is shortsighted to only look for nine good players. As coaches we want to develop the entire roster, so that we are ready for injuries, kids out with sickness, or whatever other challenges we might face in the spring.
Our primary goal is to develop depth on our roster. That should allow us to be more successful this spring than ever before, and give us the best chance accomplish our goals in the postseason.
This fall will give us a lot of critical information. But as we learned last year with Lauren Allred, we may have kids go home and work really hard over Christmas and come back into January preseason practices a different player. So while the fall is critical, it is still a building block for some hard-working athletes and things can still change as we go through the season."
Q:Â When the fall practice period ends, what would like to have seen accomplished?
GG: "Three key things: developing a deeper and more talented roster into a team;Â developing a team defensive strategy that will allow us to be among the nation's leaders in double plays turned, fielding percentage and ultimately result in fewer runs allowed; and having developed a lineup that will increase our offensive numbers against Top 25 opponents."
Q: What do you like most about the group that's been assembled for the 2024 season and what will be key to building upon last season's Super Regional run?
GG: "I love our roster. We have a very deep and very talented pitching staff. We have power offensively. We have team speed. Then we have added depth on defense with the addition of infielders like Brooke Ellestad and Sam Roe. I believe the other key will be improving, both offensively and defensively, while also improving the overall toughness of our ball club on the field and in competition.
We want to get back to the super regional with this ball club and take the next step to the Women's College World Series."
Â
FALL EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
The Ragin' Cajuns are scheduled to play six fall exhibition games (three home, three away) spread out over a four-week period starting on Tuesday, October 10.
The Cajuns are set to play home-and-home exhibitions with LSU-Eunice, McNeese and Southeastern Louisiana.
Each game, both home and away, begins at 6:00 p.m.
Louisiana's fall slate begins at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park on October 10 with a matchup against LSU-Eunice.
Louisiana Softball Fall 2023 Schedule
Tuesday, October 10 – vs. LSU-Eunice, 6:00 p.m. | Lamson Park
Thursday, October 12 – at LSU-Eunice, 6:00 p.m. | Eunice, La.
Tuesday, October 17 – at McNeese, 6:00 p.m. | Lake Charles, La.
Wednesday, October 18 – at Southeastern Louisiana, 6:00 p.m. | Hammond, La.
Wednesday, October 25 – vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 6:00 p.m. | Lamson Park
Friday, November 3 – vs. McNeese, 6:00 p.m. | Lamson Park
Â
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 also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
Â
There was an increased level of satisfaction found in the success of the 2023 season for head coach Gerry Glasco, a trip to the NCAA Super Regional round in Seattle adding to the accustomed accomplishments for the program.
Now with Season No. 7 in Cajun Country on the horizon for Glasco, the expectations are only heightened. Louisiana's mission now is to advance to the next level, and gain that return trip to college softball's promised land of Oklahoma City for the first time since 2014.
Louisiana is coming off a fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament championship, the program's 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, a No. 9 RPI rating and Top 20 finish across the board in all major national polls.Â
With a now veteran-laden roster, as Glasco's No. 1 recruiting Class of 2022 now enters their junior campaign, plus the key summer transfer additions highlighted by the Florida duo of Lexie Delbrey and Sam Roe, there's plenty reason enough for the lofty aim in the coming spring season.
The fall practice period also introduces the Ragin' Cajuns players to a pair of new faces on the coaching staff in defensive coach Hunter Veach and hitting coach Shellie Landry. Their addition provides Glasco with a specific coach for every facet of the game, to go along with pitching coach Justin Robichaux.
With the team practice period of the fall 2023 session now underway, Glasco took a moment to examine the Ragin' Cajuns goals between now and mid-November.
Â
Q: As you enter the team portion of fall practice, what will be your message to the team?
GG:Â "The games in the spring, especially the important big games against the Top 25 teams, will be won or lost based upon what we are able to accomplish in our fall practice time. These are critical opportunities for us to get ourselves ready to compete at the highest level possible in the pre-conference portion of our schedule. Â
I want our team to understand how important these next six weeks are going to be, and how big of impact they will have on our spring."
Q: With the addition of new staff members this offseason, how important will it be to establish a connection between the staff and players? From early interactions, how would you assess the transition process thus far? GG:Â "I think all the new coaches and staff members have made a great impression on our roster and our players have bought in to what they are teaching. I think it was an instant connection with both Hunter (Veach) and Shellie (Landry), in large part because both are such competent teachers and coaches.
Also, our players want to win - I believe that! When I recruited these players, I shared with them the history of the program - a history of winning and championships - and they know that when they come here it is important to win and achieve the highest levels. So they have been extremely receptive to our coaching staff's instruction."
Q: With a more experienced squad than in recent years, does the practice schedule/strategy change? GG: "I think that there is an advantage to having an older roster. They have the maturity level of having been through one or two college seasons, and they understand the importance of the pre-conference season as far as the RPI and NCAA seeding process goes.Â
We will scrimmage every Sunday at 4:00 p.m. Those will be very competitive, fiery scrimmages that highlight the amount of talent that we have on the roster. The scrimmages will be the most competitive games of the fall, I believe."
Q:Â How key will be the evaluation process this fall practice session given the amount of talent and depth on the roster?
GG: "It is critical that everyone - players and fans of the program both - understand that I'm not looking for nine starters. I am personally of the opinion today that the best way to get to the Women's College World Series is to find those 14 or 15 position players, and at least five pitchers in the bullpen, who want to go to war with each other and our program. I think that it is shortsighted to only look for nine good players. As coaches we want to develop the entire roster, so that we are ready for injuries, kids out with sickness, or whatever other challenges we might face in the spring.
Our primary goal is to develop depth on our roster. That should allow us to be more successful this spring than ever before, and give us the best chance accomplish our goals in the postseason.
This fall will give us a lot of critical information. But as we learned last year with Lauren Allred, we may have kids go home and work really hard over Christmas and come back into January preseason practices a different player. So while the fall is critical, it is still a building block for some hard-working athletes and things can still change as we go through the season."
Q:Â When the fall practice period ends, what would like to have seen accomplished?
GG: "Three key things: developing a deeper and more talented roster into a team;Â developing a team defensive strategy that will allow us to be among the nation's leaders in double plays turned, fielding percentage and ultimately result in fewer runs allowed; and having developed a lineup that will increase our offensive numbers against Top 25 opponents."
Q: What do you like most about the group that's been assembled for the 2024 season and what will be key to building upon last season's Super Regional run?
GG: "I love our roster. We have a very deep and very talented pitching staff. We have power offensively. We have team speed. Then we have added depth on defense with the addition of infielders like Brooke Ellestad and Sam Roe. I believe the other key will be improving, both offensively and defensively, while also improving the overall toughness of our ball club on the field and in competition.
We want to get back to the super regional with this ball club and take the next step to the Women's College World Series."
Â
FALL EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
The Ragin' Cajuns are scheduled to play six fall exhibition games (three home, three away) spread out over a four-week period starting on Tuesday, October 10.
The Cajuns are set to play home-and-home exhibitions with LSU-Eunice, McNeese and Southeastern Louisiana.
Each game, both home and away, begins at 6:00 p.m.
Louisiana's fall slate begins at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park on October 10 with a matchup against LSU-Eunice.
Louisiana Softball Fall 2023 Schedule
Tuesday, October 10 – vs. LSU-Eunice, 6:00 p.m. | Lamson Park
Thursday, October 12 – at LSU-Eunice, 6:00 p.m. | Eunice, La.
Tuesday, October 17 – at McNeese, 6:00 p.m. | Lake Charles, La.
Wednesday, October 18 – at Southeastern Louisiana, 6:00 p.m. | Hammond, La.
Wednesday, October 25 – vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 6:00 p.m. | Lamson Park
Friday, November 3 – vs. McNeese, 6:00 p.m. | Lamson Park
Â
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 also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
Â
- www.RaginCajuns.com -
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