University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana UnLimited: The Power of Brotherhood
6/30/2023 8:00:00 AM | Baseball, Louisiana UnLimited
Special bond kept Cajuns on course to NCAA postseason berth
There was a common theme used by the 2023 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball team as it continued its upward trajectory towards restoring itself as one of the top collegiate programs in the country after winning 41 games and earning its 18th berth to the NCAA Regionals.
After a 2022 Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and first trip to the NCAA Regionals in six years, nearly every returning player in post-season exit meetings used one word to describe themselves.
Brotherhood.
A close-knit group – perhaps the closest in head coach Matt Deggs' tenure – willed its way to the postseason after a season of highs and lows.
In a season which began in Houston and wrapped up short of its goal of a trip to Omaha, there were plenty of highs during the 2023 campaign. Wins over top-10 ranked teams LSU (once) and Coastal Carolina (three times). Single-season school records in stolen bases (166) and fielding percentage (.982).
And like any other team in the country, there were the lows. Series losses to Campbell, App State, Troy and Coastal Carolina put a dent into an otherwise 24-win season on its home field. A stunning three-game sweep at James Madison along with key injuries which turned a promising starting rotation at the beginning of the season into a M*A*S*H unit were part of the adversity faced during the season.
But in the end, it was the team's brotherhood, work ethic and belief in one another which kept the ship headed in the right direction. Even when they were counted out.
"We got to play 65 games together. We've played more games than anybody in the country right now," Deggs said on June 4 in his post-game press conference after the Ragin' Cajuns were defeated by Miami in an elimination game in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional. "We just got to play nine postseason games after many wrote us off from making the conference tournament a month ago.
"We just played nine postseason games and took a couple of top-10 teams all the way to the brink. We're doing that short-handed. That speaks to the power of brotherhood and culture, and what the city of Lafayette and what this University and program are all about."
During that post-game press conference, senior outfielder Heath Hood expanded on the topic.
"There's no quit within this ballclub," he said. "It's a standard. It's an expectation. We're never out of the fight. You battle and do your best until the very last out. It's not an option, it's just what you do. It's what the coaches have instilled in us. It's what we expect out of each other and we hold each other to that."
Hood, who became the first player since Nathan Nelson in 2000 to swipe 30 or more bases in a season, finished his collegiate career as a .346 hitter and was the epitome of the Ragin' Cajuns grind-it-out mindset.
"It's been incredible to be part of a team that does it the right way," Hood said. "Just give it your all until the very last out.
"It is special. You never really know when the very last time you'll be able to play with your brothers like that. A lot of confidence with each other, a lot of love on each other. Just doing it for the guy next to you. It's special playing with this group … this group is incredible and I'm going to miss it very, very much."
In his second stint on the Louisiana bench, Deggs saw up close and personal the bond and grit which many of the past Ragin' Cajun clubs exhibited under Hall of Fame coach Tony Robichaux. For the fourth-year Cajuns' skipper, the 2023 team was special.
"It's just a hard team to let go of. They're family," Deggs said. "They've changed my life and my family over the last two years and changed the trajectory of this program. There's not another group I'd go to battle with.
"The best thing I can say about this group is if we had to start tomorrow with fall ball, I guarantee you 30 dudes and five coaches would say 'yes.'"
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.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
After a 2022 Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and first trip to the NCAA Regionals in six years, nearly every returning player in post-season exit meetings used one word to describe themselves.
Brotherhood.
A close-knit group – perhaps the closest in head coach Matt Deggs' tenure – willed its way to the postseason after a season of highs and lows.
In a season which began in Houston and wrapped up short of its goal of a trip to Omaha, there were plenty of highs during the 2023 campaign. Wins over top-10 ranked teams LSU (once) and Coastal Carolina (three times). Single-season school records in stolen bases (166) and fielding percentage (.982).
And like any other team in the country, there were the lows. Series losses to Campbell, App State, Troy and Coastal Carolina put a dent into an otherwise 24-win season on its home field. A stunning three-game sweep at James Madison along with key injuries which turned a promising starting rotation at the beginning of the season into a M*A*S*H unit were part of the adversity faced during the season.
But in the end, it was the team's brotherhood, work ethic and belief in one another which kept the ship headed in the right direction. Even when they were counted out.
"We got to play 65 games together. We've played more games than anybody in the country right now," Deggs said on June 4 in his post-game press conference after the Ragin' Cajuns were defeated by Miami in an elimination game in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional. "We just got to play nine postseason games after many wrote us off from making the conference tournament a month ago.
"We just played nine postseason games and took a couple of top-10 teams all the way to the brink. We're doing that short-handed. That speaks to the power of brotherhood and culture, and what the city of Lafayette and what this University and program are all about."
During that post-game press conference, senior outfielder Heath Hood expanded on the topic.
"There's no quit within this ballclub," he said. "It's a standard. It's an expectation. We're never out of the fight. You battle and do your best until the very last out. It's not an option, it's just what you do. It's what the coaches have instilled in us. It's what we expect out of each other and we hold each other to that."
Hood, who became the first player since Nathan Nelson in 2000 to swipe 30 or more bases in a season, finished his collegiate career as a .346 hitter and was the epitome of the Ragin' Cajuns grind-it-out mindset.
"It's been incredible to be part of a team that does it the right way," Hood said. "Just give it your all until the very last out.
"It is special. You never really know when the very last time you'll be able to play with your brothers like that. A lot of confidence with each other, a lot of love on each other. Just doing it for the guy next to you. It's special playing with this group … this group is incredible and I'm going to miss it very, very much."
In his second stint on the Louisiana bench, Deggs saw up close and personal the bond and grit which many of the past Ragin' Cajun clubs exhibited under Hall of Fame coach Tony Robichaux. For the fourth-year Cajuns' skipper, the 2023 team was special.
"It's just a hard team to let go of. They're family," Deggs said. "They've changed my life and my family over the last two years and changed the trajectory of this program. There's not another group I'd go to battle with.
"The best thing I can say about this group is if we had to start tomorrow with fall ball, I guarantee you 30 dudes and five coaches would say 'yes.'"
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.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
Players Mentioned
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