NFCA Preseason Ranking Marks Fourth Major Poll Nod for Louisiana

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team is preseason ranked in all four of the major national polls following Tuesday's announcement of the USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Louisiana was listed at No. 21 by the pollsters on the USA Today/NFCA voting panel in their first ranking for the upcoming 2024 collegiate softball season, which begins next week.

It's the 21st consecutive season in which Louisiana is preseason ranked in the USA Today/NFCA poll, the program now having been listed in the organization's preseason listing each year since 2004.

The Ragin' Cajuns (50-16, 22-2 Sun Belt), coming off an NCAA Super Regional appearance and fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships, collected their fourth preseason ranking with Tuesday's announcement.

The latest preseason ranking adds to the No. 21 slot that Louisiana landed at in both the ESPN/USA Softball Preseason Top 25 poll (Jan. 23) and D1Softball Preseason Top 25 poll (Jan. 16), plus the No. 23 starting spot awarded by Softball America (Jan. 11).

Five of the Ragin' Cajuns 2024 season opponents appear in the USA Today/NFCA preseason poll: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Stanford, No. 8 Texas, No. 14 LSU and No. 22 Baylor. An additional four foes are receiving votes including Liberty, California, McNeese and Miami University.

Louisiana, an NCAA Tournament participant and 40-plus game winner each year since 1999, begins the 2024 season at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park from Thursday-Sunday, February 8-11 hosting the 38th Annual Louisiana Classics highlighted by a visit from Pac-12 member California.

The official season opener is set for Thursday, Feb. 8 at 6:00 p.m., when the Ragin' Cajuns begin play in the Louisiana Classics with a matchup against Chattanooga.

To view the complete 2024 season schedule, click here.

ABOUT LOUISIANA
Louisiana (50-16, 22-2 Sun Belt in 2023) 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, a Top 20 finish across the board in all major national polls, and a trip to the NCAA Super Regional round last spring.

With a now veteran-laden roster, as head coach Gerry 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 heightened expectations in the coming spring season.

This season the Ragin' Cajuns welcome a pair of new faces to the coaching staff in defensive coach Hunter Veach and hitting coach Shellie Landry, an All-American alumnae who competed for the program from 2013-16. Their addition provides Glasco with a specific coach for every facet of the game, to go along with pitching coach Justin Robichaux.

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.

- www.RaginCajuns.com -

NFCA Preseason Ranking Marks Fourth Major Poll Nod for Louisiana

Players Mentioned

Lexie Delbrey

Sam Roe

Footer

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics