Cajuns back in the national baseball polls
Published 1:06 pm Tuesday, April 9, 2024
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LAFAYETTE – After extending the nation’s longest win streak to 15 games over the weekend with its third consecutive three-game sweep, Louisiana entered the national rankings in several polls for the first time since the 2017 season.
Louisiana (24-8, 11-1 SBC) entered the national polls for D1Baseball (No. 19), Perfect Game (No. 21), the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (No. 21), Baseball America (No. 24) and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, where the Ragin’ Cajuns moved up 12 spots to No. 24.
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The Ragin’ Cajuns begin the first of back-to-back five-game weeks on Tuesday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Prairie View at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park.
Louisiana will also host in-state rival Louisiana Tech on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before opening a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against Marshall beginning on Friday.
LOUISIANA BASEBALL NOTEBOOK (April 8, 2024)
Current Overall Record: 24-8
Sun Belt Conference Record: 11-1
Current Streak: W15
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IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
D1Baseball – 19
USA Today Coaches’ Poll – 24
Baseball America – 24
NCBWA – 21
Perfect Game – 21
LAST WEEK RESULTS: 4-0
4/2 – Nicholls, 13-3 (7 inn.)
4/5 – ULM *, 4-1
4/6 – ULM *, 7-4
4/7 – ULM *, 9-2
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
4/10 (Wed.) – vs. Louisiana Tech, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
4/12 (Fri.) – vs. Marshall *, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
4/13 (Sat.) – vs. Marshall *, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
4/14 (Sun.) – vs. Marshall *, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
RAGIN’ CAJUNS WEEKLY NOTES
• Louisiana moved into the national rankings for the first time since a No. 28 ranking in Collegiate Baseball News last season.
• As of Monday afternoon, the Ragin’ Cajuns moved into four of the five national polls (D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches’, Baseball America and Perfect Game) for the first time since 2017.
• Louisiana went 4-0 during the week and extended its win streak to a nation’s best 15 games – two shy of the school-record (17) set in both 1994 and 2000, and three shy of the record among Sun Belt Conference schools (18) set by Old Dominion in 1985.
• Louisiana’s three-game sweep of ULM marked its 11th straight victory in conference play and moved to within one of the school-record (12) set in 2010.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns sweep of ULM was their third straight in league games and closed to within one of the school-record (4) also set in 2010.
• The three-game sweep extended Louisiana’s win streak over its in-state opponent to seven games and its 38th in the past 41 meetings dating back to 2013.
• Louisiana’s 11 straight victories in SBC play is three shy of the league record (14) which was previously set by then-member South Florida in 1986.
• The 11-game win streak in league games is currently second nationally behind Bowling Green (13).
• Louisiana has won its last 12 games at home to rank tied for sixth nationally with Northern Kentucky and Georgia for the longest current streak.
• Since March 3, Louisiana has posted an 18-2 record.
• Louisiana improved its home record to 16-4 on the season after the 4-0 week, which opened with a 13-3 win over in-state opponent and 2023 NCAA Regional participant Nicholls.
• Louisiana and Rider (10) are the lone schools in the country with current win streaks of 10 games or more.
• During its current win streak, Louisiana is posting a .328 average at the plate with eight regulars hitting at .298 or above with all driving in 10-plus runs.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns have outscored their competition, 126-46, in the 15-game span while the pitching staff has produced a 2.44 team ERA with nine saves.
• Two pitchers – freshman left-hander Chase Morgan and junior right-hander Jack Martinez – have each been perfect in three decisions during the 15-game streak.
• In six appearances, junior right-hander LP Langevin has produced a 2-0 record with three saves, a 1.23 earned run average and a strikeout-to-walk ratio (30/3) in 14.2 innings.