LAFAYETTE, La. — At M.L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park, baseball has long been about more than what happens between the lines.
For more than 36 years, the Cajun Cooking Club has woven community, food, and baseball into Louisiana home games, turning postgame meals into a tradition that supports players and reflects the program’s culture.
“Just a group of guys that would provide sausage po’boys for our team after every home game,” said Monica Hebert, a member of the Cajun Cooking Club. “And from there, it has grown to be a massive number of people in this cooking club.”
The club’s role extends beyond food. Membership dues help fund meals for the team after every home game, providing tangible support for student-athletes who balance academics and athletics.
“For them to bring some food in and we’ll cook it for them on the pit,” Hebert said. “But what that membership does is it provides us money so that we can feed our team after every single home game.”
Hebert said the club also takes pride in introducing players to Cajun culture an experience that resonates with athletes recruited from across the country.
“We love the small ball. We love the bunt, the hit and run,” Hebert said. “Having those guys understand how much we appreciate all the work that they put in, because it’s not easy being a college student and playing a sport.”
That sense of community often extends beyond the field.
“We recruit kids from all over the country,” Hebert said. “A lot of them stay here after they’re finished playing ball because they just love the culture that we have.”
Today, the meals have grown well beyond po’boys, with menus featuring items such as hamburger steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, green bean casserole, bread, and dessert served in an atmosphere that blends hospitality with tradition.
For the Cajun Cooking Club, the mission remains unchanged: to support the team, celebrate Cajun culture, and make baseball at the Tigue about more than just the game.
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