LAFAYETTE — Louisiana baseball has endured a rollercoaster season, leaving the Ragin’ Cajuns fighting to keep their postseason hopes alive.
After opening the year 15-5 and climbing into the national rankings, Louisiana has gone 7-12 in its last 19 games to fall to 22-17 overall. The recent stretch has included four losses in five Sun Belt Conference series, dropping the Cajuns to 7-11 in league play and 12th in the standings.
If the conference tournament began today, Louisiana would be on the outside looking in.
“It’s been up and down, but what I’m hopeful for is that the pitching and the offense can sync up,” Cajuns fan Art Garrett said. “If that happens, we’re going to be dangerous.”
Despite the struggles, optimism remains among the fan base and within the program that the team can find its rhythm before the regular season ends.
“I think that we can,” fan Joel Klopfer said. “I think we have the opportunity to. It’s all about putting the right pieces together. We have the right pieces. If you go through enough tough times, you’re going to keep learning. You’ll grow and get used to it.”
Louisiana (23-17) took a step in the right direction Tuesday night with a decisive 15-7 win over in-state opponent Grambling, though the result does not impact its conference record.
With fewer than 20 games remaining, the Cajuns face a challenging path forward. Four Sun Belt series remain on the schedule, including matchups against ranked Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Georgia State and a road series this weekend at Arkansas State.
Head coach Matt Deggs said the team remains focused on improving and making a late push.
“Our focus is on playing really good baseball down the stretch, finding a way to get into the tournament, getting hot, and having an opportunity to win it,” Deggs said. “We’ve done it before. There’s no panic or pressing or anything like that. We’re focused on staying together, getting better and having fun.”
Louisiana will need a strong finish to climb back into tournament position, but with time still on the schedule, the Cajuns believe their season can still turn.
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