MONTGOMERY, Ala. — It’s win or go home for Louisiana Baseball.
The Ragin’ Cajuns open the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday night knowing exactly what’s at stake: anything short of a championship will end their season.
UL finished the regular season with a 26-29 record and enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed. That record won’t be enough to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals — meaning the Cajuns must run the table in the double-elimination bracket to keep their season alive.
Their opening opponent is Marshall, a team Louisiana has historically dominated. The Cajuns are 6-0 all-time against the Thundering Herd, including a pair of shutout wins in 2023. But this year’s Marshall team is riding a wave of momentum, entering the tournament on a six-game winning streak — one of the hottest teams in the conference.
Cajuns head coach Matt Deggs said his squad is embracing the underdog mentality heading into postseason play.
“Yeah, it’s new life,” Deggs said. “It’s a brand-new season. We’re going out with the mindset that we have nothing to lose — because we really don’t. No other team in the league has faced the expectations, tough breaks, injuries, and disappointment this ballclub has over the last year.”
Deggs added, “We’ve seen the highs, we’ve seen the lows, and we’re experienced in dealing with those things. We just have to come out fast, hard, and loose — and like I said, play like we’ve got nothing to lose and see how far we can get in this thing.”
First pitch between UL and Marshall is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21. A win advances the Cajuns to another 7:30 p.m. matchup on Thursday, while a loss drops them into the elimination bracket with a 12:30 p.m. game on the line.
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