[Vobserver]

Valid points by everyone. The game has changed a lot. The hitters have caught up with the pitchers for the most part, and there are fewer and fewer stud pitchers out there. The ones that are studs are on the best teams. And now, with the way the portal and NIL work, those big schools are signing lower school's #1's, 2's and sometimes #3's just to hide them on their rosters. So that also waters the pitching down. Bottom line is that mid majors are just about done. They can still make a little noise, but not on a national stage. UL still thinks they are king dicks in softball.They need to adjust and not try to recruit like a P4 team and think that kids below the SBC is also below them.

I agree. I honestly believe that schools in our position need to look very closely at young pitchers [freshmen and sophomores] with insanely low ERA/WHIP/BAA numbers in the D2 ranks, particularly those with 100+ IP at successful programs. These girls are likely better prospects than P4 retreads with 5 ERA.

[JMV Just My View]

I used those numbers because I believe that in the current climate 3.0 to 3.5 will become the new norm for programs outside the money club. Since 2024, the P4 have pretty much dominated the recruitment of elite pitchers, especially from the portal. Programs outside the money club will have to adjust their portal recruiting focus toward run producers, because acquiring experienced D1 pitchers with ERA under 3.0 in the portal is now virtually impossible without excessive amounts of money, as is keeping pitchers with low ERA.

Playing time is important, but I don't believe that many girls will leave a program that is paying them 3 or 4 or 10 times the money that a program like ours can afford just to get more PT.

Valid points by everyone. The game has changed a lot. The hitters have caught up with the pitchers for the most part, and there are fewer and fewer stud pitchers out there. The ones that are studs are on the best teams. And now, with the way the portal and NIL work, those big schools are signing lower school's #1's, 2's and sometimes #3's just to hide them on their rosters. So that also waters the pitching down. Bottom line is that mid majors are just about done. They can still make a little noise, but not on a national stage. UL still thinks they are king dicks in softball.They need to adjust and not try to recruit like a P4 team and think that kids below the SBC is also below them. All I want is for them to be at least the best G5 school. Right not they are not even an top 25 G5 school.

[Vobserver]

It would be a nice improvement if the Cajuns can somehow lower their team era in 2027 to between 3.0 and 3.5. That would be a nice improvement from the last 2 years. 3.79 and 3.69 respectively.

I used those numbers because I believe that in the current climate 3.0 to 3.5 will become the new norm for programs outside the money club. Since 2024, the P4 have pretty much dominated the recruitment of elite pitchers, especially from the portal. Programs outside the money club will have to adjust their portal recruiting focus toward run producers, because acquiring experienced D1 pitchers with ERA under 3.0 in the portal is now virtually impossible without excessive amounts of money, as is keeping pitchers with low ERA.

Playing time is important, but I don't believe that many girls will leave a program that is paying them 3 or 4 or 10 times the money that a program like ours can afford just to get more PT.

[Vobserver]

The same number of players hit the field at any given moment.

That has not changed.

What has changed is who you can and should recruit.

There has never been a time in sports history where more talented players are riding the pine doing nothing, while their talents die on the vine.

The opportunity for a great recruiter to change that for a competitive player has never been greater.

Go after juniors every year hard and heavy.

Money can be secondary.

The problem with your theory is that one can't "recruit" players still on another team's roster. Of course, we all know that the P4's skirt that rule all the time. The problem is that if someone outside the money club does so aggressively, they may be looking at USL 1973 redux.

[Turbine]

The same number of players hit the field at any given moment.

That has not changed.

What has changed is who you can and should recruit.

There has never been a time in sports history where more talented players are riding the pine doing nothing, while their talents die on the vine.

The opportunity for a great recruiter to change that for a competitive player has never been greater.

Go after juniors every year hard and heavy.

Money can be secondary.

[Roarman]

I am not judging our current performance by past performance standards. I totally agree that pre NIL softball and post NIL softball are not the same sport. In fact, my complete argument is that our coaches are stuck in 2020, when nobody was paying elite and near elite pitchers $300K and up to leave schools like UL, Texas State or South Alabama to go to P4 programs.

No school with our (lack of) resources can retain elite pitching. That means we will have to try to recruit low ERA and BAA pitchers from lower level conferences and hitters with high averages and at least gap power, and forget about small ball, relying instead on those 3 run homers that Habetz finds so boring. If our team ERA is going to be 3 to 3.5, we have to score 6.5 or more runs per game to win 2/3 of or games.

It would be a nice improvement if the Cajuns can somehow lower their team era in 2027 to between 3.0 and 3.5. That would be a nice improvement from the last 2 years. 3.79 and 3.69 respectively.

[Vobserver]

Hear me out, one thing is certain…..

Though extremely knowledgeable on the “history” of UL softball, the aging fan base of Rage Page warriors clearly do not understand today’s NCAA D1 softball landscape.

I will not debate or grade recruits, coaches, etc. I’m just telling you, without a shadow of a doubt that if you are grading UL today based on the Glasco era and prior, you have absolutely no clue of today’s overall landscape. And I mean ZERO!!

With as much knowledge as a few of you have (and you do) and as often as some here try to prove they are correct (which you do), you really show ignorance when trying to prove a point of the state of today’s UL softball by using comparisons of Glasco and older.

This is not me being ugly, it’s just the truth. I read this forum and enjoy it (good and bad) but every single time I see a “HISTORY” post I want to throw up.

I am not judging our current performance by past performance standards. I totally agree that pre NIL softball and post NIL softball are not the same sport. In fact, my complete argument is that our coaches are stuck in 2020, when nobody was paying elite and near elite pitchers $300K and up to leave schools like UL, Texas State or South Alabama to go to P4 programs.

No school with our (lack of) resources can retain elite pitching. That means we will have to try to recruit low ERA and BAA pitchers from lower level conferences and hitters with high averages and at least gap power, and forget about small ball, relying instead on those 3 run homers that Habetz finds so boring. If our team ERA is going to be 3 to 3.5, we have to score 6.5 or more runs per game to win 2/3 of or games.

[JMV Just My View]

Hear me out, one thing is certain…..

Though extremely knowledgeable on the “history” of UL softball, the aging fan base of Rage Page warriors clearly do not understand today’s NCAA D1 softball landscape.

I will not debate or grade recruits, coaches, etc. I’m just telling you, without a shadow of a doubt that if you are grading UL today based on the Glasco era and prior, you have absolutely no clue of today’s overall landscape. And I mean ZERO!!

With as much knowledge as a few of you have (and you do) and as often as some here try to prove they are correct (which you do), you really show ignorance when trying to prove a point of the state of today’s UL softball by using comparisons of Glasco and older.

This is not me being ugly, it’s just the truth. I read this forum and enjoy it (good and bad) but every single time I see a “HISTORY” post I want to throw up.

Well HISTORY shows when you have good pitching, you usually have a good team, when you have bad pitching, you usually have a bad team. I disagree with you somewhat on the history topic. Yes, the era from Glasco, and before is totally different, but this current era is the same for all teams now and the Cajuns piers are kicking their ass ( Lower tier state teams and SBC teams) The Cajuns seem to be behind the eight ball when it comes to adapting and surviving. They haven't figured it out. Deggs seems to have figured it out, at least body wise.

[J-Town Cajun]

Hear me out, one thing is certain…..

Though extremely knowledgeable on the “history” of UL softball, the aging fan base of Rage Page warriors clearly do not understand today’s NCAA D1 softball landscape.

I will not debate or grade recruits, coaches, etc. I’m just telling you, without a shadow of a doubt that if you are grading UL today based on the Glasco era and prior, you have absolutely no clue of today’s overall landscape. And I mean ZERO!!

With as much knowledge as a few of you have (and you do) and as often as some here try to prove they are correct (which you do), you really show ignorance when trying to prove a point of the state of today’s UL softball by using comparisons of Glasco and older.

This is not me being ugly, it’s just the truth. I read this forum and enjoy it (good and bad) but every single time I see a “HISTORY” post I want to throw up.

Not sure if your post was directed at my post. I never said anything about Jordan Wallace ability to pitch in today’s game, but in her era, she was one of the very best in the country in batting average against and hits per 7 innings. She was pretty darn good at strikeouts too.

[Roarman]

Hear me out, one thing is certain…..

Though extremely knowledgeable on the “history” of UL softball, the aging fan base of Rage Page warriors clearly do not understand today’s NCAA D1 softball landscape.

I will not debate or grade recruits, coaches, etc. I’m just telling you, without a shadow of a doubt that if you are grading UL today based on the Glasco era and prior, you have absolutely no clue of today’s overall landscape. And I mean ZERO!!

With as much knowledge as a few of you have (and you do) and as often as some here try to prove they are correct (which you do), you really show ignorance when trying to prove a point of the state of today’s UL softball by using comparisons of Glasco and older.

This is not me being ugly, it’s just the truth. I read this forum and enjoy it (good and bad) but every single time I see a “HISTORY” post I want to throw up.

Glasco's last year was two years ago. Do you think hitting and pitching has changed that dramatically in 2 such a short period of time?

[Ridinsuicide]

Hear me out, one thing is certain…..

Though extremely knowledgeable on the “history” of UL softball, the aging fan base of Rage Page warriors clearly do not understand today’s NCAA D1 softball landscape.

I will not debate or grade recruits, coaches, etc. I’m just telling you, without a shadow of a doubt that if you are grading UL today based on the Glasco era and prior, you have absolutely no clue of today’s overall landscape. And I mean ZERO!!

With as much knowledge as a few of you have (and you do) and as often as some here try to prove they are correct (which you do), you really show ignorance when trying to prove a point of the state of today’s UL softball by using comparisons of Glasco and older.

This is not me being ugly, it’s just the truth. I read this forum and enjoy it (good and bad) but every single time I see a “HISTORY” post I want to throw up.

[J-Town Cajun]

Jordan had really good stuff! One of the toughest pitchers in modern UL history to get a hit off of. Her biggest issue was control problems.
Too many walks and fell behind in the count often.

[JMV Just My View]

You missed my point. Hitting across the country is way better than when Jordan was pitching. Because of that, schools like the SEC are stock piling the pitchers. Jordan Wallace would not sign with us if she played today. So the hitters that UL are facing are better and the pitchers that we are signing are not as good. Those 2 things lead to the problem that we have. Cajuns last 2 yrs ERA prove that. All I’m saying. But if want to be the smartest person in the room with you analytics, go far it.

Jordan wasn't a super star high school pitcher.

[JMV Just My View]

Hopefully our swamp adventures work and we are able to sign some players this weekend.

Well as of now nobody had publicly commited.

[JMV Just My View]

I can pretty much promise you, any team with a team era of 2.75 or below will finish with a better record than almost any team with a 3.69 are 3.79 era. All you really have to do is go back and look at the Cajuns win/loss record over the last 26 years. The eras of the 2025 team and the 2026 team is the main contributer as to why those two teams lost more games than any of the other teams in that 26 year period.

I did run into Jordan Wallace yesterday, if you know who that is. As a freshman, she won her first 21 games. Do you think she really only had just one pitch?

Jordan had four pitches and Roarman is correct, the lower the era the more wins. Simple math.