2026 Softball Offseason

[Suave]

She was a long shot to come to UL. UL isn't going to get anyone with proven D1 stats. Any player they get will be a project or potential type player. It all comes down to player development. Can the staff coach up the players they bring in from high school and the portal? That's the million dollar question. See the original post to this thread, I stated all this in priority #7. This should be the message for everyone. Athletes & Coaches: You have two choices. Get better or get replaced.

Dont know if staff has enough time to develop these days with only 20 hrs per week. Development has to come within . Hopefully we have a bunch of cage rats

[CajunSID]

If you deep dive into Burns’ numbers, she’s not a #1 but she would have been a big add for UL. The commit to Baylor shows what a D1 transfer can get. It’s just really hard to be successful without a lot of NIL. Coach Habetz has a lot of work on her hands.

[JMV Just My View]

If you deep dive into Burns’ numbers, she’s not a #1 but she would have been a big add for UL. The commit to Baylor shows what a D1 transfer can get. It’s just really hard to be successful without a lot of NIL. Coach Habetz has a lot of work on her hands.

She needed four good players. What's the price to get those four? I was under the impression Alyson had major connections. I guess none of the staff does.

[Roarman]

Dont know if staff has enough time to develop these days with only 20 hrs per week. Development has to come within . Hopefully we have a bunch of cage rats

What the Cajuns need most are not cage rats. They need improved pitching. From every pitcher on the team. With 20 hours a week to coach up all those pitchers, good luck Kyle.

[JMV Just My View]

What the Cajuns need most are not cage rats. They need improved pitching. From every pitcher on the team. With 20 hours a week to coach up all those pitchers, good luck Kyle.

Other coaches find ways to do it. He will have to manage it. This season will be the true test for Brady and Shipman. Most of the time the biggest leap in improvement happens from year one to year two.

[moorecajun]

On the bright side Emily Smith is hitting .417, .491ob%, 10 hr, 18 rbi in 16 games. She is playing in the Texas collegiate summer league. Not sure how good the competition is as most of the players are portal players who didn't play much last season.

Well, at least that may get her confidence back. We need her.

[Ragin79]

Well, at least that may get her confidence back. We need her.

And, fittingly, Emily is playing for the "Turbines"

[Turbine]

And, fittingly, Emily is playing for the "Turbines"

She's a winner

[JMV Just My View]

G. Stutes to Tartleton.

[Captain Obvious]

G. Stutes to Tartleton.

Good for her! I truly hope she kicks ass and I know she will represent Lafayette with the leadership and class she has!

[Vobserver]

The off season grade for our coaching staff is yet to be fully determined, but on paper it is a D at best this year. Both players they have signed from the portal have potential, but that just means they haven't accomplished anything yet at the D1 level. The recruiting class also has potential, but the same caveat applies to them. There are still a few good players left in the portal, but the recruiting philosophy of our staff seems to preclude considering accomplished players from lower level D1 conferences or from D2.

As a fan, I am willing to give coach Habetz one more year. To use a softball analogy, the count so far is 0-2; three strikes and she is out.

At worst we need to win 40 games next year. For our program that is a mediocre season. Except for the cancelled 2020 season, the Cajuns have won 40 or more games every season this century until Habetz arrived. The team has won fewer than 30 games [not counting 2020] only 7 times in the 45 years the program has been in existence. The last one before Habetz took over was in 1988.

[UL_Cajuns]

We pretty much all agree if she does not make the NCAA tournament this year, then she may just step down or she will be let go. We cannot keep going like this.

[Roarman]

The off season grade for our coaching staff is yet to be fully determined, but on paper it is a D at best this year. Both players they have signed from the portal have potential, but that just means they haven't accomplished anything yet at the D1 level. The recruiting class also has potential, but the same caveat applies to them. There are still a few good players left in the portal, but the recruiting philosophy of our staff seems to preclude considering accomplished players from lower level D1 conferences or from D2.

As a fan, I am willing to give coach Habetz one more year. To use a softball analogy, the count so far is 0-2; three strikes and she is out.

At worst we need to win 40 games next year. For our program that is a mediocre season. Except for the cancelled 2020 season, the Cajuns have won 40 or more games every season this century until Habetz arrived. The team has won fewer than 30 games [not counting 2020] only 7 times in the 45 years the program has been in existence. The last one before Habetz took over was in 1988.

In both 2025 and 2026, the Cajuns won 29 games. In 2025, they went 14-10 in conference and in 2026, 11-13 in conference. From winning 29 games to 40 games is a HUGE leap.

I think it all depends on what kind of teams Habetz chooses to schedule out of conference. Does she choose a tough schedule against a few P4 schools hoping to get a couple of wins in order to boost the teams RPI? Or, does she choose to play a much easier schedule to rack up more wins?

The Cajuns will play 56 games in 2027. 24 games will be conference games. If they go 12-12 in conference, they will have to go 28-4 in out of conference games to get to 40 wins.

The Cajuns will play LSU twice. And, don't forget, Oklahoma is coming to Lampson Park for two games. Chances are, Cajuns go 0-4 in those games. So, the Cajuns will have to go 28-0 in the remaining out of conference games. No matter how weak the schedule, that would be a difficult task. Remember, last year, the Cajuns lost to a SWAC team for the first time in program history.

Last year, the Cajuns were simply horrible on the road. Unless they find a way to play better away from Lampson Park, especially in conference games, racking up 40 wins will be very difficult.

As fans, we got accustomed to, and expected, at least 40 wins a season, if not 50. The last two years, the Cajuns have not reached 30 wins. So, maybe 30 is the magic number and not 40.

[JMV Just My View]

The off season grade for our coaching staff is yet to be fully determined, but on paper it is a D at best this year. Both players they have signed from the portal have potential, but that just means they haven't accomplished anything yet at the D1 level. The recruiting class also has potential, but the same caveat applies to them. There are still a few good players left in the portal, but the recruiting philosophy of our staff seems to preclude considering accomplished players from lower level D1 conferences or from D2.

As a fan, I am willing to give coach Habetz one more year. To use a softball analogy, the count so far is 0-2; three strikes and she is out.

At worst we need to win 40 games next year. For our program that is a mediocre season. Except for the cancelled 2020 season, the Cajuns have won 40 or more games every season this century until Habetz arrived. The team has won fewer than 30 games [not counting 2020] only 7 times in the 45 years the program has been in existence. The last one before Habetz took over was in 1988.

They would have to soften the schedule to get to 40 wins. I don't see that happening.

[JMV Just My View]

We pretty much all agree if she does not make the NCAA tournament this year, then she may just step down, or she will be let go. We cannot keep going like this.

She will not be let go. She has a 450K buyout. They don't have the money to do that. She will be at UL another 3 seasons unless she leaves on her own.