As we begin to close the book on the year in college sports and get ready for college football, it’s always good to step back and take one last look at the year that was.
Looking back at the entire 2016-2017 year for the #Cajuns.
How would you sum up the past year?
— Clint Domingue (@clintdomingue) May 29, 2017
The other day, I posed a question on Twitter about the thoughts of Cajun nation a couple of days after the Cajuns crushing 7-6 loss to Georgia Southern. I was slightly surprised that the winner was the choice of disappointing, but then I realized that the expectations were sky high, especially for the baseball team. Having three experienced arms and what seemed like an embarrassment of riches in the bullpen. However, things didn’t necessarily play out like that and several fans were disappointed in this.
Without further ado, let’s look into the season that was for the major sports for the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns.
Football:
Record: 6-7, 5-3 Sun Belt
High Point: 33-26 W over Georgia Southern
This was what really got the Cajuns going late in the season that got them to .500 and eligible to participate in the New Orleans Bowl. There were some injuries to the Eagles on both sides of the ball at this point and that gave the Cajuns plenty of opportunities to get what turned out to be a huge win for this team and their bowl game hopes.
Low Point: Off-Field Issues
Around the same time as the Georgia Southern game, there were some off-the-field issues that reared their ugly head. A locker room video was posted to social media featuring several Cajuns players in the locker room with profane lyrics blasting through the room. What made the situation even more of a headache was some of the statements made by head coach Mark Hudspeth. This really put a cloud over the 2016 season and combined with a less than stellar showing in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome soured some of the fans viewpoints on the program.
Grade: C-
Finishing below .500 considering some lofty expectations concerning Anthony Jennings coming from across the basin wasn’t how many fans expected it to go. The 2016 season basically left a lot to be desired from Cajuns fans.
Men’s Basketball:
Record: 21-12, 10-8 Sun Belt
High Point: Six Game Win Streak
Looking back at the regular season for Cajuns basketball, they fell just a little short of their expectations after exiting in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. However, they made a mad dash to New Orleans in the final weeks of the regular season with a six game win streak. They wanted to get into the top four of the Sun Belt in order to improve their chances and having that streak really got people in the newly renovated Cajundome to see this team get things going.
Low point: 108-71 loss to Troy
A little bit before that streak got started, the Cajuns got into a skid that saw a big loss against the Troy Trojans. Before that game, the Cajuns were still in a funk and this may have been the point where they needed to have a conversation with each other and get the team back on the same page. Whatever was said behind closed doors must have worked.
Grade: B+
Considering everything that happened for this team late in the season, they truly deserve a B+ grade.
Women’s Basketball:
Record: 20-11, 11-7 Sun Belt
High Point: Conference Final
The expectations for the Cajuns women’s basketball team have never been incredibly high, but after a pair of WBI national championships the internal expectations were to get into the big dance. The entire season showed how good this team has been and advancing all the way to the conference final proved why this team was as good as advertised.
Low Point: UTA buzzer beater in season finale
During senior night, a lot of the game revolved around Jaylyn Gordon and Gabby Alexander and trying to keep the momentum going. However, UT Arlington got things done with a buzzer beater from around half court to end senior night for the team on a sour note.
Grade: A-
This team showed a lot of fight and tons of toughness throughout the season and showed how good this team can be under Brodhead.
Softball:
Record: 47-8, 23-1 Sun Belt
High Point: Alabama series
Winning for Ragin Cajuns softball seems to be natural. However, earlier in the season it wasn’t necessarily guaranteed and when they faced off against the Alabama Crimson Tide they began to show who they really are by taking two of three from a team that was ranked 4th in the nation at the time.
Low point: Early Exit
After an unprecedented run through the Sun Belt Conference, many fans thought that they had a strong case to be a host for the second straight season. However, they were paired up with the LSU Tigers in the Baton Rouge regional. The first meeting between those two saw the Cajuns send LSU to the loser’s bracket. However, Carley Hoover got hot on Sunday and wound up sending the Cajuns back to Lafayette way earlier than many fans expected.
Grade: A
You can’t really hate on a team that had less than 10 losses on the season and only one loss in conference play. While the season ended early, the softball squad has to be the bright spot for the Cajuns.
Baseball:
Record: 35-21-1, 19-10-1 Sun Belt
High point: The Streak
Something about win streaks gets more fans invested into seeing how long this can go. After the loss to LSU in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic, the Cajuns turned a complete 180 degrees and got on a tear including a big win against Texas in Sugarland. The win streak lasted nine games and really showed the Cajun faithful what they had been waiting for all season.
Low point: St. Peter’s Series
While the end result was good as they swept St. Peter’s in decisive fashion, it wound up doing a lot more harm to what matters the most for a team looking to get an at-large bid: the RPI. After the season ended, the Peacocks were sitting at the very bottom of the cellar at 299 out of 299 teams. That, along with the ninth inning collapse wound up hurting the Cajuns chances of the postseason for the first time in a few years.
Grade: B-
A still solid season for the Cajuns, but it ended with a less than ideal result, staying in Lafayette for the postseason.
Overall Thoughts:
While the play on the field has been a mixed bag (but still good), there’s a lot to be excited about. The renovations at the Tigue will be fully complete before next season, the transfers from last season for the basketball team will be eligible to play, and DJ Sanders will be trying to continue doing DJ Sanders things at Lamson Park.
The biggest thing that has happened for the Cajuns in the last year has been the hiring of Athletic Director Dr. Bryan Maggard. What he’s done so far when it comes to transparency with the fans and the numerous appearances he’s made in the last couple of months has really been refreshing and shows his commitment toward the fans of the programs and wanting to keep the fanbase intact.
-Clint Domingue