Louisiana Baseball Topples LSU, But Where's The Respect? [Opinoin]

The tenth-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team defeated the first-ranked LSU Tigers at Alex Box Stadium last night in 5 1/3 innings, but judging from the reaction from certain fans on the other side of the Atchafalya Basin, one would think the Cajuns had nothing to do with their team's loss.

Already, the usual excuses are starting to pile up:

It was just a mid-week game.

You threw your ace, and we didn't (we did not throw our ace).

You treat this game like your Super Bowl.

We'll beat you when it counts: in the postseason.

It wasn't a full game, so you didn't earn your win.

To be clear, it would have been great if weather had not been a factor and both teams were allowed to play a full nine innings. And while I don't claim to be an expert when it comes to baseball, it was very evident that both teams were anticipating a weather delay or cancelation. Both squads were looking to plate runs early in preparation for what ultimately happened.

The Cajuns came out aggressive early, and the Tigers never seemed to find their footing. And it's quite possible that had the rain not entered the picture, LSU would be in for a world of hurt. Yes, the Tigers were showing some signs of life late in the fourth, but the Cajuns gave no indication that they were going to let off the gas, either.

By the time the game was called, the scoreboard spoke for itself: 4-1. The rain probably saved LSU from further embarrassment (my very biased opinion).

At least one member of the Baton Rouge media was willing to admit that the Tigers had more than just themselves to blame for their loss.

"UL-Lafayette was clearly the superior team on this rain-shortened night. LSU may have mounted a late comeback if given the chance, but there was little indication that the Tigers' bats were about to warm to the task," wrote the Advocate's Scott Rabalais.

But instead of giving Louisiana the credit it deserves, some among the LSU faithful continue to offer up many of the excuses above. To those fans--and I truly think they are a very vocal minority--this was not a matchup between two top ten teams.

But that's exactly what it was, and the "clearly...superior" team won.

I'll hold my breath on changing the minds of those naysayers from across the Basin.