Admittedly, I basically just arrived back in Acadiana so I’m not exactly well-versed in the 2023 Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball team.  

But this is what I do know.  Cooper Rawls is among the nation’s leaders in wins and David Christie may have been the toughest pitcher the vaunted LSU offense has faced all season.

So what in the name of Gunner Leger are they doing pitching in what is basically a meaningless mid-week game against Southern on Tuesday night?

Make no mistake, the Ragin’ Cajuns are reeling.  They have lost 6 of their last 8 games including getting swept by James Madison last weekend in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  In fact, they have lost 3 of their last 4 Sun Belt series.

Having said that, after sweeping the Marshall Thundering Herd in early April, the Cajuns sat atop the Sun Belt standings.  Just two weeks later, Louisiana is in a five-way tied for 3rd, 3 games out of 1st Place.

Perhaps much more importantly, the Cajuns are just 1 game out of 10th and 2 games out of 11th.  Only the top 10 teams qualify for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament next month in Montgomery.

This weekend, the big, bad, highly ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers visit ‘The Tigue’.  And sure the Chants will be favored to win the series, if not sweep the Cajuns. 

So once again I’ll ask, why are two of the Cajuns best pitchers scheduled to pitch in a game that will have absolutely no effect on their post-season chances?

At his weekly press conference, Head Coach Matt Deggs explained his decision.  

It’s certainly possible the Cajuns turn the tables on Coastal Carolina like the Dukes did to Louisiana.  But it’s very confusing what Deggs is trying to accomplish with his line shift pitching rotation.  

Some believe he is trying to send a message to his rotation, but your guess is as good as mine as what that message is.

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