Softball: Ragin’ Cajuns Enter Top 5 of ESPN/USA Softball Poll

 LAFAYETTE – For the third straight week the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team was listed among the Top 10 teams in the national polls, which were released on Tuesday.
 
Louisiana held steady at No. 6 in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll, ranked at the spot a second straight week.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns moved up in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll for the third straight week, this time joining the Top 5. Michael Lotief‘s squad is ranked No. 5 in this week’s edition of the poll.
 
ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll
USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns (14-1) joined the Top 10 of both polls on Tuesday, Feb. 16 following a 5-0 run through the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala., during the season-opening weekend.
 
The No. 5 ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll is the highest for the Ragin’ Cajuns since the Feb. 24, 2015 polls listed the squad No. 5 in the NFCA poll. Louisiana is a part of the Top 5 of the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll for the first time in the poll’s history (2006-present).
 
Dating back to the start of the 2015 season, Louisiana has been in the Top 10 of the NFCA rankings in 15 of the past 18 polls and Top 10 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll in 14 of the past 18 polls.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns are joined in the Top 10 of the NFCA poll by five SEC schools (Florida, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Georgia), two Pac-12 schools (Oregon, Washington), Michigan (Big 10) and James Madison (Colonial Athletic Association).
 
In addition to Louisiana, the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 10 includes four SEC schools (Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU,), two Pac-12 schools (Oregon, Washington), Michigan (Big 10), Texas A&M (Big 12) and James Madison (Colonial Athletic Association).
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns are the lone Sun Belt Conference school ranked in either of the Top 25 polls. South Alabama is receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA poll, while UT Arlington is receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
 
Future games with ranked opponents include No. 24/22 Baylor (March 29 doubleheader) and Florida (April 16-17 three-game series), the nation’s consensus No. 1 team.
 
The No. 5-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns, who recently finished a 10-game homestand with an eight game win streak, travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a three-game series with Southern Miss set for Saturday-Sunday, March 5-6. The teams square off in a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday. The series marks the final non-conference weekend prior to the start of Sun Belt Conference play March 12-13 vs. South Alabama at Lamson Park.
 
Season ticket packages for all 2016 regular season games at Lamson Park, starting at $106, remain on sale through the Ragin’ Cajuns Ticket Office. Fans can purchase season tickets via phone at (337) 265-2100, online at RaginCajuns.com or by visiting the Cajundome Box Office in-person Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
 
Fans who purchase season tickets have the benefit of the same seat location at every game and receive priority access to any NCAA postseason games hosted at Lamson Park.
 
For more information on Ragin’ Cajuns softball, fans can follow along with the team on Facebook (/RaginCajunSoftball) and Twitter (@RaginCajunSB).
 
RAGIN’ CAJUNS IN THE 2016 POLLS
Week                    NFCA      ESPN/USA
Preseason               11                11
Feb. 15-21               7                  8
Feb. 22-28               6                  6
Feb. 29-Mar. 6         6                  5
 
RAGIN’ CAJUNS SOFTBALL TOP 5 HISTORY
2016: Mar. 1 (ESPN/USA Softball)
2015: Feb. 24 (NFCA)
2012: May 1 (NFCA)
1999: March 31 (NFCA), April 7 (NFCA), April 14 (NFCA), April 21 (NFCA), May 5 (NFCA), May 12 (NFCA)
1996: April 24 (NFCA), May 1 (NFCA), May 7 (NFCA), May 28 (NFCA FINAL)
1995: Week 10 (NFCA), Week 12 (NFCA)