Softball: UL Finishes Among Top 25 in Both Polls

Softball: UL Finishes Among Top 25 in Both Polls

Softball: UL Finishes Among Top 25 in Both Polls

For the fourth straight season, and 19^th time in the past 22 years, Louisiana finished the season ranked in the Top 25.

UL checked in with a No. 23 national ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll. Of the 25 teams that began the season ranked in the preseason poll, the Cajuns (51-11) were one of the 18 that went wire to wire in 2011 and never left the rankings.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference.

In the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll, UL was ranked No. 25.

Louisiana concluded the 11^th season of the Lotief Era with a 51-11 record en route to the program’s 21^st NCAA Regional appearance in the past 22 years. The Cajuns current string of 13 consecutive regional appearances ranks as 10^th longest streak in NCAA history.

Gabriele Bridges is the lone player the Cajuns lose off the squad that captured the program’s 10^th Sun Belt Conference regular season title and recorded the 10^th season of 50-plus wins. Headlining the list of returners for 2012 is Christi Orgeron whose 101 RBI in 2011 marked the third highest single-season total in NCAA history and Ashley Brignac who posted the second 30-win season of her career, going 32-7.

USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Final Poll – June 14
Rank, Team, Record, Points, Last Poll
1, Arizona State, 60-6, 750, 1
2, Florida, 56-13, 720, 3
3, Alabama, 53-11, 686, 4
4, Baylor, 47-15, 653, 17
5, California, 45-13, 618, 7
6, Missouri, 53-10, 603, 8
7, Oklahoma, 43-19, 568, 13
8, Oklahoma State, 42-20, 541, 22
9, Georgia, 51-14, 489, 9
10, Stanford, 42-17, 459, 11
11, Arizona, 43-18, 439, 10
12, Washington, 37-15, 404, 15
13, Kentucky, 40-16, 381, 23
14, Texas A&M, 44-15, 363, 18
15, Oregon, 42-16, 349, 12
16, Houston, 44-18, 321, NR
17, Michigan, 53-6, 249, 2
18, Tennessee, 49-12, 234, 5
19, UCLA, 36-19, 205, 14
20, Texas, 46-10, 163, 6
21, Nebraska, 41-14, 124, 16
22, LSU, 40-18, 109, 20
23, Louisiana, 51-11, 78, 25
24, Tulsa, 46-15, 50, RV
24, DePaul, 40-15, 50, RV

Dropped Out: No. 19 Georgia Tech, No. 21 Auburn, No. 24 Notre Dame

Others Receiving Votes: Louisville 31, Georgia Tech 27, BYU 15, Auburn 13, San Diego State 13, East Carolina 12, Texas Tech 9, Notre Dame 7, Florida St. 6, Penn St. 4, Syracuse 3, Maryland 2, Jacksonville 1 and New Mexico State 1.

ESPN.com/USA Softball Division I Top 25 Final Poll – June 14
Rank, Team, Record, Points, Last Poll
1, Arizona State, 60-6, 500, 1
2, Florida, 56-13, 580, T-5
3, Alabama, 53-11, 459, 3
4, Baylor, 47-15, 429, 15
5, California, 45-13, 417, T-5
6, Missouri, 53-10, 414, 4
7, Oklahoma, 43-19, 375, T-12
8, Oklahoma State, 42-20, 332, 8
9, Georgia, 51-14, 329, 8
10, Stanford, 42-17, 308, T-12
11, Arizona, 43-18, 271, 10
12, Kentucky, 40-16, 248, 21
13, Texas A&M, 44-15, 242, 17
14, Oregon, 42-16, 231, 11
15, Washington, 37-15, 228, 14
16, Tennessee, 49-12, 222, 7
17, Michigan, 53-6, 195, 2
18, Houston, 44-18, 169, RV
19, Texas, 46-10, 154, 9
20, UCLA, 36-19, 126, 16
21, Nebraska, 41-14, 87, 20
22, LSU, 40-18, 63, 22
23, Notre Dame, 46-11, 62, 19
24, Georgia Tech, 45-12, 37, 18
25, Louisiana, 51-11, 26, 24

Dropped Out: No. 23 Auburn

Others Receiving Votes: Tulsa 22, BYU 20, Auburn 12, DePaul 10, Louisville 9, San Diego State 9, East Carolina 8, Penn State 4, Florida State 1 and Syracuse 1.

— Ragin’ Cajuns —