Here are 5 things to know about 2022 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball
Tim Buckley
Louisiana baseball begins its third season with coach Matt Deggs in charge.
The Ragin’ Cajuns open with a three-game series against No. 14 UC Irvine starting Friday (6 p.m., ESPN+) on M.L. Tigue “Moore” Field at Russo Park.
During Deggs’ first full season after succeeding the late Tony Robichaux, UL (32-23) won the Sun Belt Conference West Division title but lost to Georgia Southern in the SBC Tournament’s semifinal round.
Deggs has high expectations for the Cajuns, who were 8-9 in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. He feels he has a NCAA regional-quality team if health holds up.
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“They’re gonna be very, very loveable very, very quick,” he said.
Here are five things to know about the Ragin’ Cajuns:
UL’s schedule
Even beyond the UC Irvine series, UL’s non-conference schedule is challenging.
After playing Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday (6 p.m.) at home, the Cajuns face No. 3 Stanford, Indiana and No. 2 Arkansas at the Feb. 25-27 Round Rock (Texas) Classic.
UL’s non-conference schedule also includes games at No. 15 Louisiana Tech (March 8, April 5) and Rice (May 10-11), weekend home series with Southern Miss (March 4-6) and Houston (March 11-13) and an April 19 game against No. 3 LSU in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic.
Cajuns high in poll
The Cajuns tied for third with Coastal Carolina in the conference’s preseason poll. Defending SBC Tournament champion South Alabama is first, Georgia Southern second and Arkansas State last.
UL, which opens conference play March 18 at Troy, is host to South Alabama and Georgia Southern on consecutive weekends (March 25-27, April 1-3).
The Sun Belt Tournament is May 24-29 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Brandon Talley recognized
Reliever Brandon Talley is the lone All-Sun Belt preseason team selection for UL, which lost starters Spencer Arrighetti (sixth round, Houston) and Connor Cooke (10th round, Toronto) and catcher Drake Osborn (19th round, New York Mets) in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Talley (1-1, 1.59 ERA) finished last season second in appearances (27) and tied for third in the league in saves (eight).
The southpaw from Princeton, Texas, likely will close frequently, but Deggs has options with Jacob Schultz (four saves in 2021) returning and Bo Bonds, a righty from Chipola (Florida) College, arriving.
Perrin, Marshall unavailable
UL opens with injuries impacting its bullpen.
Deggs said Blake Marshall may be out until April and Austin Perrin (16 appearances including seven starts last season) isn’t available this weekend (undisclosed injuries). But Ole Miss transfer Trey LaFleur, a lefty who pitches and plays in the infield, threw for the first time Sunday.
Transfer Drew Shifflet (1-0, 4.02 ERA at Texas in 2021) has been announced as UL's Opening Night starter against the Anteaters, with Peyton Havard scheduled to start Saturday and Jeff Wilson on Sunday.
UL’s defensive options
Returnee Julian Brock takes over at catcher and will be backed up by transfer Austin Garrett, who was at Kansas State the past two seasons. Bobby Lada moves to second base, and Kyle DeBarge, a freshman from Barbe High, takes Lada’s old shortstop spot.
Other jobs are less set.
Tyler Robertson returns to centerfield but could again see time at third, where returnee Jonathan Brandon may start, if Deggs needs an extra bat from the crowded outfield. Carson Roccaforte should start at first, but could return to right field, where he started in 2021, if freshman Mason Zambo develops and/or if bats go cold in the outfield, where juco tranfer Heath Hood is in left and Texas Tech transfer Max Marusak in right.