Lotief, Cajuns have a lot to be proud of
LAFAYETTE — Michael Lotief complimented his UL softball team and the Cajuns' successful regular season on Monday, but he said it's time to get back to work and see where the rest of 2017 leads.
UL finished a Sun Belt Conference schedule 23-1 and overall the No. 16 Cajuns are 42-6.
Not bad, Lotief said, for a team that started 4-3 with a number of uncertainties at several positions.
"I am really proud of this group. To go 23-1 (in the SBC), that's amazing. When you focus on the entire season, we've certainly had our ups and downs. The way the team has handled that with such maturity really stands out," said Lotief.
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Lotief especially pointed out pitcher Alex Stewart and catcher Lexi Comeaux.
Stewart, who is 22-3 this year with a 1.79 earned run average and Comeaux, who is starting for the first time behind the plate have been two of the reasons why the Cajuns are seeded first ins the SBC Tournament. UL doesn't play until Thursday iat 10 a.m. in the tourney which started on Tuesday.
When she came to the Cajuns in 2014, Lotief said Comeaux needed work on the basics of playing the position. "We just wanted her to get the ball back to the pitcher," Lotief said.
Comeaux, now a sophomore, is batting .347 with nine home runs on a team that has hit 80 and batted in 367 runs.
UL, which has won 13 of 17 SBC tournaments, also has 40 victories for the 19th straight year.
Loteif said all those accomplishments are good, but now it's time for the Cajuns to prepare for the postseason.
"Our team has an understanding what this time of the year is all about. We are going to prepare for it and see where it takes us," Lotief said.
The UL athletic department is certainly anticipating an active offseason. On Tuesday the school posted ticket sales information on the athletic website in case the Cajuns host a NCAA regional tournament.
Some programs don't put a lot of emphasis on conference tournaments, said Lotief. He said the Cajuns might be a bit different.
"It does put a lot of wear and tear on you. Our kids want to play and go after it. We have set our standards high. We just want to let them go and keep getting better and grinding," he said.