Louisiana Cajuns Baseball Enters D1Baseball Top 25

LAFAYETTE, La. (103.3 The GOAT) — The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team is back on the national radar.

D1Baseball released its updated Top 25 Monday morning, and the Cajuns checked in at No. 25—their first appearance in the national rankings during the 2026 season. Head coach Matt Deggs’ squad enters the rankings at 15-5 overall, riding the momentum of a two-of-three series win over South Alabama in their Sun Belt Conference debut.

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How Louisiana Earned a Spot in the Top 25

The Cajuns came into 2026 with something to prove. According to D1Baseball’s updated rankings, Louisiana is one of three new entrants this week alongside West Virginia and Oregon, with LSU dropping out of the poll entirely. After a disappointing 27-31 finish in 2025 that ended their streak of consecutive postseason appearances, Deggs rebuilt the roster with 19 newcomers — including 10 transfers and nine freshmen — and challenged his team to be “anti-fragile.”

The LSU Upset Changed Everything

The moment that put Louisiana firmly on the national map came on March 5 at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park. NCAA.com captured the scene as one of the biggest upsets of the early college baseball season.

In front of an announced crowd of 5,700 — the third-largest in program history at The Tigue — Louisiana jumped on then-No. 2 LSU right-hander Gavin Guidry early, scoring three runs in the first inning on a pair of errors and a Lee Amedee RBI double. The Cajuns never trailed. LSU cut the deficit to 3-2 with a Trent Caraway two-run homer in the fifth, but Louisiana answered with three more runs in the bottom of the inning, and Pruitt locked down the back end, throwing four scoreless innings in relief to secure the 7-2 final.

“I’m just so happy for our guys and the city of Lafayette and our university,” Deggs said after the win. “It was such a special night.”

The victory moved Louisiana to 10-3 on the season.

Sun Belt Play Opens With a Series Win

Conference play started with a speed bump Friday when the Cajuns dropped the opener to South Alabama, but Louisiana responded with wins on Saturday and Sunday, including a 3-1 series-clinching victory on March 15. The two-of-three showing pushed the Cajuns’ record to 15-5 and set the stage for Monday’s ranking announcement.

Louisiana also entered the PerfectGame Top 25 at No. 22 this week.

Who’s Driving the Cajuns’ Success?

On the mound, freshman Sawyer Pruitt of Watson, Louisiana, has been a revelation. He dominated Kansas State with nine strikeouts in a single start — the most by any Cajun this season — and delivered the save in the LSU win. Left-hander Andrew Herrmann has been equally sharp, going undefeated across five appearances on the season.

At the plate, transfer Rigoberto Hernandez has been one of Louisiana’s most consistent hitters, while freshman Blaze Rodriguez provided an immediate spark from day one. Returner Lee Amedee has been steady in the middle of the lineup, and Mark Collins delivered the solo homer against Kansas State that gave Louisiana a 1-0 shutout win.

What’s Next for the Cajuns

Louisiana’s next test is a trip to Houston on Wednesday night, with first pitch set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+. The Cajuns then travel to face Texas State in a three-game Sun Belt series beginning Friday. The full schedule is available at RaginCajuns.com.

The rest of the Sun Belt Conference schedule will determine whether Louisiana can build on this ranking and put itself in position for a return to the NCAA Tournament—something the program has done three times under Deggs, most recently in 2024 when the Cajuns won the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title and reached the College Station Regional final.