This Weekend In Sun Belt Conference Softball

Only two weekends remain in the regular season of the 2012 college softball campaign, so this weekend will be pivotal for all of the Sun Belt Conference teams.

Earlier this week, ULM (8-13) won two-of-three from FAU, while Middle Tennessee defeated WKU, 8-4, in a single game on Tuesday.

That means that Middle Tennessee (4-15) and  FAU (4-15) are now tied in the race for the final spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which will be held, May 9-12 in Boca Raton, Florida.

This weekend, the Blue Raiders host FAU, with the winner of that series likely to make the tournament field, while the loser will likely be packing their bags for the rest of the spring and summer next weekend.

It will be really disappointing for FAU if they don't qualify, as the Owls are hositng this year's event.

Louisiana can wrap-up another Sun Belt Conference title this weekend. UL (16-2) will be in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to take on the WKU Hilltoppers (9-9-1), in a three-game series. The Cajuns lead South Alabama (13-6) by three-and-a-half games, and enter the weekend with a magic number of three.

The Cajuns have won both the regular season, and tournament titles, every year of softball play in the conference, with the exception of 2007.

UL, who is ranked as high as #6 in the country this week, is 41-2 overall, and chasing a possible national seed in the regionals.

Troy (10-9) will visit North Texas (10-10-1) this weekend, while South Alabama travels to FIU (12-7), in two big series', in terms of seeding purposes.

The winner of the South Alabama/FIU series will have the upper-hand in terms of finishing second in the league, while the winner of the Troy/North Texas series could finish fourth, and Troy still has a shot at finishing as high as third.

That South Alabams/FIU series could be especially big for the Jaguars, who are 29-14 overall, and in a position to earn an at-large berth in an NCAA Regional.

I don't know how it's going to all play out, but I do know that whoever finishes sixth is going to be a pretty good softball team, and that shows the strength of the conference.

This weekend's schedule is below:

Louisiana (41-2, 16-2) at WKU (28-20-1, 9-9-1)

FAU (14-34, 4-15) at Middle Tennessee (14-30, 4-15)

Troy (31-17, 10-9) at North Texas (20-24-1, 10-10-1)

South Alabama (29-14, 13-6) at FIU (24-23-12-7)

ULM (23-22, 8-13) is idle