Latest Regional Projections Have UL Softball Hosting

Despite being listed outside of the top 16 in the latest RPI listings, the Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns, and the city of Lafayette, are still projected to be a softball host for the 2019 NCAA Regionals.

Louisiana, who is currently 46-4 overall, is projected as the #1-seed in the Lafayette, La. Regional by Softball America, in their latest projections, which were released last Friday.

Officially, there are no 2-4 seeds in the NCAA Regionals. The NCAA only recognizes the top seed. But we can all easily figure it out.

What's interesting is that UL is still projected to host, even though they rank at #20 in last week's RPI listings.

The site either projects the Cajuns to finish in the top 16 in the RPI listings, or that they will host, despite being outside of the top 16.

These projections cam out before Louisiana ran their current win streak to 23 games over the weekend, sweeping a three-game Sun Belt Conference series from Coastal Carolina.

The tournament field will be released on Sunday, May 12.

Barring something unforeseen, Louisiana will likely be making their 21th-consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, including their 29th in the last 30 years.

The only year since 1990 in which Louisiana failed to appear in a regional was 1998.

If the Cajuns indeed host, it would mark the first time they would do so in three years. They hosted for three-straight years, from 2014-2016, in which they were the top seed.

Louisiana has had a lot of success in postseason play, advancing to Super Regional play for 5-straight years, from 2012-2016, prior to playing on Championship Sunday in the last two Regionals.

The Cajuns are projected as the top-seed in the Lafayette Regional, along with the Auburn, Longwood, and Boston University.

Of note, UL is the only Sun Belt Conference school projected in the field, while LSU, who is also projected to host, is the only other state school projected in the field of 64.

You can view the complete projections, here.