Ragin' beards NCAA.com

CHAMPS

LAFAYETTE, La. -- Louisiana-Lafayette is the only team in the nation not to lose back-to-back games. The Ragin’ Cajuns haven’t lost a weekend series, either. That’s one way to reach the nation’s best record -- 58-8 entering Sunday’s Game 2 of the Super Regional against Mississippi. Another way? Beards. No one would’ve seen this coming just a few months ago. ULL saw a series of brutal workouts this fall, in which head coach Tony Robichaux put his team through Navy SEAL training. No one could have facial hair then -- that was a team rule. Major leaguers remember their #RoadToOmaha Omaha's Diner exemplifies city's small-town feel Eight teams make the trek to Omaha to make their mark Friends make living in sports memorabilia Omaha's vibrance goes beyond stadium ULL fans and the best seat on the house A visit to historic Monticello The ragin' beards of the Ragin’ Cajuns CWS fever in full swing in Austin Fans visit Vandy parking deck to get unique view Wagner's Pharmacy is 'where champions gather' Meet Maryland's head 'Turtle' ULL fans thrilled to reprsent state at Supers Baseball's smallest fans take in Austin Nerd Nation rises up for Stanford Roads to Omaha, triple crown both start in Louisville UVa. fans' mad dash to create their own row Ole Miss has come oh so close to CWS recently Cougar country comes north to Austin Stanford-Vandy -- fans' battle of the brains Batter up! First stop is the Slugger museum Sweating the details began in September • WHO'S WHERE ON THE #RoadToOmaha Abby Hill Louisville, Ky. Andrew Prezioso Nashville, Tenn. Doug Kroll Lafayette, La. Eric Vander Voort Charlottesville, Va. Sarah Higgins Austin, Texas The strict no-facial-hair policy is nothing new in baseball. But a complete about-face that now sees some trying to impersonate those from Duck Dynasty. We’ve seen that too. We’ve seen teams ride it all the way to Omaha, in fact. Trevor Fitts brought a PowerPoint presentation to Mississippi State head coach John Cohen last season to get him to change his stance. And so far, ULL’s deal with their head coach has stayed true. Even though they didn’t get to the point of having to make a PowerPoint, in large part because of Robichaux’s son -- ace Austin. But it almost did. “Luckily we have Austin here, so he has a little leeway with Coach,” Michael Strentz said. “We made a pact in the beginning. If we lose two in a row, we have to shave the beards. We’ve lived up to it ever since.” It was actually Austin Robichaux’s appearance without a beard that helped steer his dad to lift the facial hair ban. “The guys came to me and told me that our Friday night starter looks like a 12-year old without facial hair,” Tony Robichaux recalled. “Our biggest thing was that we had to hold on to something -- the season is too long. Every team that will be in those dugouts in Omaha will have something, whether it’s a stuffed pet monkey or a pet fish like South Carolina had. There’s been ropes and crystal balls. All of that comes from that this season is such a grind.” Strentz isn’t shy about who has the best beard on the squad. He says it’s his. The worst? “Riley Cooper, but Jace [Conrad]’s is nasty,” Strentz said. “I’m not sure what you call that but it’s nasty.” “I have trouble growing up here so I’ll leave it to these guys,” Caleb Adams said. “But Riley Cooper has tried for about four years and all he has is a little bit on his chin.” A local radio station handed out 4,000 beards for fans to wear during ULL’s Game 1 victory against Ole Miss. There must be something about the water in this state. They love their beards. “Somewhere along the line you have to find something to come back to, and I think it evolves,” Tony Robichaux said. “You don’t pull up the first day and say this is what we’re going to do. It evolves.” Perhaps the best part -- Tony himself has some facial hair now, albeit grey. “Jace said I needed to take a Sharpie to it because it’s too gray,” he said. The team has names and ratings for the different beards. Below are five that the Ragin’ Cajuns are hoping become household fixtures next week on the #RoadToOmaha. DYLAN BUTLER BEARD TYPE TEAM GRADE RF Junior Scraggly, unmanicured goatee 5.8/10 JACE CONRAD BEARD TYPE TEAM GRADE 2B Junior Best beard on team 9.5/10 MATT HICKS BEARD TYPE TEAM GRADE RHP Senior Sinker, slider beard 9.4/10 MATT PLITT BEARD TYPE TEAM GRADE RHP Senior The unknown N/A MIKE STRENTZ BEARD TYPE TEAM GRADE C Junior Navy SEAL beard 9.0/10 Notable Mentions: • Ryan Leonards 3B
Mountain man beard 8.5/10 • Blake Trahan SS
Chin strap beard 7.6/10 • Tyler Girouard DH
Scruffy/patchy beard 6.0/10 • Chase Compton 1B
"Sabertooth-esque" beard (from X-Men) 8.0/10 • Nick Thurman C
Seal pup beard 4.8/10

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