Cajun Baseball Camps

Matt Deggs begins his sixth season as the leader of Louisiana Baseball after being announced as the head coach on July 18, 2019.

Replacing his mentor and Hall of Fame head coach Tony Robichaux in 2019, Deggs restored the legacy of the Ragin’ Cajuns program in 2022 with a Sun Belt Conference title and the 17th all-time appearance in the NCAA Regionals. Louisiana’s 37 wins in 2022 was its most since a 43-21 mark in 2016 when the Ragin’ Cajuns hosted its second NCAA Regional in three seasons.

Since then, Deggs has continued to guide Louisiana’s trek back to national prominence on the diamond with back-to-back 40-win seasons, two more regional appearances and the 2024 Sun Belt Conference regular-season title.

Under Deggs’ leadership, Louisiana posted a 42-20 record in 2024, winning 16 consecutive games in the process while opening SBC play with a 14-1 record. The Ragin’ Cajuns, led on the field by consensus All-American Kyle DeBarge, finished as one of the top offensive teams in the nation while leading the league in both batting average (.301) and ERA (4.48).

DeBarge became the highest pick in school history when the Minnesota Twins selected him 33rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. He joined Kansas City Royals prospects Carson Roccaforte (a 2023 Competitive Balance B pick) and LP Langevin (a 2024 fourth-round pick) as Louisiana selections in the top five rounds of the MLB Draft.

The Ragin’ Cajuns returned to the postseason in 2023 and eclipsed the 40-win mark for the first time since 2016 after posting a 41-24 record. The 2023 squad was a record-setting one as Louisiana established single-season, school records for stolen bases (166) and fielding percentage (.982). Five players swiped 20 or more bases on the year with Heath Hood becoming the first Cajun since 2000 to steal 30+ on the season. The Ragin’ Cajuns earned four wins over top-10 ranked opponents during the season, with three coming against Coastal Carolina and an 8-5 victory at No.1-ranked and eventual national champion LSU.

Deggs, the architect of the Ragin’ Cajuns “Pack” offense from 2012-14, guided one of Division I’s top teams which was second nationally in triples (28) and fifth in triples per game (0.47) in 2022. The Ragin’ Cajuns also razed havoc on the bases as its 138 stolen bases were the most since a then school-record tying 145 in 1991 and 2002. Three players – Carson Roccaforte, Tyler Robertson and Max Marusak – each swiped 20-plus bases during the season while Hood and DeBarge stole 19 and 16 respectively.

Defensively, the Ragin’ Cajuns led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked among the top-50 teams nationally in earned run average (4.24), double plays (51) and double plays per game (0.85).

Deggs took over the helm after the sudden passing of Robichaux in July of 2019 and guided Louisiana to an 8-9 record in a 2020 season which was shortened  due to Covid-19. After a full return to the diamond in 2021, Deggs led Louisiana to a 32-23 record and the Sun Belt Conference West Division title.

Deggs, a Texas City, Texas native, previously coached at Louisiana as an assistant under Robichaux and was part of a 2014 team which finished 58-10 overall and was a consensus No. 1-ranked team. After the conclusion of the historic 2014 season, Deggs departed Louisiana to become the head coach at Sam Houston State where he has spent the last five seasons.

At Sam Houston State Deggs, posted an outstanding record of 187-118 (.613) with Southland Conference regular season championships in three of the last four seasons. Deggs also guided the Bearkats to a Super Regional in 2017, becoming the first-ever Southland program to accomplish the feat.

Deggs led Sam Houston State to NCAA Tournament berths in two out of five seasons (2016, 2017), and claimed at least one conference title over four-straight seasons. Sam Houston State (42-22, 24-6) won both the regular season and tournament title in 2016 en route to an NCAA Regional, coincidentally in Lafayette. Deggs’ 2017 squad broke the 40-win barrier again, posting a record of 44-23, 19-11. The 2017 group won 12-of-13 games to close the season to secure the school’s first-ever Super Regional berth in Tallahassee, Florida.

Sam Houston State’s 2017 group finished ranked in all six national polls, checking in at No. 14 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 16 (NCBWA), No. 18 (D1 Baseball), No. 19 (USA Today Coaches), No. 20 (Baseball America) and No. 22 (Perfect Game).

Deggs’ the final two squads at Sam Houston State earned Southland regular season crowns where the Bearkats went 39-20, 24-6 in 2018, and followed with a 31-25, 20-10 record in 2019.

Development of student-athletes was a constant under Deggs’ watch of the Sam Houston State program. In his five seasons, a total of 16 Bearkats were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.

Crediting Robichaux for resurrecting his coaching career, Deggs was brought onto the Ragin’ Cajuns staff during the 2012 season as an assistant coach, specializing as hitting coach and third base coach, while also overseeing team personnel and recruiting.

Louisiana made significant waves during Deggs’ stint as an assistant coach, including student-athletes receiving 15 All-Sun Belt honors, three All-America accolades and two Freshman All-America nods. Plus, former Louisiana standout Blake Trahan earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and became the program’s first-ever Team USA member.

The 2014 season was a special one at Louisiana for many reasons. Not only was Cajun nation ignited around its top-ranked baseball program, but it was the winningest season in school history. Louisiana also won the conference regular season title with its 26-4 mark in league play, and began a run of three consecutive Sun Belt tournament titles (2014, 2015, 2016).

The No. 1 ranking that Louisiana earned in 2014 was the second time a program that Deggs was a member of a team which ascended to the top spot in the national polls. During his time with Texas A&M (2006-10), the 2009 squad achieved the school’s first-ever preseason national No. 1 ranking.

The Aggies produced two Big 12 Players of the Year, nine All-Americans and 15 First-Team All-Big 12 performers during Deggs’ time with the program. Texas A&M won back-to-back Big 12 titles in 2007 and 2008. Deggs’ five-year stretch with Texas A&M saw the program go from posting a sub-.500 record in 2006 to reaching back-to-back NCAA Super Regionals in 2007 and 2008. Deggs assisted the Aggies to two Big 12 Tournament crowns (2007, 2010) and one regular season title (2008).

Prior to coaching the Aggies, Deggs served as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Arkansas for Dave Van Horn from 2003-05. Deggs provided instruction to three Razorbacks who earned all-conference recognition, as well as three Freshman All-Americans. The Razorbacks claimed both the SEC Championship and booked a trip to the College World Series in 2004.

Deggs first received experience as a head coach at Texarkana College for five seasons (1998-2002), compiling a sound record of 187-100. The squad claimed two Texas Eastern Athletic Conference runners-up finishes, a pair of TEAC titles (2001, 2002) and the school’s first-ever trip to Junior College World Series.

Developing and recruiting talented young men was a staple of Deggs’, even early on in his coaching career, as he brought future MLB All-Star Hunter Pence to Texarkana as a former high school standout from Arlington, Texas.

Deggs spent the 1996 and 1997 seasons as the hitting and infield coach at Northwestern State under Van Horn, assisting the Demons to the Southland Conference title in 1997. His infield units ranked among the top infield groups in the country for both seasons.

During his own playing career, Deggs was an infielder for Alvin Junior College from 1991-92 and at Northwood University from 1993-94. Deggs earned a Master’s degree from Northwestern State in 1996.

Deggs followed his college career with a turn in the professional ranks, playing three years for the Mobile (Ala.) Baysharks and the Tennessee Tomahawks, two of which were spent as a player/coach under former Boston Red Sox manager Butch Hobson and former Red Sox catcher Mike O’Berry.

Deggs is married to the former Kathy Saldua and the couple has a son, Kyler, and two daughters, Klaire and Khloe.

A two-time All-American for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, Gunner Leger begins his first season as a member of the coaching staff where he serves as pitching coach.

A 2017 semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, Leger won 24 games in his career at Louisiana under Hall of Fame coach Tony Robichaux and ranks among the school’s career leaders in starts (53), innings pitched (328.2), wins (24) and strikeouts (288).

The Lafayette native and former high school All-American at Lake Charles’ Barbe High School joins a deep coaching and support staff which includes associate head coach Seth Thibodeaux, assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Zach LaFleur, Chief of Staff/Director of Player & Program Development Anthony Babineaux and Academic and Camp Coordinator Chris Domingue.

“It’s a huge addition to our program, it’s a guy that I recruited when I was first here at Louisiana and was really looking forward to coaching him before going to Sam Houston,” head coach Matt Deggs said. We obviously built a great relationship with him and watched him kick our butt a couple of times, and I know how important he was to Coach Robe.

“He’s very sharp and very intuitive. He’s a bright mind that will help make us better. He’s going to be a difference maker for us.”

Leger started 18 games as a true freshman in 2015 where he helped Louisiana to the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament title, along with a trip to the NCAA Super Regional.  He earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors and was also named as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game and D1Baseball.

The left-hander was named to the Sun Belt All-Conference First Team as a sophomore in 2016 and also received ABCA South Central All-Region Second Team honors. Leger finished the season ranked first in the Sun Belt Conference in both ERA (2.26) and games started (16), and was third in strikeouts (81).

His junior season in 2017 saw him lead the SBC in wins (10) and ERA (1.97). Leger was named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year and received ABCA/Rawlings All-America Second Team honors. He was also named a third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

A two-way player at Lake Charles’ Barbe High School, Leger helped the Bucs win the 2012 and 2014 Class 5A State Championships. He earned second-team All-America honors from Baseball America as a utility player and posted 11 wins with a 1.94 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 72 innings as a senior.

Leger earned his Bachelor’s degree in general studies with emphasis in applied science, along with minors in business and kinesiology from UL in 2019.

Chris Domingue has been with the Ragin’ Cajuns since 2003, overseeing the academic performance of the squad. In 2008, he was named Director of Baseball Operations.  He monitors the team’s academics and runs each of Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns baseball camps.

Academics

Academic reform has attracted much attention to college athletics.

Prior to Domingue arriving, the team’s overall grade point average was 2.4. In the fall of 2012, the team enjoyed its highest ever GPA. The team’s 2012 fall semester GPA of 3.3 and the team’s cumulative current GPA of 3.2 are the highest averages ever recorded.

In the 2005 fall semester, the Cajuns had 29 players that had a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.  Of those players,13 baseball recorded 3.5 GPAs or better. Two players received 4.0 grade point averages for the fall semester. 

During the 2006 season, Domingue once again helped the baseball team to academic success.  In 2006, 22 baseball players were named on the All-Sun Belt Academic list, including seven who were named to the SBC Commissioner’s list. The Lafayette Daily Advertiser recognized Domingue’s Academic Program as one of the Top 20 reasons to visit the “Tigue.”

In the fall of 2012, 26 Ragin’ Cajun players enjoyed grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. Of those players, nine enjoyed semester averages of 3.5 or higher and three players enjoyed the status of being a 4.0 student-athlete.

During Domingue’s tenure, UL received the Sun Belt Team Academic Award, given for maintaining the league’s highest team GPA in the 2007-08, 2013-14 and 2022-23 academic years.

American Legion

From 1989-2002, Domingue coached a Third District West American Legion team and guided his squads to six league titles (1993,1997-2001), nine regional appearances (1990, 1993, 1996-2002) and two state tournaments (1998 & 1999). In 1998, Domingue guided his 31-8 squad to a Louisiana State Championship and a Mid-south Regional appearance and fell just two games short of earning a spot in the American Legion World Series.

Currently, Domingue oversees Legion Baseball in the Lafayette area. He serves in a position that was once occupied by the league’s founder, M.L. “Tigue” Moore.

Off the Field

A firefighter in the City of Lafayette since 1983, Domingue is currently serving as a District Fire Chief. He and his wife, Karen have been married since 1983. Karen is a 1996 graduate of the University of Louisiana. They have two children, Lauren and Connor. They currently reside in Lafayette.

Domingue graduated summa cum laude from LSU-Eunice in 2002.