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When looking back at UL athletics in the 2007-08 academic year, the Ragin' Cajuns definitely saved their best for last.
One year after failing to win the Sun Belt Conference's regular-season and conference tournament titles for the first time, UL's softball team made the program's first trip to the Women's College World Series in five years. The unseeded Cajuns stunned top-seeded Florida, 3-2, to open World Series play and ended the season with a 52-15 record and a No. 6 national ranking - the program's highest since 1996.
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/SPORTS/807010302/1006" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
Joshua Parrott •
jparrot@theadvertiser.com • July 1, 2008
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"I'm proud of those kids and how they've worked and fought together all year," UL co-coach Michael Lotief said after the Cajuns tied for fifth at the World Series. "We brought out the best in each other and the best in the community."
Despite having 10 newcomers, the Cajuns put together an 18-game winning streak in the regular season and lost one home game for only the third time in program history. In the conference tournament, the Cajuns rolled to four consecutive victories by a 32-3 margin but did not earn a postseason seeding.
No bother.
After knocking off No. 9 national seed LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional, the Cajuns eliminated No. 8 seed Houston in Super Regionals for the program's fifth World Series berth. The victory against Florida was UL's first in World Series play since 1996.
Outfielder Holly Tankersley - who hit two home runs in Oklahoma City, including the go-ahead shot against Florida - was a first team NFCA All-American, the conference's player of the year and a World Series All-Tournament Team selection. The senior finished among the national leaders in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.441), homers (23) and RBIs (74).
Second baseman Vanessa Soto capped her career in style after transferring from LSU, hitting .333 with 23 doubles and 67 RBIs as a senior.
Freshman Ashley Brignac emerged as the team's pitching ace, going 31-7 with a 1.38 ERA and 327 strikeouts in 228.1 innings. Brignac, named the SBC's pitcher of the year and the conference tournament's most outstanding player, struck out a career-high 15 batters in the victory against Florida.
Not to be overlooked, sophomore third baseman Melissa Verde hit .294 with seven homers and 42 RBIs - despite playing most of the year with a torn ACL.
It was that type of grit and determination that fueled the Cajuns to one of their best seasons in the program's history.
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