ROUX: UL signs Gold in Ashley Brignac

[NewsCopy]

From an early age, Curtis senior Ashley Brignac has had the passion and work ethic to become the best softball pitcher ever If the softball world didn't know who Ashley Brignac was, it made her acquaintance last year. It happened in a two-week period in November, particularly one Saturday evening, five days before Thanksgiving. The unbeaten USA softball team, composed of 16 women 19 and younger, made its way to the first base dugout, and the women put down their bags, ready to go to work. Clad in crisp white uniforms, with a broad red stripe down the side and USA in thick blue lettering across the front of the jersey, a young woman began her drills. She had learned them from countless moments alone in her yard, waiting for her dad to get home to catch for her. The drills done, warm-ups complete, she slowly walked to the pitching circle. The fireworks exploded high over the softball field in Maunabo, Puerto Rico, celebrating the home team being in the final of the Junior Women's Pan Am Qualifier, coloring the sky like confetti. Seventeen-year-old Brignac, who attends John Curtis School and is from River Ridge, stood rigid, as tall as her 5 feet, 9 inches could, staring at the plate, thinking about the next pitch as she had thousands of times in the past seven years. "When she was 10 years old, she had a dream," Joe Brignac said of his daughter, Ashley. "Her dream was to be in the Olympics. Every once in a while she would just picture herself on the sideline listening to the national anthem before a game. Here she was." A member of the USA coaching staff noticed Ashley and poked head coach Jay Miller. Miller, who had come to appreciate Ashley's focus, looked out at his starting pitcher in the gold medal game. He smiled. That was just Ashley. "You work with someone long enough," Joe said, "you know when something is coming. That game was over before it began. Ashley wasn't going to let them do anything." Three strikeouts in the first inning . . . The rest of the story Tmes Picayune By Billy Turner bturner@timespicayune.com (985) 645-2847.

[Kal]

Simply amazing. She's touched 73mph. And they said that according to an experiment done on her, she's got the potential to throw 85 mph. That's unheard of!!! Boy am I glad she decided to be a Ragin' Cajun!!!

[NewsCopy]

She strikes out 18 as Patriots roll to 5-0 victory against Rebels With Curtis' Ashley Brignac on the pitching rubber, the seventh-inning stretch frequently is replaced by the seventh-inning exit. The Riverside Rebels were the latest to endure seven innings of frustration against the Patriots' right-hander Thursday afternoon at Curtis. Brignac threw a perfect game, striking out 18 Rebels in a 5-0 victory in District 10-2A play. The first-place Patriots (17-4, 5-0) had five hits, including three doubles, and took advantage of three Riverside errors. The lone negative for the Patriots took place at the end of the first three innings when a Curtis runner was thrown out on the bases. The only three batters to hit the ball in play for Riverside (10-10, 2-3) were Bridget Petit and Heidi Garcich, who grounded out, and Marci Millet, who popped up to the infield for the final out. The rest of the story Bill Bumgarner bbumgarner@timespicayune.com (504) 883-7057

[CajunHeat2]

Ashley Brignac one of the recruits who will propel the Louisiana Softball proram next season is still Winning Big:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=345&F...&STO=pagestart

[CajunHeat2]

Ashley Brignac, the most anticipated recruit in Ragin'Cajun softball history continues dominance of her peers.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=345&F...&STO=pagestart

http://louisiana.scout.com/

[CajunHeat2]

Ashley Brignac wins her first playoff game in 2007.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=345&F...&STO=pagestart

[lcitsh]

Yeah, but a 2-0 victory in the first round worries me that her team isn't hitting well. I'd hate for her to have to pitch shutout ball the entire playoffs to win a state championship.

[Cajun Express]

_ Yeah, but a 2-0 victory in the first round worries me that her team isn't hitting well. I'd hate for her to have to pitch shutout ball the entire playoffs to win a state championship. _

I am pretty sure she has not given up an earned run this season. The only way they lose is not to score, and have a couple of errors in an inning....

[Tirk61]

ASHLEY IS ALL THEY HAVE. CATCHER IS GOOD, HOWEVER THE REST OF THE TEAM IS POOR. THE TEAM GOES AS ASHLEY GOES. I WATCHED HER AGAINST A TEAM THAT WOULD PROBALLY BE TOP 4 IN 2A AND SHE STUCK OUT 20 OF THE 21 OUTS. SHE IS OUTSTANDING.

[CajunAmos]

I think we also signed the Curtis first base player as well, who is also rated very highly.

[DaddyCajun]

You are correct that one of Ashley's team mates has signed with the Lady Cajuns also. She too is supposed to be something special!!!



Bridges is a teammate of fellow UL signee Ashley Brignac at John Curtis in River Ridge. Bridges plays first base for JCHS and has lettered in softball for the past three seasons.

Bridges has earned All-District honors for the past three years and has earned All-State honors each of the last two seasons.

Bridges belted 11 home runs and posted a 1.074 slugging percentage for the Patriots in 2006. For her career she has hit 21 home runs and had a batting average above .400 each year.

In 2006, Bridges was a member of the Louisiana Junior Olympic Development Team camp.



DaddyCajun

[NewsCopy]

When looking at which high school softball teams has the toughest road to winning a state championship from the area, without a doubt it’s the Mamou Lady Demons, who are faced with the challenge of playing against the defending Class 2A champions John Curtis. In fact, there may not be anyone outside of Mamou giving the Lady Demons much of a chance to compete with John Curtis and that’s largely because of senior pitcher Ashley Brignac. It may be more accurate to call her all-world pitcher Ashley Brignac, because this kid is an absolute stud. Brignac, who is a Louisiana-Lafayette signee, is simply unbelievable. In two seasons in Class 2A, Brignac has been unreal. She hasn’t allowed an earned run since her sophomore season and is 23-0 this year with two perfect games. The rest of the story Eric Narcisse enarcisse@dailyworld.com