ROUX: UL softball signs 5 in early signing period

[RaginFan2]

Just heard on Jays show that they did indeed get the signed papers.

Alright! That's what I wanted to hear! Getting commitments is good, but receiving the signature is sooo much better. Congrats to the coaching staff on signing an excellent recruit! That should boost our SB program to even higher levels. Looking forward to some WCWS trips. (No pressure, Stef! ;P)

[NewsCopy]

LAFAYETTE – University of Louisiana at Lafayette co-head softball coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief announced on Wednesday the signing of one of the nation’s top pitching prospects to a National Letter of Intent for the 2008 season. Ashley Brignac, last year’s Louisiana Miss Softball, signed on to be a part of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ incoming freshman class for the Fall 2007 semester. Brignac is currently a senior pitcher at John Curtis High School in River Ridge, La. She has posted 30-plus victories, 400-plus strikeouts and 20-plus shutouts in the past two seasons helping lead John Curtis to two state championships. She was recently selected to the 2006 USA Softball Junior Women's National team. She was 30-1 last season with an earned run average of 0.00. Brignac struck out 491 of the 639 batters that she faced as a junior, allowing only 26 hits and 19 walks in 196 innings. She tossed 26 shutouts and 11 no-hitters of which nine were perfect games Brignac also made an impact at the plate. She hit .442 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI to go with 18 stolen bases. Honors were plenty for Brignac after the stellar campaign. She was named the state’s Class 2A Outstanding Player, the state’s softball Gatorade Player of the Year, the District 10-2A MVP and was selected MVP of the All-East Bank and Metro teams. Brignac’s breakout season came as a sophomore in 2005. She posted a 31-3 record with a 0.19 ERA all while collecting 466 strikeouts and 24 shutouts. Combined with the numbers from her freshman season, Brignac is 67-4 overall with 1,033 career strikeouts, 56 career shutouts and 16 career perfect games. LOUISIANA SI

[LuLu]

WOW! This is great news for the program. Is Ashley Brignac the only one who sent in a National Letter of Intent to play softball today? Now, if only we could fill the softball stands on game days.

[Diapason]

I heard on the grapevine lol no I have not been drinking. Anyway good news I heard on the grapevine UL has signed premier pitcher DONNA BOURGEOIS. Isn't that great?

[DaddyCajun]

WOW! This is great news for the program. Is Ashley Brignac the only one who sent in a National Letter of Intent to play softball today? Now, if only we could fill the softball stands on game days.

I caught the tail end of the sports tonight and I do not know if the sports caster was messing up but he said they signed TWO pitchers?!?!?!?!?!

So I am not sure, but this is a great start.

Lady Cajuns Basketball signed two also!

Two players from Teurlings were signed. One for basketball and the other from softball.

DaddyCajun

[Turbine]

I was perusing the Ultimate College Softball Forum and found a thread LINK that names a few names that were expected to sign with UL.

* Warning it has an anti Sun Belt but pro UL theme running through it.

Here are the names mentioned.

Ashley Brignac

Christi Orgeron

Gaby Bridges

[NewsCopy]

For a combination of national prominence and the filling of a sport’s most important position, UL hasn’t had very many athletic signings in its history as huge as Wednesday’s inking of softball pitcher Ashley Brignac. Among all intercollegiate sports, there’s probably no position that’s capable of controlling the outcome of a game than a softball pitcher. The Cajuns have had a succession of standouts in that role, including All-Americans Stefni Whitton Lotief, Kyla Hall, Cheryl Longeway and Brooke Mitchell. Brignac’s going to be right there in that company, part of a select group of players capable of eye-popping numbers. She was 30-1 with a perfect 0.00 ERA as a junior at John Curtis last spring, helping the Patriots win their fourth straight state title. This one was the first in Class 2A, where John Curtis moved last year, and Brignac added the 2A Outstanding Player honor to her Class 4A award from the previous year. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball program wrapped up the early signing period with the signing of five more prospects to National Letters of Intent for the 2008 season, co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief announced on Saturday. The signees, who will be a part of the incoming freshman class for the Fall 2007 semester, include Acadiana natives Donna Bourgeois of Teurlings Catholic High School and Laura Anne Hagle of Vermilion Catholic High School. New Orleans natives Christine Orgeron (Mount Carmel Academy) and Gabrielle Bridges (John Curtis) along with Ruston’s Kaitlin Smith round of the list of Ragin’ Cajuns signees for the NCAA’s early signing period. "Besides being great softball players, we continue to add great people who are passionate about their dreams, who understand the importance of education and who all come from great families," said co-head coach Michael Lotief. “"It says a lot about the quality of athletes in Louisiana and how competitive Louisiana softball is when you are able to sign two Louisiana kids who are rated in the Top 15 in the country and are invited to participate in the Junior Olympic program.” Bourgeois was the All-Acadiana MVP in softball for the 2006 season. She went 26-4 in the pitching circle with 266 strikeouts and a 0.49 ERA for Teurlings. Bourgeois is the two-time reigning District 6-3A MVP having won the award as a sophomore in 2005 and a junior in 2006. In her career she has amassed 847 strikeouts over 626 innings pitched and allowed only 241 hits. A multi-sport athlete, Bourgeois has also lettered in volleyball, cross country, basketball and indoor/outdoor track for the Rebels. Hagle was Vermilion Catholic’s female Wendy’s High School Heisman nominee for 2006. She has played first base for VCHS the past four years. Last season Hagle was impressive in sporting a .611 batting average, scoring 16 runs and posting 26 RBI. She earned All-Parish, All-District and All-State honors for the third straight season. 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. Orgeron attends Mount Carmel Academy of District 8-5A in New Orleans. She has seen time as a catcher and outfielder for the Cubs. For her career, Orgeron is batting .404 with 15 home runs and 132 RBI. Last season, Oregeron clubbed eight home runs and drove home 54 runs. Smith is the Cajuns’ second signing from a Class 5A program. Smith plays second base and centerfield for Ruston High School. Smith is a three-time member of the All-District 1-5A first team and was named her team’s offensive MVP as a sophomore and defensive MVP as a junior. Smith posted 42 hits in 86 official at bats during the 2006 season. She scored 27 runs and tallied 21 stolen bases in district play. LOUISIANA SI