TROY, Ala.-The Sun Belt Conference announced their 2008 All-Conference team and seven Ragin’ Cajuns players were named to the list.

Three Cajuns garnered top conference honors as Holly Tankersley (Kirbyville, Texas) was named Player of the Year; Ashley Brignac (River Ridge, La.) was named Pitcher of the Year; and Vanessa Soto (San Diego, Calif.) was named Newcomer of the Year.

Troy’s Ashlyn Williams was dubbed Freshman of the Year, while Florida International’s Beth McClendon was awarded Coach of the Year accolades.

The Cajuns placed five players on the first team and a pair of players on the second team. Brignac, Soto and Tankersley were named to the first team, as well as, Lana Bowers (Crosby, Texas) and Vallie Gaspard (Maurice, La.).

Donna Bourgeois (Lafayette, La.) and Karli Hubbard (Lafayette, La.) were both named to the second team.

Louisiana boasted the most players on the All-Conference teams with seven players. They were followed by Florida International and Troy who had five players and four players, respectively. North Texas placed a pair of players on the team, while Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee, South Alabama and Western Kentucky each had one player named.

For Tankersley, the first team award marks the third time in the senior’s career she has been All-Conference. Hubbard has been All-Sun Belt once before, while the award is the first for Bourgeois, Bowers, Brignac, Gaspard and Soto.

Others named to the first team were Williams (Troy), Mallory Cantley (North Texas), Rebecca Horesky (Western Kentucky), Katya Muller (North Texas), Kim Rodriguez (Florida International) and Evelyne Pare (South Alabama).

Rounding out the second team were Amber Barton (Florida Atlantic), Jessica Landau (Florida International), Rocky Paige (Troy), Courtney Davis (Troy), Katie Bell (Florida International), Amanda Cox (Florida International), Monique White (Florida International), Corrie Abel (Middle Tennessee) and Heidi Johnson (Troy).

RaginCajuns.com

Chris Whitehead