The Book 2009 LAdy Cajuns Softball

[NewsCopy]

  UL - Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns softball co-head coaches Michael and Stefni Lotief announced their program’s 2009 schedule.

The schedule features over 30 home games, including the three tournaments to be held at the Alfred and Helen Lamson Lady Cajuns softball Park.

The Cajuns, who finished the 2008 season ranked sixth in the nation, will play 12 games against teams that finished the season ranked in the NFCA’s Top 25 or were receiving votes in the final poll. Eleven (11) of the teams on the UL schedule competed in the NCAA Softball Regionals last season, including five teams that were national seeds in the tournament.

UL will host a dozen Sun Belt Conference games in their attempt at their eighth regular season conference title in the past nine years.

“I think we have accomplished our goal of putting together a competitive schedule that will test us,” Michael Lotief commented. “We are looking forward to the upcoming season and I think that it has some great games for the fans that like to come out to Lamson Park and see us play. We continue to try to put together our schedules to bring together the best teams in the country here. We want to play the best.

“We encourage our fans to buy their tickets now and any new fans to come out and support us as we continue to chase our dreams.”

The Ragin’ Cajuns open the season with three consecutive home tournaments. The season is officially kicked off on Feb. 6-8 with the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational. The following weekend, Feb. 13-15, UL will host the 23rd Annual Louisiana Classics. The home tournament schedule will conclude with the Fifth Annual Mardi Gras Invitational on Feb. 20-22.

Louisiana then travels to Columbus, Ga. for the NFCA Leadoff Classic. At the Leadoff, the Cajuns will take on five teams that made the postseason, including three that finished the year nationally ranked.

The Cajuns return to Lafayette on March 4 through March 10 to take on Southern Miss, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech, before heading out to Fullerton, Calif. for the Judi Garman Classic.

Following the Judi Garman Classic, Louisiana returns home for 11 of the next 12 games from March 17 through April 7, including nine Sun Belt Conference games. After back-to-back road conference series, the Cajuns host Troy in a three-game series before hitting the road for six f the final seven games of the year.

The Ragin’ Cajuns close out the home season with a single game on April 28 against Super Regional foe Houston.

The Cajuns ended the year with a 52-15 overall record. The 52 wins marked the ninth time in program history UL has amassed 50-plus wins on the year and the sixth time under the Lotiefs.

UL finished the season with their seventh regular season Sun Belt Conference title; their eighth SBC Tournament championship; their 18th NCAA Regional berth; and their fifth WCWS appearance.

Holly Tankersley, who hit the game-winning home run in the eighth inning against No. 1 Florida in the first game of the WCWS, became the program’s 13th first-team All-American and the 36th All-American overall in school history.

Tankersley, Vanessa Soto and Ashley Brignac were all named to the NFCA All-South Region. Tankersley and Soto both were first team, while the true freshman Brignac was named to the second team.

The Ragin’ Cajuns had seven players named All-Sun Belt Conference on the year, with Tankersley, Soto and Brignac taking Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Pitcher of the Year accolades, respectively.

The Cajuns also swept through the All-Louisiana awards, claiming the Player of the Year (Tankersley), Pitcher of the Year (Brignac), Freshman of the Year (Donna Bourgeois) and Coach of the Year (Stefni Lotief) honors, as well as placing a total of nine players on the team.

RaginCajuns.com

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  With the start of UL's softball season about six weeks away, there's some good news to report for two Cajuns recovering from injuries after playing vital roles during last season's run to the Women's College World Series.

The rest of the story

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • December 26, 2008

[LuLu]

I wonder why there was no mention of Codi Runyan's return? Will she be back?

[BeauCajun]

_ I wonder why there was no mention of Codi Runyan's return? Will she be back? _

Yep, that is my understanding.

[lcitsh]

_ I wonder why there was no mention of Codi Runyan's return? Will she be back? _

She's fine. While I don't think it's fair to expect her to return to the form she had two years ago, I do expect her to be the starting shortstop this season.

[Parrott]

Michael Lotief told me Codi is expected to start at shortstop, granted she can stay healthy. The biggest question right now is at second base. He said as many as seven players are fighting for the spot.

[NOCajun]

While I'm a bit disappointed that Montana might not play for us, I wish her the best with her graduate studies.

[LuLu]

The biggest question right now is at second base. He said as many as seven players are fighting for the spot. _

Whoa! Seven players????? Who SEVEN!

I wonder if Megan Granger was released from Tech and is eligible to play?

[Parrott]

_ Whoa! Seven players????? Who SEVEN!

I wonder if Megan Granger was released from Tech and is eligible to play? _

She is included on the most recent roster.

Last season's starting left fielder Katie Smith, Kelly Cormier and incoming recruits Ashley Ray and Heidi Pizer are four of those seven competing for the job at second base.

[LuLu]

_ Last season's starting left fielder Katie Smith, Kelly Cormier and incoming recruits Ashley Ray and Heidi Pizer are four of those seven competing for the job at second base. _

Katie won't be in the field? Wow! She was awesome!

[BeauCajun]

_ Katie won't be in the field? Wow! She was awesome! _

She may be "in" the field. If that happens, then she won't be "out" the field.

[CajunT]

_ Katie won't be in the field? Wow! She was awesome! _

Ashley Ray had a really good fall, watch her closely this spring!

[Bankruptcyman]

_ Ashley Ray had a really good fall, watch her closely this spring! _

Glad to hear a St. Landry Parish athlete (Beau Chene H.S.) is doing so well!

[NewsCopy]

  We close the week by entering the Top 10 of our college softball preseason countdown, giving me an opportunity to zoom in a little on one particularly cool story.

10. Louisiana-Lafayette

Last season: 52-15 (Lost to Alabama in the Women's College World Series)

Preseason talking point: Louisiana-Lafayette was one of the best-kept secrets in softball last season, at least up to the point where the unseeded Ragin' Cajuns bused all the way to Oklahoma City and stunned top-seeded Florida in the opening game of the Women's College World Series.

After tearing her ACL last March, Melissa Verde chose rehab over surgery and returned to play.

Sneaking up on the competition won't be an option this season. I thought No. 10 was a pretty strong reflection of confidence in the reigning Sun Belt champions, but the NFCA's preseason top 25 poll did that a few spots better, slotting them in at No. 6.

The rest of the story

Posted by Graham Hays

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  OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.-The Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, has selected its initial “Watch List” for the 8th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award.

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball’s Ashley Brignac was named to the initial watch list.

Brignac, a sophomore from River Ridge, La., lived up to the hype in her rookie campaign, leading the Cajuns in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, strikeouts looking, appearances, starts and opponent batting average. She was named Second Team NFCA All-South Region, Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-Sun Belt Conference, Sun Belt Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Louisiana Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-Louisiana. Brignac finished the year ranked in the NCAA in ERA, strikeouts per seven innings, victories and hits allowed per seven innings.

This award, which is considered the most prestigious honors in Division I women’s collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. Past winners of this award include UCLA’s Stacey Nuveman, Florida State’s Jessica Van der Linden, three-time winner Texas pitcher Cat Osterman, Tennessee’s Monica Abbott and Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher.

The 2009 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 32 schools and 13 different NCAA Division I Conferences.

The ASA will announce the 25 finalists on April 1. A player does not have to appear on the initial watch list to be considered as a top 25 finalist. However, once the top 25 finalists are named the winner of the award will come from that list. *Freshman qualify for the top 25 list once they have competed at the collegiate level.

Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 6. The final three finalists will be announced May 20 while the winner of the 2009 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the 2009 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

RaginCajuns.com