Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball senior outfielder Ciara Bryan has been named to the 2021 Softball America NCAA Division I All-American Team, a well-deserved reward for her consistency at the plate that resulted in the third-most hits recorded in program history.
Bryan earned her spot in the elite group as a Second Team All-American, receiving the first All-American accolade of her collegiate career. She was one of only 48 total student-athletes across the entire NCAA Division I Softball ranks (301 teams) chosen for the honor.
The Ragin' Cajuns have now placed a representative on the Softball America All-American team each year since it debuted in 2019. Bryan joins Summer Ellyson (second team) and Julie Rawls (honorable mention), who were chosen for the inaugural list, as Louisiana Softball's honorees.
Bryan, the Sun Belt Conference's Player and Newcomer of the Year and First Team NFCA All-Central Region selection, finished the season with 87 base hits which stands to rank No. 3 in the NCAA national statistical rankings and is Louisiana's first 80-hit campaign since 2012 (Katie Smith, 88).
The production at the plate ties her with Christi Orgeron (2011) and Tiffany Clark (1999) for the third-most hits produced in a single season by a Ragin' Cajun.
By recording at least one base hit in all but six of the 59 games Louisiana played during the 2021 season, Bryan recorded the first 80-hit campaign of her collegiate career while maintaining a .420 average or above throughout its entirety.
The Ragin' Cajuns leader in extra base hits with 21 (10 doubles, 4 triples, 7 home runs), she turned in two separate double-digit hitting streaks highlighted by a 17-game streak from Feb. 26-Mar. 27 which was the program's longest since 2013, and went the entire regular season having never experienced back-to-back hitless games.
Bryan also swiped a team-leading 37 stolen bases and scored a team-leading 63 runs in large part to a reached base streak that lasted through the season's first 39 games.
During the 2021 season, the Ragin' Cajuns (47-12, 21-3 Sun Belt) reached the 40-win mark for the 22nd consecutive completed season by closing out the regular season winning 25 of the final 29 games.
Gerry Glasco's squad maintained a Top 20 national ranking throughout the season and repeated as Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions highlighted by an 11-1 record, regular season and tournament combined, against the league's other three NCAA Tournament participants (Texas State, Troy and South Alabama).
Louisiana extended its streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, now at 22 straight dating back to 1999, by appearing in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. The program advanced to Championship Sunday in Baton Rouge, marking the 13th consecutive NCAA Regionals appearance reaching the championship round.