Alyson Habetz was a pioneer at a young age.
The Crowley product was such a good athlete in her youth that she joined boys and played on her high school baseball team at Notre Dame.
Habetz soon excelled in both softball and basketball at UL Lafayette, then broke more new ground by playing professional baseball with the Silver Bullets.
It was no surprise, then, to find Habetz among a select group of four honorees inducted Saturday into the “S” Club Hall of Fame.
“It’s an incredible honor to be part of such a prestigious group,” Habetz said just before being introduced during halftime of UL’s homecoming game against UL Monroe at Cajun Field.
“It’s a reflection, really, of the wonderful people who helped me along the way. I had great coaches, teammates, fans and friends. I’ve been blessed.”
Habetz, UL’s 1995 Outstanding Graduate in the College of Commerce, is now an assistant softball coach at Alabama under Pat Murphy.
It was poetic justice last May when both Alabama and Louisiana were in the Women’s College World Series, since Habetz helped the Lady Cajuns to their first WCWS in 1993.
Just as special, though, was her time as a member of the Silver Bullets.
“It had always been my dream to play professional baseball,” Habetz said. “The Silver Bullets came along right after college. It was just about the opportunity given, and it came around at the right time.”
It also helps to have talent, and the Hall of Fame quartet had plenty of that.
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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com