Krystal Lewallen Transferring to Louisiana

[LuLu]

There is a very nice article on the Softball web page.
http://www.ragincajuns.com/softball/softball.htm
.
Also, an interesting article in the Cincinnati Enquirer:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...30367/1063/SPT

[RaginEsquire06]

Scott Brasda with KATC @ 6pm stated that LOUISIANA signed a New Pitcher Standout Krystal Lewallen!!!!!!!!!!!!!! National player of the year!!! Signed sealed, and to be delivered!! Welcome Krystal!!


GEAUX CAJUNS,
GEAUX STEPH AND MICHEAL
DADDYCAJUN!!

A true sign as to how great things are becoming here in Cajun land from a national prospective!

[DaddyCajun]

A true sign as to how great things are becoming here in Cajun land from a national prospective!

Do you know of the younger pitchers we have at UL in softball returning and incoming?

Indoor Practice Facility will do even more for ALL sports recruiting!!

DaddyCajun!

[NewsCopy]

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS - Krystal Lewallen, the Northern Kentucky University pitcher who led the team to a 55-2 season, will be playing for the University of Louisiana (Lafayette) Ragin' Cajuns next season.

The move puts Lewallen, the NCAA Division II Women's Athlete of the Year, in Division I play for her senior year.

The source of the story

[NewsCopy]

In three seasons at Northern Kentucky University, former South Oldham High School pitcher Krystal Lewallen accomplished nearly all that was possible in NCAA Division II softball.

So Lewallen has transferred to Sun Belt Conference power Louisiana-La. where she will play her final collegiate season in Division I.

"I'm leaving because I just wanted a little more competition and to be pushed a little harder," said Lewallen, who was named the Division II National Player of the Year in May. "I thought I could do that by playing in Division I."

Lewallen, who also was named the 2004-05 Collegiate Women Sports Awards NCAA Division II Athlete of the Year, went 32-1 with a 0.36 ERA and 335 strikeouts last season. She led No. 1-ranked NKU to an undefeated regular season, an all-divisions softball record 55 straight victories and into the Division II World Series.

The two-time first-team Division II All-American is NKU's career leader in wins (79) and strikeouts (836) and leaves with a career ERA of 0.45.

Lewallen chose Louisiana-La. over 11-time national champion UCLA. Louisiana-La. offered a better financial package. It will pay for the 2005-06 school year, which will begin Aug. 22, and for the 2006-07 school year so she can complete her degree.

"That's hard to turn down," she said.

Lewallen joins a Ragin' Cajuns team that was ranked No. 14 in the country, reached an NCAA regional and finished 51-10 last season. She likely will be the ace of the staff with the graduation of former All-American Brooke Mitchell, who won 119 games during her career. The Ragin' Cajuns will return 11 letterwinners.

The rest of the story

By Nathan Chambers
Special to The Courier-Journal