Softball Offseason

[JMV JustMyView]

Hope Jenkins to Ole Miss. Let's see if Grace will commit to us?

Both to Ole Miss would not surprise me. Fingers crossed.

[UL_Cajuns]

Not a great day but still a great day to be a Cajuns fan and not a TSAB fan ever!

[SlickRick]

Hard to believe we haven't filled those 2 coaching positions. That is not helping our ability to recruit the portal or any HS recruits too. Frustrating!

[JMV JustMyView]

Hard to believe we haven't filled those 2 coaching positions. That is not helping our ability to recruit the portal or any HS recruits too. Frustrating!

The season ended 45 days ago. Zero coaches and two portal players. We are running out of time to get quality players and coaches.

[Cajunrunner]

The season ended 45 days ago. Zero coaches and two portal players. We are running out of time to get quality players and coaches.

What do we think is the main reason for not having hired either replacement yet?

[fanof71]

What do we think is the main reason for not having hired either replacement yet?

What else? Money...

[MarlinMan3]

What do we think is the main reason for not having hired either replacement yet?

Well way more buzz about not yet having a coach than most assistant coaches get

[VObserver]

On June 25, 2024, Alyson Habetz was hired as head coach for Louisiana Softball. What follows is my evaluation of her performance in year one. It is my opinion only, based solely upon my analysis of the team's performance this past season and of coach Habetz' performance of her duties as head coach. Feel free to disagree with me, as I am only a fan trying to take an unbiased look at what has transpired in the program over the last year.

Player Retention: C

There is no possible argument that can be made that following 2024, it was imperative that whoever our coach was their #1 priority on day 1 was to re-recruit the quality players on hand. The failure to keep Sam Landry and Brooke Ellestad, both of whom were still with us on June 25, 2024, was a major failure. There is zero doubt that our 2025 season would have looked much different with those two still here. The same principal applies in not retaining Mallory Wheeler this season, though to a lesser degree than the 2024 players.

Portal Recruiting: C -

Neither of our pitchers who portaled in last season had an ERA under 4. None of the position players hit over .290, though Liscano and Ardoin did account for 31 and 27 runs,
and White and Liscano were excellent defensively, and Ardoin was an above average defender as well.

So far this year's portal class is both thin and unproven. Both Marceaux and Manning were high level recruits out of High School, but neither has done anything noteworthy at the D1 level. We are still in need of at least 3 more portal players, a pitcher, a catcher and an outfielder. The catcher and the outfielder must be good defenders and capable of accounting for at least 50 runs each. While there are still quite a few players left in the portal that could help us, every day sees those players becoming fewer and fewer.

Player development: D

Of players on the roster during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, only Kayla Falterman and Cecilia Vasquez showed improvement at the plate year over year, and even that is debatable. Falterman missed much of 2024, so her improved numbers in 2025 are at least partly due to increased opportunities. Vasquez' batting average was essentially flat across the two seasons and her extra base hits dropped from 14 in 2024 to 9 in 2025; but she missed 12 games in 2025 with injuries and still accounted for more runs in 2025 [49] than in 2024 [39].

Literally everyone else went down in runs accounted for year over year; Hayden from 83 in 2024 to 64 in 2025, Roe from 73 to 41, Credeur from 42 to 25 and Williams from 22 to 17.

In the circle, among returning pitchers only Sam Ryan threw even one pitch. Sam went from 18.2 IP in 2024 to 76.1 IP in 2025, and improved both her ERA and her WHIP year over year. None of the portal pitchers showed much improvement over the season.

Among 2025 freshmen, only Emily Smith made a significant impact at the plate, hitting .362 and accounting for 57 runs. The rest were average at best. In the field, Smith made great strides at 1B in her footwork and fielding over the course of the season, Norwood showed to be an adequate backup catcher and Stutes as a reasonably capable backup infielder. Wheeler showed some promise in the circle, but she will not be returning.

Intangibles: B

The players clearly were bought in with Habetz and with each other. They all played hard even in bad losses. This is a very good thing, and something every coach needs; but in the end, the only things that matter are the scoreboard and the standings sheet.

Overall, considering the history and tradition of the program relative to the results last season, I see no way I can assign an overall grade for the last season better than D. Even that may have a bit of vermilion glasses tint to it.

[raginrevival]

Where I disagree is this...A team depleted by a former coach and players chasing NIL money left a very inexperienced young team with a new coaching staff and philosophy. I judged this year (much like I will the Saints) by looking for overall improvement throughout the year. I feel toward the end of the season the team was playing much better and I felt showed overall improvement from the beginning. At any given time you had 4 freshman, 2 sophomores, and 2 juniors starting. In addition they lost the starting junior shortstop for multiple games. I may be looking through those vermilion glasses but would give them a solid B for what was delt to them. I also think we need to realize that yes the Cajuns have a solid program but in the new NCAA BS world it will be very hard to compete with the likes of TSAB, TT, OKL, etc being a mid-major without a million dollar plus budget.

[fanof71]

Losing record does not equate to a B...come on man...
..