Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park

Softball


Year Opened	1985
Seating Capacity	2,790
Dimensions	LF: 200; C: 220; RF: 200
First Game	Feb. 26, 1985 (W, 11-0 vs. Ball State)
Largest Crowd	3,107 (vs. Louisiana State; Feb. 15, 2020)

Since 1985, the University of Louisiana and its perennial powerhouse softball program has called Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park its very own home.

Originally known as Lady Cajun Park the facility was renamed Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park in 2002, then in 2006 was dedicated in memory of long-time loyal supporters Alfred and Helen Lamson lending to the current namesake.

More recently, the facility was rebranded as Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park in March 2019 to honor the original architect of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Girouard coached the Ragin' Cajuns to three 50-win seasons, seven 40-win seasons, six Top-10 national poll finishes and three Women's College World Series appearances.

Often called the most beautiful and nostalgic field in the country by opposing teams who play on it, the facility went through a $2.1 million renovation from 2009-11 to create the current configuration.

The renovation included a new mostly-covered grandstand between dugouts, three private luxury boxes and a 50-seat Stadium Club. There was also the addition of more seating beyond the outfield fence. All of these new seats bring the capacity of Lamson Park up to 2,790.

Also included in the renovations was a new press box with three broadcast booths, a larger and more functional locker room that includes a technology-driven meeting room and new scoreboard in right field that debuted in 2010.

The facility continues to grow to meet the needs to keep Louisiana Softball competitive on the national level, meet the needs of an ever-growing fan base and provide a first-class atmosphere.

In Fall 2016 a state-of-the-art indoor hitting facility was constructed in the left field corner giving the Ragin' Cajuns the advantage many Power 5 programs enjoy. The structure includes 12 total cages on zip lines which can be retracted to open up the facility for infield drills and an area for pitching instruction.

Further enhancing the experience at the facility is a new artificial playing surface installed by GeoSurfaces which debuted in the 2019 season.

If there really is a "Field of Dreams," it might just be Louisiana's Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. Thirty-plus years ago, the land which now houses the facility, was a pasture filled with barns, cattle, six-foot tall grass and the University’s dairy farm.

Today, this same land houses one of the best facilities in the country and plays host to the greatest softball show around.

The evolution of Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park has been ongoing ever since it was constructed in the 1980’s. Starting in the early 1990’s the facility began to grow into its current state.

After sustaining damage during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, a 30-foot backstop and a grandstand seating section were added behind home plate. Not long after, a Press Box/Concession was added on to the grandstand.

The Ragin' Cajuns received a welcomed addition at the end of the 1994 season. With the generosity and effort of many loyal fans, the program received a locker room/bathroom facility with brand new carpeting and a satellite television, as well as leather furniture – giving the team plenty of room for relaxation before and after the game. An equipment room with a washer and dryer was also part of the facility.

In 2002, a new lighting system was installed allowing Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park to meet the NCAA lighting standards for hosting an NCAA Regional, an amenity in which few facilities across the country compare to.

In 2007, the Louisiana Athletics Department oversaw the construction of the Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility. Equipped with an artificial playing surface and drop-down batting cages, it is located adjacent to the softball field.

A few other changes were made in 2006. The right field and left field foul lines were adorned by brick walls. Another major construction project involved new dugouts for both the Cajuns and the visiting team – adding to the new and improved look of the facility and providing the biggest square footage dugouts you will find in the country.

The batting cages down the right field line were expanded in 2006. The new design allowed the Ragin’ Cajuns access to six different cages at once and was able to accommodate several teams at once when Louisiana hosted a tournament.

The all-time attendance high occurred on May 20, 2012 in the NCAA Lafayette Regional Championship game vs. Stanford when 2,729 packed the park to see Louisiana win its seventh regional title with a 6-2 win over the Cardinal.

The previous attendance record came on April 18, 2001, when 1,729 managed to pack into the facility as Louisiana hosted in-state rival Louisiana State in a doubleheader. The two nationally-ranked programs split the doubleheader, as fans lined the fences for the Louisiana intercollegiate softball attendance record.

Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park has hosted one NCAA Super Regional (2014), 12 NCAA Regionals (last was 2016), and five Sun Belt Conference Tournaments (2000, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2018).

EVENTS HOSTED


1990	NCAA Regional
1991	NCAA Regional
1992	NCAA Regional
1994	NCAA Regional
1995	NCAA Regional
1996	NCAA Regional
1997	NCAA Regional
2000	Sun Belt Tournament
2002	NCAA Regional
2004	Sun Belt Tournament
2011	Sun Belt Tournament
2012	NCAA Regional
2014	Sun Belt Tournament
2014	NCAA Regional
2014	NCAA Super Regional
2015	NCAA Regional
2016	NCAA Regional
2018	Sun Belt Tournament
2023	Sun Belt Tournament
2024	NCAA Regional
2026	Sun Belt Tournament