Danyele Gomez (2012) - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame

Danyele Gomez

Induction:
2012
Class:
2007

Danyele Gomez (softball) was a four-year softball letterman as an outfielder – playing primarily left field – for co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief from 2003-2006.

She was a three-time NFCA All-American, becoming only the fifth student-athlete in softball program history to be named a three-time Division I All-American (2003, 2005, 2006). Gomez was also a four-time All-Louisiana selection and a three-time All-South Region selection. She earned the distinction of first-ever, two-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, was a two-time Louisiana Player of the Year, and Sun Belt and Louisiana Freshman of the Year.

As a freshman in 2003, Gomez helped guide the Ragin' Cajuns to the school's fourth Women's College World Series appearance – the first WCWS berth of Lotief era – where she delivered a mammoth home run shot off of Texas' Cat Osterman in the Cajuns' opening game. In addition, Danyele was selected to compete for Team USA as a member of the Elite team.

Gomez completed her career as a Ragin' Cajun with a .359 batting average, 83 home runs, 588 total bases and a .946 fielding percentage.

Her senior season was one that just might stand the test of time in the Cajuns annals. That season (2006), she won the Sun Belt Conference's "triple crown" with a league-leading 30 homers, 68 RBI and a .442 batting average, and set school single season records for homers, runs (77) and slugging percentage (.957). Her 30 homers made her just the third player in NCAA Division I history to reach that mark in a season, and when she turned in her uniform and hung up her cleats for the final time ranked fourth in NCAA history with 83 career home runs.

She received a bachelor's degree in nursing in 2007. The Cajuns' all-time career home run leader currently resides is Metairie, La., where she is a nurse at Tulane Medical Hospital.