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Softball Opens Practice for Upcoming 2016 Season
1/6/2016 6:27:00 PM | Softball
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LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team held its first official team practice for the 2016 season on Wednesday at Lamson Park, beginning preparation for the upcoming season which begins in mid-February.
"It's awesome to start a new season with lots of excitement, hope, high expectations and big dreams," Louisiana softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "Our players and staff continue to work hard to pursue excellence.
"Our fans and this community continue to be our 'why' – the reason that we reach for the starts and stay motivated is because our fans believe in us."
The Ragin' Cajuns will continue to practice throughout the month of January and into February leading up to start of the 2016 season Feb. 12-14 at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The squad makes its Lamson Park debut in the Louisiana Classics Feb. 19-21, beginning the tournament with a 2 p.m., doubleheader against Oregon on Feb. 19.
The Ragin' Cajuns, ranked No. 11 in the final 2015 polls and coming off a fourth straight NCAA Super Regional appearance, return all but one of the nine hitters from its 2015 starting lineup that produced a school-record 116 home runs headlined by first team All-America choice and reigning NFCA/Diamond Sports Division I Catcher of the Year Lexie Elkins.
Six players who generated double-digit home run totals return in 2016: Aleah Craighton (12), Lexie Elkins (32), Haley Hayden (14), Shellie Landry (20), Kelsey Vincent (18) and Samantha Walsh (14).
Second team All-Sun Belt selection Alex Stewart (10-2, 2.09 ERA) and Kylee Jo Trahan (2-1, 3.35 ERA) will be the veteran pitchers for the Ragin' Cajuns in 2016. Victoria Brown, who pitched in 2013 and 2014 but missed the 2015 season with a knee injury, will provide added depth in the circle.
The Ragin' Cajuns welcome seven freshmen to the roster: outfielder Beth Ashley (College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated HS), pitcher Summer Ellyson (Lafayette, La./Teurlings Catholic HS), shortstop/utility Kara Gremillion (Gonzales, La./St. Amant HS), infielder Alaina Guarino (Montz, La./Mt. Carmel Academy), outfielder Chelsea Lotief (Lafayette, La./Ascension Episcopal School), catcher/third baseman Brittany Nollkamper (Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch HS), and outfielder Shannon Theriot (Berwick, La./Berwick HS).
Season tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased via phone at (337) 265-2100, online at RaginCajuns.com or by visiting the Cajundome Box Office in-person Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and extended hours during Ragin' Cajuns basketball events.
For more information on Ragin' Cajuns softball, fans can follow along with the team on Facebook (/RaginCajunSoftball) and Twitter (@RaginCajunSB).
DIAMOND NOTES:
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team held its first official team practice for the 2016 season on Wednesday at Lamson Park, beginning preparation for the upcoming season which begins in mid-February.
"It's awesome to start a new season with lots of excitement, hope, high expectations and big dreams," Louisiana softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "Our players and staff continue to work hard to pursue excellence.
"Our fans and this community continue to be our 'why' – the reason that we reach for the starts and stay motivated is because our fans believe in us."
The Ragin' Cajuns will continue to practice throughout the month of January and into February leading up to start of the 2016 season Feb. 12-14 at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The squad makes its Lamson Park debut in the Louisiana Classics Feb. 19-21, beginning the tournament with a 2 p.m., doubleheader against Oregon on Feb. 19.
The Ragin' Cajuns, ranked No. 11 in the final 2015 polls and coming off a fourth straight NCAA Super Regional appearance, return all but one of the nine hitters from its 2015 starting lineup that produced a school-record 116 home runs headlined by first team All-America choice and reigning NFCA/Diamond Sports Division I Catcher of the Year Lexie Elkins.
Six players who generated double-digit home run totals return in 2016: Aleah Craighton (12), Lexie Elkins (32), Haley Hayden (14), Shellie Landry (20), Kelsey Vincent (18) and Samantha Walsh (14).
Second team All-Sun Belt selection Alex Stewart (10-2, 2.09 ERA) and Kylee Jo Trahan (2-1, 3.35 ERA) will be the veteran pitchers for the Ragin' Cajuns in 2016. Victoria Brown, who pitched in 2013 and 2014 but missed the 2015 season with a knee injury, will provide added depth in the circle.
The Ragin' Cajuns welcome seven freshmen to the roster: outfielder Beth Ashley (College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated HS), pitcher Summer Ellyson (Lafayette, La./Teurlings Catholic HS), shortstop/utility Kara Gremillion (Gonzales, La./St. Amant HS), infielder Alaina Guarino (Montz, La./Mt. Carmel Academy), outfielder Chelsea Lotief (Lafayette, La./Ascension Episcopal School), catcher/third baseman Brittany Nollkamper (Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch HS), and outfielder Shannon Theriot (Berwick, La./Berwick HS).
Season tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased via phone at (337) 265-2100, online at RaginCajuns.com or by visiting the Cajundome Box Office in-person Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and extended hours during Ragin' Cajuns basketball events.
For more information on Ragin' Cajuns softball, fans can follow along with the team on Facebook (/RaginCajunSoftball) and Twitter (@RaginCajunSB).
DIAMOND NOTES:
- Louisiana finished the 2015 campaign with a 42-12 record. The Ragin' Cajuns claimed their second straight Sun Belt Conference regular season championship and 13th in the 15 years of league competition since 2001.
- The Ragin' Cajuns enter the 2016 season with 1,497 wins in program history. That leaves the storied program three wins shy of 1,500. Heading into the program's 36th season, the current all-time record is 1,497-443-1 (.772)
- The Ragin' Cajuns carry an active streak of 17 straight seasons appearing in the NCAA Tournament into the 2016 season (1999-2015).
- Louisiana is just one of nine schools to play in the NCAA Tournament every year since 2000. The list also includes: Alabama, Arizona, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA and Washington.
- Since 2008 the Ragin' Cajuns have appeared in the NCAA Super Regionals in six of the last eight seasons (2008, 2010, 2012-15).
- Lamson Park has been the host site of an NCAA Regional the past two seasons (2014, 2015). The Ragin' Cajuns last hosted three straight regionals in the mid-1990s when a string of four straight were held at Lamson Park (1994-97).
- The Ragin' Cajuns spent the entire 2015 season, and postseason, amongst the nation's Top 15, finishing No. 11 in the final poll. It marked the fourth straight season finishing in the Top 15. The current stretch of four straight seasons in the Top 15 is second-longest period in program history trailing only eight straight seasons from 1990-97.
- In 13 previous seasons with Michael Lotief as head coach, the Ragin' Cajuns have finished Top 15 nationally seven times: 2003, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
- The Ragin' Cajuns return 90-plus percent in all major hitting categories (hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and total bases). The squad returns 100 percent of the home run production from 2015 (116 home runs).
- Louisiana led the nation in home runs per game (2.15) and ranked second in scoring offense (8.15 runs/game) and slugging percentage (.652) in 2015.
- Lexie Elkins is the reigning NCAA home run champion, producing a school-record 32 home runs in 2015. Her home run total led all levels of collegiate softball.
- Lexie Elkins, the two-time reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (2014, 2015) and 2015 NFCA/Diamond Sports Division I Catcher of the Year, enters her final collegiate season 27 home runs shy of Danyele Gomez's school career record (83).
- Lafayette native Shellie Landry enters her senior season coming off an all-around, career-best showing in 2015 recording new personal bests for average (.372), runs (49), hits (64), doubles (16), home runs (20) and total bases (142). The production resulted in her first career All-America honor (second team at-large).
- For the first time since 2011, the Ragin' Cajuns will not have either Christina Hamilton or Jordan Wallace in the circle. The duo combined for 30 of Louisiana's 42 wins in 2015.
- Jordan Wallace, who suited up for the Ragin Cajuns from 2012-15, concluded her career ranked No. 2 in career strikeouts (905) and No. 4 in career victories (91). Hamilton is best remembered for a sparkling 29-4 record in helping lead Louisiana to the Women's College World Series in 2014.
- Alex Stewart finished second among Sun Belt pitchers in ERA in 2015. She was undefeated through her first 10 decisions/15 appearances – lone loss coming at No. 2 Oregon. The Zionsville, Ind., product earned the win in five of the Ragin' Cajuns last 10 Sun Belt triumphs.
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