Izard, Foreman Set to Join Louisiana Softball Beginning in 2021

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball head coach Gerry Glasco added both experience and depth to the program's 2021 roster, specifically in the outfield and pitching circle, with the signing of pair of student-athletes from the collegiate level in early May.

Set to join the Ragin' Cajuns next season is All-American junior college outfielder Frankie Izard from Lake Land (Ill.) College and highly touted west coast pitching product Vanessa Foreman who last played at perennially ranked Arizona.

Both Izard and Foreman will have three seasons of eligibility to compete for Louisiana, starting with the 2021 campaign.

Frankie Izard (L/R, Outfielder)
Classification | Sophomore
Hometown | St. Joseph, Ill.
Previous School | Lake Land College
High School | St. Joseph-Ogden (Ill.) HS

Izard was a track star, winning seven state medals including a title in the 4x100 meter dash as a sophomore, before committing to softball full time during her senior year at St. Joseph-Ogden (Ill.) High School.

She was an instant success at Lake Land (Ill.) College, completing her two-year stay at the Matoon, Ill.-based college setting the career record for batting average (.510) and on base percentage (.551). She accumulated 127 runs scored, 171 hits, 76 RBI and 42 stolen bases.

As a freshman in 2019, Izard was 131-for-256 (.512) at the plate with 53 RBI, leading the NJCAA in at bats and hits, ranking fourth in runs and triples and finishing ninth in batting average. She struck out only twice in 271 plate appearances.

The freshman season success garnered her the NJCAA Division I Region 24 Player of the Year award and NFCA All-Midwest Region and All-American honors.

Izard, who has a 3.8 grade point average, hit an impressive .468, to go along with a .558 on-base percentage, 23 RBI, and eight stolen bases in the shortened 2020 season.

Glasco's Take
"Frankie (Izard) brings us an elite offensive player who can also play extremely good defense in the outfield. She is a tremendous hard worker and a great student in the classroom.

"We look forward to adding her ability to produce excellence in many different areas of our program."

Vanessa Foreman (L/L, Pitcher)
Classification | Sophomore
Hometown | Lakewood, Calif.
Previous School | Arizona
High School | Gahr (Calif.) HS

Foreman, who competed in travel ball for Corona Angels Tyson (2014) and OC Batbusters Campbell (2015) winning back-to-back 14U PGF National Championships, was ranked as the 53rd best recruit nationally by Extra Inning Softball coming out of Gahr (Calif.) High School.

She finished 11-2 with a 1.05 ERA as a senior, helping lead Gahr HS to a 24-6 record and league title. Foreman was the recipient of the school's Rants Academic Achievement Award, and graduated with honors.

The left-handed hurler was named a USSSA Elite Select first-team All-American as a sophomore and a PGF Western Region All-American as a senior. She also earned first team all-conference honors as a sophomore, junior and senior.

Foreman competed for the SoCal All-Stars in contests with Team USA and Team Mexico during the summer of 2018. She also competed for Team Israel at the 2019 Women's European Championship, starting nine games and allowing only 10 earned runs over 44 innings.

The Lakewood, Calif., native arrived at Arizona in fall 2018 and worked under the tutelage of collegiate softball legends Mike Candrea and Taryne Mowatt. Foreman made four appearances, including two starts, as a freshman in 2019. She did not pitch in 2020, as she was scheduled to take a redshirt prior to the season being canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Glasco's Take
"Vanessa (Foreman) brings us a great competitor in the circle who wants the ball in big moments. In addition to bringing us a talented left-handed arm to our bullpen, she gives us a wealth of experience gained from experiencing elite championship competition while playing with the top organizations on the west coast.

"She was one of the top pitching prospects in her high school class due to her tremendous success – winning and competing in national championships for the best teams and coaches on the west coast for several summers. I'm thrilled to add such a gifted performer to our squad.

"Vanessa is a tall and lanky hurler who can really pitch. She can also get up in on the hands of batters when she wants to because of her combination of speed and the ability to both use and command the changeup."

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-- RaginCajuns.com --

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Izard, Foreman Set to Join Louisiana Softball Beginning in 2021

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