University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Three Ragin’ Cajuns Land on Preseason All-SBC Softball Squad
1/29/2025 10:24:00 AM | Softball
Louisiana collects the most first-place votes in preseason poll
LAFAYETTE – Maddie Hayden, Sam Roe and Cecilia Vasquez represented the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team on the 2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team, the conference office announced on Wednesday.
Louisiana, which officially opens the Alyson Habetz era at home on Thursday, February 6 at Lamson Park against Seton Hall in the 39th annual Louisiana Classics, was picked to finish second in the preseason poll.
The preseason all-conference team and preseason poll were voted upon by the Sun Belt's 12 head coaches.
The Ragin' Cajuns placed a league-high tying three players on the Preseason All-Sun Belt team. Louisiana received the most first-place votes in the coaches poll and finished three points behind Texas State for the top spot.
Hayden returned to the all-conference form of her freshman season in 2024, hitting.353 with career-highs of 71 hits and 30 RBI as the team's two-hole hitter. She led the Cajuns with 53 runs scored and 12 doubles, was the toughest to strikeout in the SBC and Top 25 nationally with only seven (7) strikeouts over 223 plate appearances and swiped 21 stolen bases (26 attempts).
Roe, a returning All-SBC and NFCA All-Region performer, was one of the steadiest bats during the regular season of her debut with UL last season, batting .325 overall and .333 in Sun Belt play. She generated career-highs in average (.320), base hits (58), and RBI (39) and had team's second-most extra base hits (18).
Vasquez is coming off a breakout season offensively, batting .300-plus overall and within SBC play in regular season and finishing as the team leader in extra base hits (10) and home runs (6) during conference play. An elite level defender at shortstop, she fielded .956 at shortstop with 98 assists and only eight errors over 181 chances while being involved in 25 of team's nation-leading 46 double plays.
2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt Softball Team
Bella Henzler, James Madison (Jr., C – Allison Park, Pa.)
Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina (So., 1B – Mount Gambier, Australia)
Sam Roe, Louisiana (Sr., 1B – Destin, Fla.)
Brooklyn Ulrich, Marshall (R-Jr., 2B – Mesa, Ariz.)
Taylor McKinney, Troy (Sr., 2B – Montgomery, Ala.)
Delaney Keith, Coastal Carolina (Jr., 3B – Nampa, Idaho)
Cecilia Vasquez, Louisiana (Jr., SS – New Waverly, Texas)
Meagan Brown, ULM (So., OF – Katy, Texas)
Reed Butler, James Madison (Gr., OF – Pomfret, Md.)
Emma Davis, Georgia Southern (Jr., OF – Grayson, Ga.)
Maddie Hayden, Louisiana (Sr., OF – West Monroe, La.)
Ciara Trahan, Texas State (Sr., OF – Sante Fe, Texas)
Payton List, James Madison (R-So., DP – Beaver, Pa.)
Madison Azua, Texas State (So., P – Round Rock, Texas)
Maddie Nichols, ULM (Jr., P – West Monroe, La.)
Preseason Player of the Year
Brooklyn Ulrich, Marshall (R-Jr., 2B – Mesa, Ariz.)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Madison Azua, Texas State (So., P – Round Rock, Texas)
2025 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
Louisiana Softball season and single-game tickets are currently on sale, outfield general admission seating only, available for purchase online at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685). Fans can also support the softball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through the Krewe Allons NIL Collective (click here).
ABOUT LOUISIANA
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball program's rich tradition includes six Women's College World Series appearances, eight NCAA Super Regional berths and 33 NCAA Regional appearances which ranks as seventh-most in NCAA history.
Louisiana (45-19, 22-2 SBC in 2024), the five-time reigning Sun Belt Conference regular season champions, made its 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last spring which was highlighted by a national seed (No. 13) and host site at Lamson Park.
The 2025 season marks the first under Alyson Habetz's guidance. A celebrated Ragin' Cajuns student-athlete and renowned softball coach, she was named the fifth head coach in Louisiana Softball's storied history on June 25, 2024.
A native of nearby Crowley, Louisiana, Habetz ascends to the head coach ranks in her hometown area of the Acadiana region. A basketball and softball player for the Ragin' Cajuns from 1990-95, she returns to where her impactful contributions to women's athletics began.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
Louisiana, which officially opens the Alyson Habetz era at home on Thursday, February 6 at Lamson Park against Seton Hall in the 39th annual Louisiana Classics, was picked to finish second in the preseason poll.
The preseason all-conference team and preseason poll were voted upon by the Sun Belt's 12 head coaches.
The Ragin' Cajuns placed a league-high tying three players on the Preseason All-Sun Belt team. Louisiana received the most first-place votes in the coaches poll and finished three points behind Texas State for the top spot.
Hayden returned to the all-conference form of her freshman season in 2024, hitting.353 with career-highs of 71 hits and 30 RBI as the team's two-hole hitter. She led the Cajuns with 53 runs scored and 12 doubles, was the toughest to strikeout in the SBC and Top 25 nationally with only seven (7) strikeouts over 223 plate appearances and swiped 21 stolen bases (26 attempts).
Roe, a returning All-SBC and NFCA All-Region performer, was one of the steadiest bats during the regular season of her debut with UL last season, batting .325 overall and .333 in Sun Belt play. She generated career-highs in average (.320), base hits (58), and RBI (39) and had team's second-most extra base hits (18).
Vasquez is coming off a breakout season offensively, batting .300-plus overall and within SBC play in regular season and finishing as the team leader in extra base hits (10) and home runs (6) during conference play. An elite level defender at shortstop, she fielded .956 at shortstop with 98 assists and only eight errors over 181 chances while being involved in 25 of team's nation-leading 46 double plays.
2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt Softball Team
Bella Henzler, James Madison (Jr., C – Allison Park, Pa.)
Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina (So., 1B – Mount Gambier, Australia)
Sam Roe, Louisiana (Sr., 1B – Destin, Fla.)
Brooklyn Ulrich, Marshall (R-Jr., 2B – Mesa, Ariz.)
Taylor McKinney, Troy (Sr., 2B – Montgomery, Ala.)
Delaney Keith, Coastal Carolina (Jr., 3B – Nampa, Idaho)
Cecilia Vasquez, Louisiana (Jr., SS – New Waverly, Texas)
Meagan Brown, ULM (So., OF – Katy, Texas)
Reed Butler, James Madison (Gr., OF – Pomfret, Md.)
Emma Davis, Georgia Southern (Jr., OF – Grayson, Ga.)
Maddie Hayden, Louisiana (Sr., OF – West Monroe, La.)
Ciara Trahan, Texas State (Sr., OF – Sante Fe, Texas)
Payton List, James Madison (R-So., DP – Beaver, Pa.)
Madison Azua, Texas State (So., P – Round Rock, Texas)
Maddie Nichols, ULM (Jr., P – West Monroe, La.)
Preseason Player of the Year
Brooklyn Ulrich, Marshall (R-Jr., 2B – Mesa, Ariz.)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Madison Azua, Texas State (So., P – Round Rock, Texas)
2025 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
- Texas State (5) – 134
- Louisiana (6) – 131
- South Alabama – 106
- Troy – 103
- James Madison (1) – 99
- Coastal Carolina – 94
- ULM – 76
- Georgia Southern – 51
- Marshall – 50
- Southern Miss – 44
- App State – 33
- Georgia State – 13
Louisiana Softball season and single-game tickets are currently on sale, outfield general admission seating only, available for purchase online at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685). Fans can also support the softball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through the Krewe Allons NIL Collective (click here).
ABOUT LOUISIANA
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball program's rich tradition includes six Women's College World Series appearances, eight NCAA Super Regional berths and 33 NCAA Regional appearances which ranks as seventh-most in NCAA history.
Louisiana (45-19, 22-2 SBC in 2024), the five-time reigning Sun Belt Conference regular season champions, made its 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last spring which was highlighted by a national seed (No. 13) and host site at Lamson Park.
The 2025 season marks the first under Alyson Habetz's guidance. A celebrated Ragin' Cajuns student-athlete and renowned softball coach, she was named the fifth head coach in Louisiana Softball's storied history on June 25, 2024.
A native of nearby Crowley, Louisiana, Habetz ascends to the head coach ranks in her hometown area of the Acadiana region. A basketball and softball player for the Ragin' Cajuns from 1990-95, she returns to where her impactful contributions to women's athletics began.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
- www.RaginCajuns.com -
Players Mentioned
Alyson Habetz Media Availability (May 4, 2025)
Monday, May 05
Alyson Habetz, Mia Norwood, and Dayzja Williams Media Availability (April 28, 2025)
Monday, April 28
Alyson Habetz Media Availability (April 21, 2025)
Monday, April 21
Alyson Habetz, Emily Smith, And Mallory Wheeler Media Availability (April 14, 2025)
Monday, April 14
