Melissa Verde

Position:
Third Base
Height:
5-5
Class:
Senior
High School:
Monsignor Kelly Catholic

First Team All-Sun Belt (2009)
All-Sun Belt Conference Tournament (2008, 2009)
Louisiana Classics All-Tournament Team (2009)
Mardi Gras Invitational Most Outstanding Player (2009)
Mardi Gras Invitational All-Tournament Team (2009)
All-Louisiana (2007, 2008, 2009)

2009
Was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region and First Team All-Sun Belt after starting 58 games at third base ... Was named to the SBC All-Tournament Team, the Louisiana Classics All-Tournament Team and earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Mardi Gras Invitational ... Posted a .319 batting average on the year ... On-base percentage ranked second on the team (.482) and slugging percentage ranked third (.531) ... Led team with six multiple RBI games ... Drove in 61 runs to lead the conference ... Ranked 13th in the nation, averaging 1.05 RBI per game ... Batting average ranked 10th in SBC during regular season (.333) ... Had 12 multiple hit games ... Was third on the squad with 51 hits, 10 doubles and eight home runs ... Drew 49 walks, ranking her ninth in the nation with 0.89 walks per game ... Hit a 10th-inning grand slam to lift UL over UConn at the Mardi Gras Invitational ... Began the season with 11 straight games without a strikeout - 47 plate appearances and struck out only 15 times over 58 games and 220 plate appearances.

2008
Missed 13 games with an ACL injury, recovering to once again be a significant contributor and starter ... Had a .294 batting average on the season with 42 hits, including 10 doubles, a triple and seven home runs ... Had two doubles and five home runs, including a grand slam after returning to the lineup on Apr. 12 ... Boasted a .524 slugging percentage with a .463 on-base percentage ... Led the team with 46 walks on the year, second on the Cajuns' single-season walk list 15 walks shy of Lacey Bertucci who set the school record with 61 free passes in 2007 ... Ranked 6th in the NCAA in walks per game ... Collected just one hit in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, but made it count as she blasted a grand slam against #15 LSU; Led the team during the regional with a 1.000 slugging percentage, a .727 on-base percentage and seven walks ... Added a solo home run in the NCAA Houston Super Regional ... Was named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team, finishing the week with a .667 batting average with six hits, including a pair of home runs and a double, five runs scored and a tournament-record eight RBI ... Boasted a 1.444 slugging percentage in the SBC Tournament ... Also drew five walks in the conference tournament for a on-base percentage of .786 ... Despite her injury, her batting average never dipped below .250 on the season.

2007
Completed her first season of action with the Cajuns with a .303 batting average, which was third on the team ... Tied for third on the team in runs scored with 34 ... Led the team with 15 doubles ... Was second in the Cajuns line-up with 109 total bases ... Led the team in at bats with 201 ... Third on the team with a slugging percentage of .542 ... Third on the team with 61 hits ... Led the team with three triples ... Fifth on the Cajuns squad with a .389 on base percentage ... Her 49 RBI ranked second, while her nine homeruns tied for fourth ... Started all 64 games for the Cajuns at third base ... Had 12 multi-hit games ... Hit her first collegiate home run on Feb. 9, as the Cajuns defeated No. 14 Georgia, 12-4 ... Was a perfect 4-for-4 against Penn State in the Judi Garman Classic in a 6-5 Cajuns win ... Was also 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in a 14-0 win over Houston on April 18, in the second game of a doubleheader ... Also had a pair of home runs and six RBI in a 3-for-4 performance against College World Series participant No. 17 Baylor in a 10-2 Cajuns victory ... Also had three separate six-game hitting streaks during the season.

2006
Did not compete during the season, taking a redshirt.

High School
Named to All-District and All-State team all four years ... As a junior, she posted a 19-2 record as a pitcher with a .485 batting average leading her team to the state finals ... Named All-District and All-State all four years ... Had a career high school batting average above .500 and her career high school winning percentage as a pitcher was above .800 ... District MVP three times ... Also played basketball ... Played summer for her father and the Blast Gold ... Went 21-2 in the pitching circle as a senior ... Capped off her senior season with District MVP and State MVP honors.

Personal
Born March 16, 1987, in Houston, Texas ... Full name is Melissa Courtney Verde ... Daughter of Robert and Diane Verde ... Has an older sister, Linsday ... Chose the same jersey number (16) that her father wore when he played college baseball at Texas A&M ... Attended the same high school as former Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball player Erin Kacy.