University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
2016 Softball Roster
Craighton, Aleah
Jersey Number 8
Aleah Craighton
- Position:
- Outfielder
- Height:
- 5-7
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Prairieville, La.
- High School:
- Dutchtown HS
Bio
Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List (2017)
NFCA First Team All-America (2017)
NFCA First Team All-Central Region (2017)
Sun Belt Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year (2017)
Sun Belt Conference Tournament All-Tournament Team (2017)
All-Sun Belt First Team (2017)
All-Louisiana First Team (2017)
USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List (2017)
Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (2017)
Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll (2016)
NFCA Second Team All-America (2016)
NFCA First Team All-Central Region (2016)
Sun Belt Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2016)
All-Sun Belt First Team (2016)
All-Louisiana First Team (2016)
All-Louisiana Honorable Mention (2015)
Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List (2014)
2017 (Junior)
Started in center field for the second straight season…appeared in all 55 games, extending string of consecutive games started to 164…reached double digit home runs (18) and 40-plus RBI (53) a third straight season…ranked Top 50 nationally in nearly every major offensive statistic including runs, on base percentage, walks, home runs, slugging percentage and RBI…matched career-high home run total with 18, ranking Top 15 nationally in total home runs and home runs per game…half of her hits (25-of-50) went for extra bases…upped career extra base hits total to 83 and posted 20-plus for the third consecutive season…posted 13 multiple-hit games on the way to reaching 50 base hits for the third consecutive season (finished with 50)…reached base 113 times in 211 plate appearances (54 percent), leading to a career-high 65 runs scored…ranked No. 3 nationally in runs per game (1.18)…scored multiple runs 19 times…issued 49 walks, the third-most in program history and highest total since Melissa Verde drew the same amount in 2009…opened the season reaching base safely in 26 consecutive games and as a result finished Top 15 nationally in on base percentage (.536)…of her 15 multiple-RBI games, over half (9) produced at least three RBI…recorded 55 putouts, reaching 50-plus a second straight season…once again among the leaders in Sun Belt play ranking Top 5 in in average (.410), slugging percentage (1.049), on base percentage (.593), runs (32), RBI (31) and home runs (12), and Top 10 in total bases (64)…recorded career-best, nine-game hitting streak Mar. 3-18…after being worked around by pitchers in February and receiving 23 walks in the month alone, hit .369 with 16 homers and 41 RBI after March 1…broke open both games on opening day with a three-run triple vs. DePaul for an 8-1 lead and a two-run homer vs. Iowa State for a 5-1 edge…led the charge with four RBI vs. Drake in Mardi Gras Invitational opener, launching a three-run homer in the fifth to open a 6-0 lead…started nine-game hitting streak during Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational (Mar. 3-5) and ended the event with eight hits…scored three runs total, including two during an 11-run third inning that erased a 4-3 deficit, on Mar. 5 vs. Alcorn as the Cajuns captured head coach Michael Lotief’s 700th career victory…put the Cajuns on the scoreboard vs. Baylor’s Kelsee Selman with a solo home run leading off the sixth inning…hit walk-off homer in Sun Belt opener vs. UTA on Mar. 18 and a two-run shot in the finale at South Alabama the following weekend to break open a two-run game and clinch the first sweep in Mobile since 2011…hit .625 (5-for-8), homered all three games, scored multiple runs each game in tallying seven runs total and posted a series-high six RBI in sweep of Troy, landing her Sun Belt Player of the Week accolades…generated a pair of four RBI games in Georgia State series (Apr. 22-23)…went 3-for-3 at the plate with two home runs and a game-high four RBI in the finale vs. GSU, with the second homer bringing home three runs to extend the lead to 10-6 in the fourth inning…picked up second single of the game in the third inning and later scored Louisiana’s sixth run of Game 2 at ULM following a defensive miscue – proved to be winning run as Warhawks trimmed lead to 6-5 in the sixth…first of two home runs in finale at ULM broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning... solo homer in the fifth inning of ULM finale was the Ragin' Cajuns 80th homer of the season, marking the fifth straight season that the program reached 80 home runs…produced two home runs and six RBI over the first two games at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, leading the Cajuns to the championship game…recorded the first hit by either team in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional opener vs. McNeese with a leadoff single in the fourth inning and later scored to break the scoreless tie when Corin Voinchè doubled down the left field line…was a first team choice on the All-Sun Belt, All-NFCA Central Region and All-Louisiana squads…named an NFCA Division I All-American for the second straight year, picking up first team honors…member of the 50-person USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List.
2016 (Sophomore)
Moved to center field after playing right field in redshirt freshman season … played in and started all 55 games … set personal season-bests for doubles (12), home runs (18), RBI (56) and extra base hits (32) … scored a career-high 56 runs, reached 50-plus hits a second straight season and tallied 50-plus RBI for the first time … batting average was above .370 for a second straight season, finishing at .378 … over half of hits went for extra bases (32-of-56) leading to a career-best .851 slugging percentage … ranked Top 10 nationally in slugging, Top 20 in home runs, Top 40 in runs per game and Top 50 in RBI per game … in Sun Belt Conference play, led the league in slugging percentage (1.069), on base percentage (.593), runs (33) and home runs (11) … hit a home run in both games of a doubleheader three straight weekends in March (Southern Miss, South Alabama, UT Arlington) … led the team with 23 two-out RBI … recorded 13 multiple-RBI games, reaching three RBI nine times … In the month of April, was aboard the base path 30 times in 47 plate appearances (.638 OB%) … During Lexie Elkins’ absence (thumb injury) from April 2-May 8, hit .395, slugged a team-best seven home runs, posted a .974 slugging percentage and .623 on base percentage ... became the hitter pitcher’s worked around (15 walks and eight hit by pitch) during Elkins' absence ... made her 100th career appearance on May 7 vs. ULM at Lamson Park … posted her 100th career base hit on May 12 in Sun Belt Tournament opener vs. Georgia State … produced a pair of multiple-hit games on opening day in Gulf Shores, ending the day 4-for-7 with three RBI (three-run triple in season opener vs. Ball State) … doubled in three of the five games in Gulf Shores … generated five RBI in the doubleheader sweep of Texas Tech on Feb. 25 … opened the scoring in Game 1 at Southern Miss (March 5) with a grand slam in the first inning … added a solo home run and sacrifice fly in Game 2 to end the day with six RBI … delivered two home runs and four RBI in key Sun Belt sweep of South Alabama on March 13 at Lamson Park … solo home run in Game 1 created a 2-all tie and three-run home run in Game 2 capped off the Cajuns’ eight-run rally in the sixth inning and extended the lead to 10-6 … homered three times in the doubleheader at UT Arlington on March 19 … capped off the day with a career-high tying two home runs and six RBI in Game 2 … provided the winning run in Game 2 vs. Texas State on April 2 with a solo home run that followed Kelsey Vincent’s two-run home run which tied the game in the previous at bat … named Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Week on April 11 after reaching the base path in all but two of 11 plate appearances at Georgia State (April 9-10) … closed the series reaching base in each of her final eight plate appearances … posted three RBI in helping Louisiana build a 4-0 lead, and later drew a one-out walk in the top of the seventh inning to set up DJ Sanders' game-winning home run Game 2 of the Saturday twinbill (Cajuns won 6-5) … capped off her series performance in Atlanta with a 2-for-2 showing at the plate – both hits for extra bases (double, home run) … notched a home run (solo) in Game 2 of the series at No. 1 Florida … scored three runs, without the benefit of a hit (walked twice and hit twice), in the Game 2 win at Georgia Southern on April 30 that clinched the outright Sun Belt championship … hit .667, produced multiple hits in all three games, tallied nine RBI and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament … had a career-high tying six RBI in the championship game vs. Texas State, accounting for half of the Ragin’ Cajuns run production (won 12-0) … solo home run in the ninth inning of the NCAA Lafayette Regional final vs. Texas A&M snapped an 8-all tie and proved to the winning run that clinched the Ragin’ Cajuns’ fifth consecutive Super Regional appearance … received first team accolades on the All-Sun Belt, All-NFCA Central Region and All-Louisiana squads … selected to the NFCA Division I All-America Second Team.
2015 (Redshirt Freshman)
Took over as the starter in right field, starting all 54 games during redshirt freshman season...Hit above .400 through the first five weekends…Batting average remained above .360 for the remainder of the season…Produced 26 extra base hits (10 doubles, 4 triples, 12 home runs) which ranked fifth on team…Tied with Haley Hayden for the lead in triples with four...Recorded 15 multiple-hit games and reached three RBI or more seven times…Hit .531 over the first two weekends, 17-for-32, with 10 runs, four home runs and 13 RBI…Had three multiple-home runs games…Hit four home runs and tallied nine RBI in doubleheader at ULM on May 2…Was one of four Cajuns to reach 50 hits...Posted a hit in each game of the series at #24 South Alabama, posted an RBI in both games of a doubleheader with #14 Baylor and homered at #2 Oregon and in Super Regional at #4 Auburn...Led the team with 27 two-out RBI on the strength of hitting 23-of-55 (.418) with two outs...Finished the season with 45 total RBI, the fifth-highest tally on the team...Had a two-run double and two-run home run to post a game-high four RBI on Feb. 7 vs. Eastern Illinois...Tallied multiple hits in six straight games Feb. 7-Feb. 14...Set a season-high with four hits and five RBI vs. Mississippi Valley on Feb. 14...Two-run triple in the first inning vs. McNeese State on Feb. 22 opened a 3-0 lead...Posted first career multiple-home run game on Mar. 28 at Texas State, homering twice in game two of the doubleheader...Hit .522 (12-of-23) with 10 runs scored, five home runs and 14 RBI over the final three weekends of the regular season...Launched a solo home run off of All-American pitcher Cheridan Hawkins in game one of a doubleheader at #2 Oregon on Apr. 25...Completed the regular-season ending series at ULM (May 2-3) posting team-bests with a .700 average (7-of-10), four home runs and nine RBI...Homered twice in each game of the doubleheader on May 2 collecting her second and third multiple-home run games of the season...Set a new career-high with six RBI in game two, which upped her doubleheader total to nine RBI...Run-scoring single in the sixth inning of NCAA Lafayette Regional winner's bracket final vs. Baylor on May 16 provided insurance upping the lead to 3-1...Hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning of the winner-take-all finale vs. Baylor on May 17 for the game's first run...Hit her first career NCAA postseason home run with a solo shot in the seventh inning of the Auburn Super Regional opener on May 22.
2014 (Redshirt)
Did not see any action during the season, taking a redshirt.
High School
Was a three-time letterwinner at Dutchtown High School in Geismar for head coach Nancy Ensminger … was named first-team all-district as a junior and senior and second team as a sophomore … earned all-Baton Rouge honors as a senior and was on the All-State Utility All-Star team … named first team all-metro as a junior and senior as well … advanced to the state tournament as a sophomore and senior.
Personal
Born on May 15, 1995 in Baton Rouge … daughter of Alonzo and Loretta Craighton … has three siblings, older sister Shantel, younger sister Alaijah and younger brother Alonzo … is a biology/pre-med major.
NFCA First Team All-America (2017)
NFCA First Team All-Central Region (2017)
Sun Belt Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year (2017)
Sun Belt Conference Tournament All-Tournament Team (2017)
All-Sun Belt First Team (2017)
All-Louisiana First Team (2017)
USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List (2017)
Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (2017)
Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll (2016)
NFCA Second Team All-America (2016)
NFCA First Team All-Central Region (2016)
Sun Belt Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2016)
All-Sun Belt First Team (2016)
All-Louisiana First Team (2016)
All-Louisiana Honorable Mention (2015)
Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List (2014)
2017 (Junior)
Started in center field for the second straight season…appeared in all 55 games, extending string of consecutive games started to 164…reached double digit home runs (18) and 40-plus RBI (53) a third straight season…ranked Top 50 nationally in nearly every major offensive statistic including runs, on base percentage, walks, home runs, slugging percentage and RBI…matched career-high home run total with 18, ranking Top 15 nationally in total home runs and home runs per game…half of her hits (25-of-50) went for extra bases…upped career extra base hits total to 83 and posted 20-plus for the third consecutive season…posted 13 multiple-hit games on the way to reaching 50 base hits for the third consecutive season (finished with 50)…reached base 113 times in 211 plate appearances (54 percent), leading to a career-high 65 runs scored…ranked No. 3 nationally in runs per game (1.18)…scored multiple runs 19 times…issued 49 walks, the third-most in program history and highest total since Melissa Verde drew the same amount in 2009…opened the season reaching base safely in 26 consecutive games and as a result finished Top 15 nationally in on base percentage (.536)…of her 15 multiple-RBI games, over half (9) produced at least three RBI…recorded 55 putouts, reaching 50-plus a second straight season…once again among the leaders in Sun Belt play ranking Top 5 in in average (.410), slugging percentage (1.049), on base percentage (.593), runs (32), RBI (31) and home runs (12), and Top 10 in total bases (64)…recorded career-best, nine-game hitting streak Mar. 3-18…after being worked around by pitchers in February and receiving 23 walks in the month alone, hit .369 with 16 homers and 41 RBI after March 1…broke open both games on opening day with a three-run triple vs. DePaul for an 8-1 lead and a two-run homer vs. Iowa State for a 5-1 edge…led the charge with four RBI vs. Drake in Mardi Gras Invitational opener, launching a three-run homer in the fifth to open a 6-0 lead…started nine-game hitting streak during Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational (Mar. 3-5) and ended the event with eight hits…scored three runs total, including two during an 11-run third inning that erased a 4-3 deficit, on Mar. 5 vs. Alcorn as the Cajuns captured head coach Michael Lotief’s 700th career victory…put the Cajuns on the scoreboard vs. Baylor’s Kelsee Selman with a solo home run leading off the sixth inning…hit walk-off homer in Sun Belt opener vs. UTA on Mar. 18 and a two-run shot in the finale at South Alabama the following weekend to break open a two-run game and clinch the first sweep in Mobile since 2011…hit .625 (5-for-8), homered all three games, scored multiple runs each game in tallying seven runs total and posted a series-high six RBI in sweep of Troy, landing her Sun Belt Player of the Week accolades…generated a pair of four RBI games in Georgia State series (Apr. 22-23)…went 3-for-3 at the plate with two home runs and a game-high four RBI in the finale vs. GSU, with the second homer bringing home three runs to extend the lead to 10-6 in the fourth inning…picked up second single of the game in the third inning and later scored Louisiana’s sixth run of Game 2 at ULM following a defensive miscue – proved to be winning run as Warhawks trimmed lead to 6-5 in the sixth…first of two home runs in finale at ULM broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning... solo homer in the fifth inning of ULM finale was the Ragin' Cajuns 80th homer of the season, marking the fifth straight season that the program reached 80 home runs…produced two home runs and six RBI over the first two games at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, leading the Cajuns to the championship game…recorded the first hit by either team in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional opener vs. McNeese with a leadoff single in the fourth inning and later scored to break the scoreless tie when Corin Voinchè doubled down the left field line…was a first team choice on the All-Sun Belt, All-NFCA Central Region and All-Louisiana squads…named an NFCA Division I All-American for the second straight year, picking up first team honors…member of the 50-person USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List.
2016 (Sophomore)
Moved to center field after playing right field in redshirt freshman season … played in and started all 55 games … set personal season-bests for doubles (12), home runs (18), RBI (56) and extra base hits (32) … scored a career-high 56 runs, reached 50-plus hits a second straight season and tallied 50-plus RBI for the first time … batting average was above .370 for a second straight season, finishing at .378 … over half of hits went for extra bases (32-of-56) leading to a career-best .851 slugging percentage … ranked Top 10 nationally in slugging, Top 20 in home runs, Top 40 in runs per game and Top 50 in RBI per game … in Sun Belt Conference play, led the league in slugging percentage (1.069), on base percentage (.593), runs (33) and home runs (11) … hit a home run in both games of a doubleheader three straight weekends in March (Southern Miss, South Alabama, UT Arlington) … led the team with 23 two-out RBI … recorded 13 multiple-RBI games, reaching three RBI nine times … In the month of April, was aboard the base path 30 times in 47 plate appearances (.638 OB%) … During Lexie Elkins’ absence (thumb injury) from April 2-May 8, hit .395, slugged a team-best seven home runs, posted a .974 slugging percentage and .623 on base percentage ... became the hitter pitcher’s worked around (15 walks and eight hit by pitch) during Elkins' absence ... made her 100th career appearance on May 7 vs. ULM at Lamson Park … posted her 100th career base hit on May 12 in Sun Belt Tournament opener vs. Georgia State … produced a pair of multiple-hit games on opening day in Gulf Shores, ending the day 4-for-7 with three RBI (three-run triple in season opener vs. Ball State) … doubled in three of the five games in Gulf Shores … generated five RBI in the doubleheader sweep of Texas Tech on Feb. 25 … opened the scoring in Game 1 at Southern Miss (March 5) with a grand slam in the first inning … added a solo home run and sacrifice fly in Game 2 to end the day with six RBI … delivered two home runs and four RBI in key Sun Belt sweep of South Alabama on March 13 at Lamson Park … solo home run in Game 1 created a 2-all tie and three-run home run in Game 2 capped off the Cajuns’ eight-run rally in the sixth inning and extended the lead to 10-6 … homered three times in the doubleheader at UT Arlington on March 19 … capped off the day with a career-high tying two home runs and six RBI in Game 2 … provided the winning run in Game 2 vs. Texas State on April 2 with a solo home run that followed Kelsey Vincent’s two-run home run which tied the game in the previous at bat … named Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Week on April 11 after reaching the base path in all but two of 11 plate appearances at Georgia State (April 9-10) … closed the series reaching base in each of her final eight plate appearances … posted three RBI in helping Louisiana build a 4-0 lead, and later drew a one-out walk in the top of the seventh inning to set up DJ Sanders' game-winning home run Game 2 of the Saturday twinbill (Cajuns won 6-5) … capped off her series performance in Atlanta with a 2-for-2 showing at the plate – both hits for extra bases (double, home run) … notched a home run (solo) in Game 2 of the series at No. 1 Florida … scored three runs, without the benefit of a hit (walked twice and hit twice), in the Game 2 win at Georgia Southern on April 30 that clinched the outright Sun Belt championship … hit .667, produced multiple hits in all three games, tallied nine RBI and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament … had a career-high tying six RBI in the championship game vs. Texas State, accounting for half of the Ragin’ Cajuns run production (won 12-0) … solo home run in the ninth inning of the NCAA Lafayette Regional final vs. Texas A&M snapped an 8-all tie and proved to the winning run that clinched the Ragin’ Cajuns’ fifth consecutive Super Regional appearance … received first team accolades on the All-Sun Belt, All-NFCA Central Region and All-Louisiana squads … selected to the NFCA Division I All-America Second Team.
2015 (Redshirt Freshman)
Took over as the starter in right field, starting all 54 games during redshirt freshman season...Hit above .400 through the first five weekends…Batting average remained above .360 for the remainder of the season…Produced 26 extra base hits (10 doubles, 4 triples, 12 home runs) which ranked fifth on team…Tied with Haley Hayden for the lead in triples with four...Recorded 15 multiple-hit games and reached three RBI or more seven times…Hit .531 over the first two weekends, 17-for-32, with 10 runs, four home runs and 13 RBI…Had three multiple-home runs games…Hit four home runs and tallied nine RBI in doubleheader at ULM on May 2…Was one of four Cajuns to reach 50 hits...Posted a hit in each game of the series at #24 South Alabama, posted an RBI in both games of a doubleheader with #14 Baylor and homered at #2 Oregon and in Super Regional at #4 Auburn...Led the team with 27 two-out RBI on the strength of hitting 23-of-55 (.418) with two outs...Finished the season with 45 total RBI, the fifth-highest tally on the team...Had a two-run double and two-run home run to post a game-high four RBI on Feb. 7 vs. Eastern Illinois...Tallied multiple hits in six straight games Feb. 7-Feb. 14...Set a season-high with four hits and five RBI vs. Mississippi Valley on Feb. 14...Two-run triple in the first inning vs. McNeese State on Feb. 22 opened a 3-0 lead...Posted first career multiple-home run game on Mar. 28 at Texas State, homering twice in game two of the doubleheader...Hit .522 (12-of-23) with 10 runs scored, five home runs and 14 RBI over the final three weekends of the regular season...Launched a solo home run off of All-American pitcher Cheridan Hawkins in game one of a doubleheader at #2 Oregon on Apr. 25...Completed the regular-season ending series at ULM (May 2-3) posting team-bests with a .700 average (7-of-10), four home runs and nine RBI...Homered twice in each game of the doubleheader on May 2 collecting her second and third multiple-home run games of the season...Set a new career-high with six RBI in game two, which upped her doubleheader total to nine RBI...Run-scoring single in the sixth inning of NCAA Lafayette Regional winner's bracket final vs. Baylor on May 16 provided insurance upping the lead to 3-1...Hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning of the winner-take-all finale vs. Baylor on May 17 for the game's first run...Hit her first career NCAA postseason home run with a solo shot in the seventh inning of the Auburn Super Regional opener on May 22.
2014 (Redshirt)
Did not see any action during the season, taking a redshirt.
High School
Was a three-time letterwinner at Dutchtown High School in Geismar for head coach Nancy Ensminger … was named first-team all-district as a junior and senior and second team as a sophomore … earned all-Baton Rouge honors as a senior and was on the All-State Utility All-Star team … named first team all-metro as a junior and senior as well … advanced to the state tournament as a sophomore and senior.
Personal
Born on May 15, 1995 in Baton Rouge … daughter of Alonzo and Loretta Craighton … has three siblings, older sister Shantel, younger sister Alaijah and younger brother Alonzo … is a biology/pre-med major.
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
