2008 Lady Cajun Softball Preview

The Lady Cajuns softball program begins the season with high expectations. The Cajun RedZone takes a look at the 2008 edition of Lady Cajun softball.

The Lady Cajuns will field a young team on the diamond, but this squad will not be without talent. The Cajun program boasts a group of highly touted freshmen and sophomores, as well as preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year Holly Tankersly. The Cajuns dugout will have a mixture of experience in several transfers and youth.

Catcher



Lana Bowers # 6 Height: 5-10 Sophomore Experience: 1 Letter Bats: R Throws: R

Appeared in 60 games in 2007 as a true freshman, starting 50 games behind the plate for UL...Threw out 14 of the 25 batters who attempted to steal...Had a pinch hit grand slam home run against No. 14 Georgia on Feb. 9, in a 12-4 Cajuns win...Also had a home run and three RBI in a 10-1 Cajuns victory over Western Kentucky on March 24, as she was 2-for-3 at the plate...Completed the season with six doubles, two homeruns and 19 RBI...Also was a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen bases attempts.

Key Reserves
Adele Files 5-9 Sophomore
Jessica Dupont 5-8 Freshman,RS.

First Base
Gabriele Bridges # 25 First Base - 1B Height: 6-0 Freshman Experience: High School Bats: R Throws: R

Bridges is a member of the Nationally Ranked 2007 recruiting class. Lettered in softball, volleyball and cheerleading at John Curtis High School...Helped the Patriots to five consecutive state championships in softball (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)...Helped JCHS to the district championship in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007...Named all-state in 2005, 2006 and 2007...Helped the Patriots volleyball team to the 2004 state playoffs...Invited to the Junior Olympic trials in Chula Vista, Calif.

Key Reserves
Jessica Dupont 5-8 Freshman,RS.
Hagle, Laura Ann 5-7 Freshman

Second Base



Vanessa Soto # 7 Second Base - 2B Height: 5-6 Senior Experience: Transfer Bats: L Throws: R

Played in 66 games at LSU, starting 62 ... Member of the NCAA Palo Alto Regional All-Tournament Team ... Earned Easton Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team honors ... Split time this season at both first base and second base, moving from her starting job at first to take over at second base due to an injury mid-season, then moved back after the injured player returned ...Ranked seventh in the SEC in doubles ... Recorded a team season best six RBIs vs. Centenary ... Had only four errors in almost 300 chances, with only one error while playing first base - other three came in a stint at second base ...Knocked in game-winning RBIs against Middle Tennessee State and Southern Miss ... Recorded 12 multiple-hit games and seven multiple-RBI games ... Tied for fourth with 47 career doubles at LSU ... Also ranked fourth with 10 career sacrifice flies at LSU.

Key Reserves
Prejean, Monique 5-6 Freshman,RS.

Brooke Brodhead # 3 Shortstop/Second Base - SS/2B Height: 5-6 Senior Experience: Transfer Bats: R Throws: R

Led the McNeese State Cowgirls in almost every offensive category including hits, home runs, runs scored, batting average, slugging percent and on base percent and ranked in the Top 10 in the Southland Conference...Became the first Cowgirl to earn NFCA All-South Region since Beth Jordan in 2005...Had a .370 batting average on the year...Collected a team-high 70 hits on the year with 13 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs and 28 RBI...Scored a team-best 44 runs...Drew 26 walks, including a pair of intentional walks...Had a .960 fielding percentage, recording just eight errors in 198 chances.

Key Reserves
Cormier, Kelly 5-2 Freshman, RS.

Third Base



Melissa Verde # 16 Third Base - 3B Height: 5-5 Sophomore Experience: 1 Letter Bats: L Throws: R

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.

Left Field

Katie Smith # 20 Outfielder - OF Height: 5-6 Freshman Experience: High School Bats: R Throws: R

All-State at Ruston High School...Had a .467 batting average in her senior year with a .537 on-base percentage and a .610 slugging percentage...In her final season at RHS, had 105 at bats, with 49 runs, 49 hits, five doubles, two triples, two home runs and 11 runs batted in...Tallied 64 total bases with 15 walks and 22 stolen bases.

Center Field



Karli Hubbard # 9 Centerfield - CF Height: 5-8 Junior Experience: 2 Letters Bats: L Throws: R

Started all 64 games for the Cajuns in 2007...Started 57 games in centerfield and started seven games at shortstop following the injury to Codi Runyan...First Team All-Sun Belt selection...Second on the team with a .328 batting average, runs scored (42), stolen bases (11), at bats (192) and hits (63)...Led the team with 18 multi-hit games and had at least one hit in 43 of the Cajuns’ 64 games...Had an eight game hitting streak during the season and ended the season on a six game hitting streak that included three hits against Houston in the NCAA College Station Regional.

Right Field

Meagan Godwin # 17 Outfielder - OF Height: 5-9 Sophomore Experience: 1 Letter Bats: R Throws: R

Saw action in 58 games, starting 33 for the Cajuns in 2007 as a red shirt freshman...Finished the season with three home runs and 23 RBI...Hit her first career home run in the 2007 season opener against McNeese State on Feb. 9, in an 8-0 UL win...Had five multi-hit games, including two hits against Wichita State, Purdue, No. 17 Baylor, Tennessee-Martin and Seton Hall...Had three RBI against McNeese State...Tallied five different games with two RBI.

Designated Player



Holly Tankersley # 23 DP/Outfielder - DP/OF Height: 5-10 Senior Experience: 3 Letters Bats: L Throws: R

Earned first team All-Sun Belt, All-South Region and All-Louisiana honors...Top 25 finalist for National Softball Player of the Year...Led the Cajuns in most offensive categories: batting average (.403), runs scored (60), total bases (140), slugging percentage (.733), hits (77), on base percentage (.519), RBI (61), home runs (18), hit by pitch (12) and total plate appearances (243), while starting all 64 games...Had 25 multi-hit games and had a streak of six straight games with more than one hit...Had 15 multi-RBI games driving in five runs against ULM...Had four RBI in four different games...Had two home runs in four games, including a win over Penn State in the Judi Garman Classic in which she was 3-for-3 with two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored...Had two homers in a Sun Belt win over Troy with three RBI...Contributed in the pitching circle for the Cajuns in 2007, compiling a 12-5 overall record in 19 appearances with 93 strikeouts in 93.1 innings of work.

Pitching



Brittany Cuevas # 10 Pitcher - P Height: 5-10 Sophomore Experience: 1 Letter Bats: R Throws: R

Led the Cajuns in all pitching categories as a true freshman on her way to being named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year...Posted a 31-11 record, and her 31 wins were the most by a freshman pitcher in the history of Ragin’ Cajuns softball...Made 46 appearances in 2007, starting 44 games and tossing 12 shutouts...Led the team in ERA (1.99), wins (31), innings pitched (292.0) and strikeouts (303)...Ranked in the top 10 in the country in wins...Struck out 10 or more batters in seven games, striking out a season high 12 on three separate occasions...Cuevas had 12 K’s in wins against Nicholls State on two occasions and had a dozen strikeouts against No. 2 Arizona State in a 2-0 win in the Judi Garman Classic...Started the 2007 season with 11 consecutive wins, posting her first collegiate victory in an 8-0 shutout over McNeese State on Feb. 9...Had two wins over College World Series participant No. 17 Baylor and threw a two-hit shutout in a 5-0 win over Houston on April 18...Longest outing of the season came on April 15, in a 5-4 ten-inning win over South Alabama.



Ashley Brignac # 00 Pitcher - P Height: 5-10 Freshman Experience: High School Bats: R Throws: R

Despite sitting out the start of the 2007 season recovering from minor knee surgery, recorded a flawless 0.00 ERA for the second consecutive season and led John Curtis Christian School to their fifth straight state championship...In the circle, she used her 72 mile per hour fastball to record 21 shutouts, 21 no-hitters and seven perfect games...Was equally dominating offensively, hitting .500 with six home runs and a slugging percentage of .869...Was also the staff ace on the USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team that won the 2006 Pan Am Championship with a 10-0 record...Led the USA Softball Junior National team to the gold medal at the 2007 World Championships...Compiled a 4-0 record in the World Championships, helping the USA Softball Junior National team to a perfect 10-0 record and the gold medal... Got the start in the gold medal game against Japan and went 3.1 innings, allowing one unearned run on six hits while walking one and striking out one...Had a team-best 4-0 record in a team-high five games started in the World Championships...Allowed four runs, but just one earned run for a 0.25 ERA in a Team USA-high 28.0 innings pitched...Led the National team with 35 strikeouts.



Donna Bourgeois # 21 Pitcher - P Height: 5-7 Freshman Experience: High School Bats: R Throws: R

All-State at Teurlings Catholic High School in Lafayette...Tossed 177 innings allowing just 56 hits with a .59 earned run average...Collected 297 strikeouts while walking just 42 batters...Offensively, boasted a .396 batting average with eight doubles, seven home runs and 33 runs batted in...Hit three home runs in one game against rival Comeaux High School...Recorded 16 strikeouts in one game and threw a no-hitter in the state championship game.

Amanda Hill # 18 Pitcher - P Height: 5-11 Sophomore Experience: 1 Letter Bats: R Throws: R

Saw limited time in the circle for the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2007, during her redshirt freshman season...Appeared in eight games, compiling a 1-1 record...Posted her first collegiate win on April 28, against North Texas...Entered the game against the Mean Green in relief and pitched 4.1 innings in a 6-5 Cajun win...Pitched 16.2 innings with 11 strikeouts.