2020 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team

2020 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball
NCAA RPI National Champions
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 8
Record18–6 (2–1 SBC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Mike Roberts
  • Lacy Prejean
Home stadiumYvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park
Seasons
← 2019
2021 →
2020 Sun Belt Conference softball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 8 Louisiana  ‍‍‍ 2 1   .667 18 6   .750
Texas State  ‍‍‍ 2 1   .667 15 9   .625
Georgia Southern  ‍‍‍ 2 1   .667 14 10   .583
UT Arlington  ‍‍‍ 2 1   .667 12 13   .480
South Alabama  ‍‍‍ 2 1   .667 8 17   .320
Troy  ‍‍‍ 1 2   .333 16 6   .727
Coastal Carolina  ‍‍‍ 1 2   .333 13 8   .619
Appalachian State  ‍‍‍ 1 2   .333 13 9   .591
Louisiana–Monroe  ‍‍‍ 1 2   .333 10 14   .417
Georgia State  ‍‍‍ 1 2   .333 7 16   .304
† – Conference champion
‡ – Tournament champion
y – Invited to the NCAA tournament
As of March 13, 2020[1]
Rankings from NFCA


The 2020 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2020 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns played their home games at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. The Cajuns were led by third year head coach Gerry Glasco.

On March 12, the Sun Belt Conference announced the indefinite suspension of all spring athletics, including softball, due to the increasing risk of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] On March 13, Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order banning gatherings of over 250 people until as early as April 18, thus ending all possible future 2020 home or in-state games until that time if the season were to restart.[3] On March 16, the Sun Belt formally announced the cancelation of all spring sports, thus ending their season definitely.

The Cajuns finished the abbreviated season 1st in the only-released RPI in the NCAA, thus making them the claimed "RPI National Champions".

Preseason

[edit]

Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll

[edit]

The Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll was released on January 29, 2020. Louisiana was picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Conference with 100 votes and 10 first place votes, all first place votes available.[4]

Coaches poll
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Louisiana 100 (10)
2 Troy 85
3 UT Arlington 77
4 Texas State 74
5 Coastal Carolina 56
6 Appalachian State 47
7 Georgia Southern 36
8 South Alabama 31
9 Louisiana-Monroe 26
10 Georgia State 18

Preseason All-Sun Belt team

[edit]
  • Summer Ellyson (LA, SR, Pitcher)
  • Megan Kleist (LA, SR, Pitcher)
  • Julie Rawls (LA, SR, Catcher)
  • Reagan Wright (UTA, SR, Catcher)
  • Katie Webb (TROY, SR, 1st Base)
  • Kaitlyn Alderink (LA, SR, 2nd Base)
  • Hailey Mackay (TXST, SR, 3rd Base)
  • Alissa Dalton (LA, SR, Shortstop)
  • Jayden Mount (ULM, SR, Shortstop)
  • Whitney Walton (UTA, SR, Shortstop)
  • Tara Oltmann (TXST, JR, Shortstop)
  • Courtney Dean (CCU, JR, Outfield)
  • Mekhia Freeman (GASO, SR, Outfield)
  • Sarah Hudek (LA, SR, Outfield)
  • Raina O'Neal (LA, JR, Outfield)
  • Bailey Curry (LA, JR, Designated Player/1st Base)

Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year

  • Alissa Dalton (LA, SR, Shortstop)

Sun Belt Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year

  • Summer Ellyson (LA, SR, Pitcher)

National Softball Signing Day

[edit]

[5]

Player Position Hometown Previous Team
Mia Cantu Infielder Spring, Texas Klein Collins HS
Delaney Enlow Infielder Versailles, Kentucky Woodford County HS
Addie Lightner Infielder Blue Springs, Missouri Blue Springs South HS
Hannah Nalley Outfielder Marion, Illinois Marion HS
Sophie Piskos Catcher Paris, Tennessee The Baylor School
Kyleigh Sand Shortstop Chino, California Norco HS
Taylor Snow Pitcher Columbia, Louisiana LaSalle HS

Roster

[edit]
2020 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns roster
 

Pitchers

  • 5 Madison Garay - Freshman
  • 9 Summer Ellyson - Senior
  • 11 Megan Kleist - Senior
  • 18 Casey Dixon - Junior
  • 28 Carrie Boswell - Junior
  • 53 Kandra Lamb - Sophomore
  • Taylor Snow - Freshman

Outfielders

  • 2 Raina O'Neal - Junior
  • 6 Morgan Gray - Senior
  • 16 Kendall Talley - Sophomore
  • 19 Brittni Rufus - Freshman
  • 24 Callie Martin - Junior
  • 31 Taylor Fawcett - Freshman
  • 35 Sarah Hudek - Senior
  • 42 Kylie Neel - Freshman
  • Hannah Nalley - Freshman
 

Catchers

  • 13 Geana Torres - Sophomore
  • 23 Julie Rawls - Senior
  • Sophie Piskos - Freshman

Infielders

  • 7 Alaina Guarino - Senior
  • 8 Taylor Roman - Freshman
  • 12 Brittany Holland - Sophomore
  • 17 Bailey Curry - Junior
  • 21 Melissa Mayeux - Junior
  • 22 Alissa Dalton - Senior
  • 27 Mia Camuso - Junior
  • 44 Kourtney Gremillion - Junior
  • 99 Sydnee Hebert - Freshman
  • Mia Cantu - Freshman
  • Delaney Enlow - Freshman
  • Addie Lightner - Freshman
  • Kyleigh Sand - Freshman

Utility

  • 3 Jolie Readeaux - Junior

Coaching staff

[edit]
2020 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns coaching staff
  • Gerry Glasco – Head Coach – 3rd year
  • Mike Roberts – Associate head coach – 2nd year
  • Lacy Prejean – Assistant Head Coach – 2nd year
  • Taran Alvelo – Volunteer Assistant Coach – 1st year
  • Ashley Pauly – Chief of Staff – 2nd year
  • Collin Hopkins – Manager
  • Zeph Delatte – Manager
  • Tambria Bradford – Academic Counselor
  • Connor Stanton – Assistant Strength and Conditioning
  • Brittany Roberts – Assistant Director of Athletic Training
  • Matthew Frakes – Associate Director of Sports Nutrition
  • Denee Simon – Office Manager

Schedule and results

[edit]
Legend
  Louisiana win
  Louisiana loss
  Postponement/Cancellation/Suspensions
Bold Louisiana team member
2020 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball game log
Regular season (18-6)
February (13-5)
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record
Louisiana Classics
Feb. 7 Ball State No. 10 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson ParkLafayette, LA W 3-2 Ellyson (1-0) Rothwell (0-1) Kleist (1) Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network 1-0
Feb. 7 UTSA No. 10 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 8-0 (5 inn) Kleist (1-0) Carpenter (0-1) None Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network 2,173 2-0
Feb. 8 North Texas No. 10 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA L 1-2 Trautwein (1-1) Kleist (1-1) None Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network 2-1
Feb. 8 UTSA No. 10 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 11-1 (5 inn) Ellyson (2-0) Cortez (1-1) None Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network 2,033 3-1
Feb. 11 Lamar No. 13 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 8-0 (6 inn) Ellyson (3-0) Kyle (0-2) None Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network 1,875 4-1
Feb. 14 North Dakota No. 13 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 9-1 (5 inn) Kleist (2-1) Pica (1-1) None Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network 1,904 5-1
Feb. 15 Samford No. 13 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 7-0 Ellyson (4-0) DeCelles (1-2) None 3,107 6-1
Feb. 15 No. 7 LSU No. 13 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 2-1 Kleist (3-1) Gorsuch (1-1) None CST/ESPN+ 3,107 7-1
Feb. 16 at No. 7 LSU No. 13 Tiger ParkBaton Rouge, LA L 3-4 Kilponen (2-0) Kleist (3-2) None SECN+/ESPN+ 2,246 7-2
UAB Blazer Classics
Feb. 21 vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State No. 11 Mary Bowers Field • Birmingham, AL L 0-1 Eberle (4-1) Kleist (3-3) None 174 7-3
Feb. 22 vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State No. 11 Mary Bowers Field • Birmingham, AL W 3-2 Ellyson (5-0) Maxwell (2-3) None 176 8-3
Feb. 22 vs. Ole Miss No. 11 Mary Bowers Field • Birmingham, AL W 5-3 Kleist (4-3) Jacobsen (2-3) Ellyson (1) 194 9-3
Feb. 23 vs. Ole Miss No. 11 Mary Bowers Field • Birmingham, AL W 8-1 Ellyson (6-0) Borgen (2-1) None 308 10-3
Feb. 23 at UAB No. 11 Mary Bowers Field • Birmingham, AL W 7-4 Ellyson (7-0) Woodham (3-3) None C-USA.TV 268 11-3
Feb. 25 at No. 3 Texas No. 10 Red and Charline McCombs FieldAustin, TX W 3-2 Kleist (5-3) Elish (7-2) None Longhorn Network 1,036 12-3
Feb. 25 at No. 3 Texas No. 10 Red and Charline McCombs Field • Austin, TX L 1-2 O'Leary (4-0) Ellyson (7-1) Elish (1) 1,036 12-4
Feb. 28 at No. 7 Florida No. 10 Katie Seashole Pressly Softball StadiumGainesville, FL L 0-6 Chronister (1-0) Kleist (5-4) None SECN+/ESPN+ 1,186 12-5
Feb. 29 at No. 7 Florida No. 10 Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium • Gainesville, FL W 7-5 Ellyson (8-1) Trlicek (7-2) Kleist (2) SECN+/ESPN+ 1,484 13-5
March (5-1)
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record
Mar. 1 at No. 7 Florida No. 10 Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium • Gainesville, FL W 7-6 Ellyson (9-1) Lugo (6-2) None SECN+/ESPN+ 1,509 14-5
Mar. 4 Campbell No. 8 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Game cancelled due to heavy, continued rains in Lafayette
Mar. 6 at Coastal Carolina No. 8 St. John Stadium–Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC L 1-7 Marcano (3-0) Kleist (5-5) None 243 14-6 0-1
Mar. 7 at Coastal Carolina No. 8 St. John Stadium–Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC W 5-0 Ellyson (10-1) BeasleyPolko (4-4) None 356 15-6 1-1
Mar. 8 at Coastal Carolina No. 8 St. John Stadium–Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC W 10-2 (5 inn) Kleist (6-5) BeasleyPolko (4-5) None 342 16-6 2-1
Mar. 11 Sam Houston State No. 8 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 19-0 (5 inn) Ellyson (11-1) Bailey (1-4) None Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network 17-6 ,031
Mar. 11 Sam Houston State No. 8 Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W 15-0 (5 inn) Kleist (7-5) Sanchez (2-5) None Ragin' Cajuns Digital Network 18-6 2,031
Mar. 13 Appalachian State Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 14 Appalachian State Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 15 Appalachian State Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 18 at McNeese State Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl DiamondLake Charles, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 20 at Georgia State Robert E. Heck Softball Complex • Atlanta, GA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 21 at Georgia State Robert E. Heck Softball Complex • Atlanta, GA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 22 at Georgia State Robert E. Heck Softball Complex • Atlanta, GA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 27 Texas State Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 28 Texas State Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Mar. 29 Texas State Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
April (0–0)
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record
Apr. 1 McNeese State Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 3 South Alabama Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 4 South Alabama Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 5 South Alabama Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 7 at Southeastern Louisiana North Oak ParkHammond, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 9 at Troy Troy Softball ComplexTroy, AL Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 10 at Troy Troy Softball Complex • Troy, AL Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 11 at Troy Troy Softball Complex • Troy, AL Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 13 at Florida State JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminoles Softball ComplexTallahassee, FL Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 14 at Florida State JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex • Tallahassee, FL Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 15 at Alabama Rhoads StadiumTuscaloosa, AL Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 17 Georgia Southern Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 18 Georgia Southern Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 19 Georgia Southern Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 24 at UT Arlington Allan Saxe FieldArlington, TX Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 25 at UT Arlington Allan Saxe Field • Arlington, TX Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 26 at UT Arlington Allan Saxe Field • Arlington, TX Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 29 Louisiana Tech Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Apr. 30 Louisiana–Monroe Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
May (0-0)
Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record
May 1 Louisiana–Monroe Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
May 2 Louisiana–Monroe Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Post-Season (0-0)
SBC tournament (0-0)
Date Opponent (Seed)/Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record
May 6 TBD Robert E. Heck Softball Complex • Atlanta, GA Championship Series canceled to COVID-19 pandemic
Schedule Source:[6]

*Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the NFCA/USA Softball poll.

Rankings

[edit]
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
Week
PollPre1234Final
NFCA / USA Today1013111088
Softball America[7]8189859
ESPN.com/USA Softball101410978
D1Softball81210767

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2020 Softball Standings". SunBeltSports.org. Sun Belt Conference. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  2. ^ Conference, Sun Belt. "Sun Belt Statement on Spring Sports Competitions". sunbeltsports.org.
  3. ^ "Louisiana schools closed until April 13, halts public gatherings over 250 people". KLFY.
  4. ^ Rodgers, Scottie (January 28, 2020). "Louisiana, Ragin' Cajuns' Dalton, Ellyson Top Softball Preseason Honors". sunbeltsports.org.
  5. ^ "Gerry Glasco Welcomes Seven to Louisiana Softball on Signing Day". Ragin' Cajuns Athletics. University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  6. ^ "Louisiana Releases 2019 Softball Schedule" (Press release). UL Department of Athletics. August 7, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  7. ^ "2020 D-I Top 25". SoftballAmerica.com. Baseball America Enterprises. Retrieved January 31, 2020.