Baseball: Trio of Ragin’™ Cajuns Named to Sun Belt All-Conference Teams

NEW ORLEANS – Sophomore Hayden Cantrelle, senior Todd Lott and senior Orynn Veillon were tabbed as three of the Sun Belt’s top performers after garnering All-Conference honors, the league office announced on Monday afternoon.
 
Cantrelle (shortstop) and Lott (utility) each landed on the league’s First Team, while Veillon (outfield) earned a spot on the Second Team. Louisiana has placed at least three players on All-Conference teams in every season since the 2013 campaign.
 
Starting all 56 games at shortstop for the Ragin’ Cajuns, Cantrelle has been a constant at the top of the stat sheet for Louisiana and currently leads the team with 27 stolen bases and 52 runs scored. His 27 stolen bags currently ranks him tops in the Sun Belt and 26^th in the NCAA.
 
On the year, Cantrelle has produced 18 multi-hit games, tied for the second most on the team, and put together a 14-game hitting streak, the second longest on the team this year. He opened the season with a 34-game reached safely streak.
 
On March 16, the Preseason All-Sun Belt selection became the 10^th player in program history to record three home runs in the same game in a 16-10 victory over Little Rock. Two games later, he put together another unforgettable performance, becoming the fourth player in school history to hit for the cycle in an 8-3 victory over Northwestern State. For his efforts, he earned his first Sun Belt Player of the Week honor and his second LSWA Player of the Week award.
 
Lott has been one of the hottest hitters for the Ragin’ Cajuns all season, leading the team with a .340 (64-for-188) average and 44 RBI. The junior utility man came on in conference play, leading the team in hits (45), RBI (36) and home runs (7) while hitting at a .385 clip.
 
Starting in 49 of the 54 games in which he appeared, the Jacksonville, Fla., native split time between the outfield, first base and as a designated hitter. He leads the team with 13 multi-RBI games and is tied for third with 17 multi-hit games. Like Cantrelle, Lott also put together a 14-game hitting streak during the season.
Returning to Louisiana for his final season of eligibility, Veillon has appeared in 54 games for the Ragin’ Cajuns, making 50 starts. The senior’s bat has been on fire down the stretch, helping him to a team-leading, 19-game hitting streak.
 
Veillon leads the team with four triples and places second on the team with 11 home runs. Entering the conference tournament, he paces the team with a .948 OPS and .566 slugging percentage. In league play, Veillon is hitting at a .360 clip with a team-leading slugging percentage of .658, while also leading the team in doubles (9) and triples (3).
 
Louisiana begins it Sun Belt Tournament journey on Tuesday evening when it faces Appalachian State in Conway, South Carolina. First pitch in the opening round of the tournament is slated for 5:30 p.m. (CST).
 
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ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
All-Sun Belt Baseball First Team
Chandler Fidel, Little Rock, SP
Seth Shuman, Georgia Southern, SP
Connor Reich, Texas State, SP
Zach Greene, South Alabama, RP
Chase Smartt, Troy, C
Zach Biermann, Coastal Carolina, 1B
Jaxon Williams, Texas State, 2B
Hayden Cantrelle, Louisiana, SS
Chad Bell, ULM, 3B
Parker Chavers, Coastal Carolina, OF
Mason McWhorter, Georgia Southern, OF
Ethan Wilson, South Alabama, OF
Todd Lott, Louisiana, Utility
Riley Pittman, Little Rock, DH
 
All-Sun Belt Baseball Second Team
Hunter Gaddis, Georgia State, SP
Nicholas Fraze, Texas State, SP
Cory Gill, Troy, SP
Andrew Gross, UT Arlington, RP
Kyle Skeels, Coastal Carolina, C
Sadler Goodwin, Troy, 1B
Steven Curry, Georgia Southern, 2B
Drew Frederic, Troy, SS
Jaylen Hubbard, Texas State, 3B
Kieton Rivers, Coastal Carolina, OF
Orynn Veillon, Louisiana, OF
Rigsby Mosley, Troy, OF
Andrew Beesley, ULM, Utility
Jake Wright, Coastal Carolina, DH
 
Community Coffee Player of the Year
Ethan Wilson, South Alabama (Freshman, OF)
 
Community Coffee Pitcher of the Year
Connor Reich, Texas State (Senior, RHP)
                                        
Community Coffee Freshman of the Year
Ethan Wilson, South Alabama (Freshman, OF)
 
Community Coffee Newcomer of the Year
Jake Wright, Coastal Carolina (Sophomore, OF)
 
Community Coffee Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
Ty Harrington, Texas State