Softball – Louisiana-breds: Cajuns’ success in softball begins at home

 

Brady Aymond • baymond@theadvertiser.com • May 15, 2009

When public address announcer Robert Harris bellows out the starting lineup for the UL softball team, newcomers to Lamson Park may think it’s the beginning of a Boudreaux and Thibodeaux joke.

Batting first and playing left field, Gaspard.

Hitting seventh and playing second base, Cormier.

Now taking the circle for the Ragin’ Cajuns, Bourgeois.

But these Cajuns, who represent the University of Louisiana on the softball diamond, have been anything but a joke.

And they go against the standard thinking that a mid-major university can’t compete on a national level without overloading the roster with bluechippers from softball hotbeds, such as California and Texas.

"To me, what people think is a liability – having local kids play in your program is an asset," UL coach Michael Lotief said. "They understand the pride and they understand the tradition and they know what crawfish is and they understand what ‘Mais cher’ means.

"The fact that you have a kid who has grown up aspiring to want to be here is a good thing. If you draft a kid like (Patterson native and former LSU standout) Dalton Hilliard to play for the Saints, that’s a win-win. He grew up wanting to be a Saint. Everytime those kids, who grew up in our camp, slip on those uniforms, they still get those goosebumps."

And UL’s roster is chock full of Cajuns and native Louisianians.

Of the 25 players on the roster, 18 are from the state, with a dozen of those calling the Acadiana area home.

When the Cajuns take the field today to face Baylor in a 7:30 p.m. game at the Waco Regional, the name on their chest is truly what they represent.

"I guess we get some of the best from around here," UL second baseman and Abbeville native Kelly Cormier said. "They have great softball programs all around here that get overlooked sometimes and UL usually gets the pick of the crop.

"People around here grew up watching the Ragin’ Cajuns play – I know I did, from a young age. It’s just kind of where you want to go and the coaches are great, they make you better players."

Cormier is just one of a handful of Cajun players who are truly Cajun by birth. But compared to some of her teammates – well, one in particular – she’s a city slicker.

"Vallie Gaspard," Cormier said, with a laugh, when asked which teammate was the most Cajun. "Without a doubt, hands down. Vallie has the accent, she grew up in the country, she has horses."

And in true Cajun fashion, Gaspard is the first to kick off her shoes and throw them on the floor after a game.

"I’m not a big barefoot person," Cormier said. "I’m too afraid of stickers. Vallie is not."

Homegrown talent

Cormier and Gaspard, though, are certainly not alone when it comes to homegrown talent. Pitcher Donna Bourgeios is from Lafayette and played at Teurlings Catholic. Center fielder Karli Hubbard prepped at Comeaux High.

Paige Cormier is from Carencro and also played at Teurlings. Freshman Ashley Ray is an Arnaudville native and played at Beau Chene. Shortstop Codi Runyan, as Harris points out repeatedly, is the pride of Port Barre.

Gaspard, who is from Maurice and played at North Vermilion, says the Cajun work ethic is the one thing UL players all seem to have in common.

"Around here, we thrive off hard work and heart," Gaspard said. "I think it’s how we’ve been brought up. It’s a way of life around here just to go out and get what you want no matter what it takes. It’s how a lot of our parents raised us. No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, if you work hard, you can achieve your goals.

"I always say that we don’t make them big in Louisiana, but it’s not the size, it’s the heart and dedication and how much you want it. I’m 5-4, I’m not going to walk up and hit a bomb. But if I work hard enough, I feel like I can achieve any task."

And that’s something with which local players and players from around the state and country can relate.

"When they did the lineups last year at the College World Series, Vallie started off and she goes in her Cajun accent, ‘Mais, hi, I’m Vallie Gaspard and I’m from Maurice, Louisiana,’" Lotief said. "You just get a big old smile on your face. There’s that instant connection.

"I know, being somebody who has lived here my whole life, I get a sense of pride and satisfaction knowing that the success we’re having are with kids who grew up loving this program."

And that extends well past the Acadiana region.

Pitcher Ashley Brignac, designated player Christi Orgeron and first baseman Gabby Bridges are from the New Orleans area.

Right fielder Katie Smith is a Ruston native and Jessica Dupont is originally from Baton Rouge.

"I think the tradition of this softball program, the World Series appearances and the fact that the fan base supports it so much and the local media gives it good exposure, I think that fostered the thoughts in a lot of these local kids to dream that one day they want to play on the national scene," Lotief said. "I think they go hand-in-hand.

"I don’t think that you have just an ordinary program and then you think you can go get local kids and have success on a national level. I think that the success of the program cultivates softball in the area, but also does it in greater numbers."

And when the Cajuns reach the Women’s College World Series, as the program has done five times in the last 15 years, it gives players from the Acadiana area and Louisiana dreams which are tangible

"Last year, kids watching the World Series and they see a Donna Bourgeois and know it’s real," Lotief said. "My daughter, who is 12, said ‘Hey dad, I want to do it too.’

"The local kids, athletically, are as good as any kids you can go get from anywhere. They’re not behind athletically. And now with the advent of all these select teams and the fact that our high school programs have become more competitive, these kids are starting to learn the game and play the game at a high level. And so when they come here, it’s more than possible. You can do it."

Transplants feel at home, too

But the one overwhelming thing the Cajun softball program seems to have in its favor is its Cajun hospitality.

Players from outside the area learn very quickly the Cajun culture and it doesn’t take long for them to become honorary Cajuns.

"I can’t say that I blame them," said UL coach Stefni Lotief, who pitched for the Ragin’ Cajuns from 1987-90. "I’m a transplant from Houston. My mom’s a Fontenot, so I guess I am Cajun. But it’s a community you love being in, it’s a great place to be.

"I think that these girls come in and fall in love with it. They fall in love with the area, they fall in love with the fans, they fall in love with the food. I’ve even had some of them tell me ‘This is exactly where I belong. All my life I should have been a Cajun.’ Even Daniel Gomez, who came from New Orleans, asked me if she could spell her name Geauxmez. It’s just funny."

Fans and families of local Cajun players definitely do their part to make the out-of-state players feel at home in Lafayette.

"It’s a homey place, our fans are great, our families are great," Gaspard said. "(Freshman) Heidi (Pizer) is from Oregon and she has just as many parents around here as she would back home.

"It just feels like home, even if you’re not from here."