Softball: Trio of Cajuns Named All-Region by National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Courtesy: RaginCajuns.com http://www.ragincajuns.com Donna Bourgeois, Karli Hubbard and Melissa Verde were all named All-Region by the NFCA.

LAFAYETTE-The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced the
Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region teams, honoring student-
athletes from 10 NFCA regions and Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball players
Donna Bourgeois, Karli Hubbard and Melissa Verde were all named to the team. 

A total of 264 players from 121 different institutions comprise the regional
teams. A change this year is the announcement of just one team per region
(First Team), although the team has the same number of members of the
previous year’s first and second teams combined. The change gives the
regional representatives more leeway in presenting candidates for All-America
selection.

Bourgeois, who was named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year,
currently ranks nationally ranked in victories, shutouts, earned run average,
strikeouts and strikeouts per seven innings.  She was a four-time Sun Belt
Conference Pitcher of the Week this season and leads the Ragin’ Cajuns
pitching staff in wins, saves, innings pitched, strikeouts, strikeouts
looking, appearances and games started. 

Hubbard was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year also garnered
the accolade.  Hubbard was one of the most consistent hitters in the country,
ranking in the NCAA in batting average, toughest to strikeout and on-base
percentage throughout the year.  She leads the Cajuns in batting average,
base hits and runs scored.  Hubbard leads the Cajuns in batting average, runs
scored, hits, triples, sacrifice bunts, total plate appearances, at bats,
games played and games started, and she also ranks in the Cajuns’ top five in
eight other categories. 

Verde returned to the lineup after undergoing ACL surgery in the off-season
and didn’t miss a beat, earning First Team All-Sun Belt Conference accolades,
as well as being an All-Sun Belt Conference Tournament selection.  She is
nationally ranked in walks, on-base percentage and RBI per game.  One of the
most feared batters in the conference, Verde has been walked almost twice any
many times as any other Cajun batter.  She has drawn at least one walk in 36
of 54 games played.  Verde began the season with 11 straight games without a
strikeout – 47 plate appearances and struck out only 14 times over 54 games
and 207 plate appearances.

The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each region, and
all the honorees will now be eligible for selection to the Louisville
Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams. In addition,
conference pitchers and players of the year not selected to the regional
teams were added for All-America consideration.

All three Ragin’ Cajuns players are eligible for All-American accolades.  The
NFCA Division I All-American teams will be announced at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May
27.

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

Chris Whitehead
Louisiana Sports Information
201 Reinhardt Drive
Lafayette, LA 70506
(337) 482-6329
www.RaginCajuns.com
whitehead@louisiana.edu