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Softball: Cajuns Top D1 Softball With Three Academic All-AmericansThe senior trio of Haley Hayden, Alex Stewart and Kassidy Zeringue represented Louisiana on the 2017 Academic All-America® Division I softball team
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball seniors Haley Hayden, Alex Stewart and Kassidy Zeringue were each named to the 2017 Academic All-America® Division I softball team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Hayden represented the Ragin’ Cajuns on the first team. Both Stewart and Zeringue were second team selections.
Zeringue is a second team Academic All-America® honoree for the second straight season. She is the eighth individual in program history to earn multiple Academic All-America® awards and the first since Ashley Brignac in 2011 and 2012.
For Hayden and Stewart, it’s their first career selection to the team as they become the 11th and 12th student-athletes in Ragin’ Cajuns Softball program history to earn Academic All-America® honors.
Louisiana’s three selections were the most on the Division I Academic All-America® softball team and tied the school record set in 1996 when Lynn Britton, Stephanie DeFeo and Joni Podhorez were recognized.
"It takes a special effort to pursue excellence at the highest level in both athletics and academics," Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "We have a team full of student-athletes that excel and know the discipline it takes to be a scholar in the classroom and competitor on the field.
"Haley, Alex and Kassidy join a long list of scholar athletes who epitomize the values of our program, University, and our Cajun culture: hard work, discipline, doing your very best every day and caring deeply for others."
Click here to view the complete CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team.
The honor recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Three weeks ago, the Ragin’ Cajuns trio received Academic All-District™ designation which placed them on the All-America ballot.
"A special thanks to our professors and our University family for nurturing, loving and challenging these student-athletes to be their very best," Lotief remarked. "For me, this is the highest honor of all for a collegiate athlete because of the unique combination of academic achievement and athletic excellence."
A four-time All-Sun Belt Conference and four-time NFCA All-Central Region choice, plus three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District™ recipient, Hayden carried a 3.72 GPA into her final semester at UL Lafayette. The West Monroe, La., native and exercise science major graduated in May and has been accepted to Palmer (Fla.) College’s chiropractor school.
Hayden registered a 3.5-plus GPA in nine of 10 semesters (four with 4.0) prior to the Spring 2017 semester and was a two-time member of the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List (3.5-4-0 GPA in an academic year).
This season she became the Ragin’ Cajuns all-time runs scored leader, scoring the record-breaking 244th career run on April 30. Hayden produced at least 40 runs, hits and RBI all four years and her career totals exceeded the 200-mark in each category. At last week’s NCAA Baton Rouge Regional she increased her career hits total to 277 which represents the fifth-most recorded in program history.
Zeringue, who last season became the 10th student-athlete in program history to achieve Academic All-American status, carried a 3.88 cumulative GPA into the spring 2017 semester. The Lutcher, La., product graduated in May and is applying for admission into a physician assistant program.
Zeringue recorded a semester GPA of 3.7 or higher in 10 of 11 semesters as an undergraduate at UL Lafayette prior to this season, highlighted by seven semesters with a 4.0 GPA. She was a three-time member of the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List, Outstanding Graduate nominee and recipient of the Academic Excellence certificate from the Honors Convocation.
A slap hitter who transitioned from outfield to infield to play second base in her final campaign wearing a Ragin’ Cajuns uniform, Zeringue turned in several highlight-reel plays (SportsCenter Top 10 at Texas State) and committed only nine errors over 187 total chances. She delivered 12 multiple-hit games hitting from the No. 8 spot and produced career-high totals in hits (50), runs (37), RBI (11) and stolen bases (13).
Earlier this month Stewart picked up her first career Academic All-District™ distinction. A back-to-back First Team All-Sun Belt and NFCA All-Central Regional performer (2016, 2017), she entered the spring 2017 semester with a 3.71 cumulative GPA majoring in mathematics with a minor in economics and is on pace to graduate in Fall 2017 with plans to pursue a master’s in accounting.
The Zionsville, Ind., native earned a 4.0 semester GPA during each of the previous two seasons of on-field competition (Spring 15, Spring 16). Before the 2017 season began, throughout her undergraduate career she had recorded a 3.5-plus GPA in eight of nine semesters (four with 4.0 GPA).
Stewart posted a 15-0 record in Sun Belt Conference play this season in leading Louisiana to the conference championship before final weekend of regular season play. She reached 20 wins, overall, for the second straight season (27-5, 1.81 ERA) and held the opposition to two earned runs or less in 25 of 29 starts. Dating back to 2016, she produced a 56-11 record (31-1 in Sun Belt play).
With the 2017 additions, list of Ragin’ Cajuns to earn the distinction of Academic All-American now includes: Ashley Brignac (2011-12), Lynn Britton (1995-96), Stephanie DeFeo (1995-96), Alyson Habetz (1992, 1994), Haley Hayden (2017), Brooke Mitchell (2004-05), Melody Mohar (1993-94), Joni (Podhorez) Babineaux (1996-97), Cathy Sconzo (1990), Alex Stewart (2017), Stefni (Whitton) Lotief (1990) and Kassidy Zeringue (2016, 2017).
For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program please visit www.cosida.com.
For more information on Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball, as well as all of Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics, visit RaginCajuns.com. Fans can also follow along with the team on Facebook (/RaginCajunSoftball),Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsSoftball).
ITEMS OF NOTE
– Louisiana was one of only four schools with multiple selections on the 2017 Academic All-America® Division I softball team. The other schools are Alabama, Florida and Michigan State.
– Kassidy Zeringue is among a group of 10 student-athletes on the 2017 team who have earned multiple Academic All-America® honors. The other repeat Academic All-America® student-athletes are Kasey Cooper (Auburn), Hannah Flippen (Utah), Shaye Harre (Southern Illinois), Kayli Kvistad (Florida), Jessica Twaddle (Murray State), Sydney Littlejohn (Alabama), Haley Pace (Charlotte), Paige Parker (Oklahoma) and Vanessa Shippy (Oklahoma State).
– Nearly half (16) of the 33 members on the 2017 Academic All-America® NCAA Division I softball team have at least a 3.90 G.P.A., with six student-athletes recording a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. The 11 members of this year’s Academic All-America® NCAA Division I softball first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.87.
2017 Academic All-America® Division I Softball Team
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Name School Yr. GPA Major
P Kelly Barnhill Florida So. 3.93 Public relations & economics
P Paige Parker (1) Oklahoma Jr. 3.96 Arts & sciences
C Vanessa Shippy (3) Oklahoma St. Jr. 3.94 Marketing & finance
IF Kasey Cooper (1) # Auburn Sr. 3.97 Mechanical engineering
IF Haley Pace (3) Charlotte Jr. 4.00 Accounting
IF Jessica Twaddle & Murray State Gr. 3.97 Economics
IF Morgan Zerkle Marshall Sr. 3.72 Clinical exercise physiology
OF Nicole Evans Illinois Sr. 3.83 Kinesiology
OF Haley Hayden Louisiana Sr. 3.72 Exercise science
OF Gabrielle Snyder Dayton Sr. 3.78 Medicinal pharmaceutical chemistry
DP Amber Schisler Campbell Sr. 3.73 Finance
SECOND TEAM
Pos. Name School Yr. GPA Major
P Sydney Littlejohn (2) Alabama Gr. 3.86,4.00 (G) Human perf. / exercise science
P Alex Stewart Louisiana Sr. 3.71 Mathematics
C Kirsten Mack Missouri Sr. 3.90 Health science
IF Lindsey Cargill Baylor Gr. 3.77,3.77 (G) Sports pedagogy
IF Hannah Flippen (1) Utah Sr. 3.59 Psychology
IF Kayli Kvistad (1) Florida Jr. 3.77 Communication sciences & disorders
IF Kassidy Zeringue (2) Louisiana Sr. 3.88 Exercise science
OF Chandler Dare Alabama Gr. 3.93,4.00 (G) Public rel. (UG) / human env. sci. (G)
OF Lea Foerster Michigan State Jr. 3.70 Kinesiology
OF Breanne Ray Kentucky Sr. 3.99 Communication sciences & disorders
DP Gabrielle Kelliher Marist Jr. 3.90 Biology & medical technology
THIRD TEAM
Pos. Name School Yr. GPA Major
P Sara Groenewegen Minnesota Sr. 3.30 Sport management
P Kristina Zalewski Michigan State Jr. 4.00 Nutritional sciences
C Elizabeth Snow Albany Sr. 3.47 Human biology
IF Meghan Gregg Tennessee Jr. 3.50 Kinesiology
IF Shaye Harre (2) Southern Illinois Sr. 3.91 Animal sciences
IF Lauren Moore UNCW Sr. 3.95 Biology
IF Kelli Schkade North Texas Sr. 3.88 Kinesiology
OF Cecilia Bauer Houston Baptist Sr. 4.00 Elementary education
OF Morgan Klaevemann Florida State Jr. 3.48 Biological science
OF Shersty Stanton Belmont Sr. 4.00 Social entrepreneurship
DP Victoria Williams South Carolina Sr. 3.72 Elementary education
CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year: Kasey Cooper, Auburn
1 = 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team
2 = 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® second team
3 = 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® third team
# = 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team
& = 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America® third team
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