Softball: Draheim, Wallace top All-Louisiana team – Myers, Cherry also named

UL catcher Sarah Draheim was honored as the Hitter of the Year. / Allyce Andrew/The Advertiser

Daily Advertiser, June 2, 2013

UL’s Jordan Wallace was voted as the Louisiana Pitcher of the Year. / Paul Kieu/pkieu@theadvertiser.com

 

UL catcher Sarah Draheim and Northwestern State coach Donald Pickett produced career-best seasons in 2013 to earn two of the top awards on the All-Louisiana collegiate softball team.

Draheim, a .267 hitter through her first three seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns, collected 15-of-18 votes for Hitter of the Year after batting .423 with 15 home runs and 63 runs batted in.

Although it’s the seventh time in 11 seasons that a UL Lafayette player was voted Hitter of the Year, it’s the first time a catcher from any school has won this award, which was created in 2003.

Pickett, 83-128 through his four seasons at Northwestern State, led the Lady Demons to a 40-15 record, a school-record .727 winning percentage and their first Southland Conference Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002. He is the Lady Demons’ first Louisiana Coach of the Year in this sport since 1998.

Draheim was joined by her battery mate in sophomore right-hander Jordan Wallace in claiming the other top award as the Pitcher of the Year.

Pitchers Ashley Czechner of LSU and Kaylee Guidry of Northwestern State shared the Newcomer of the Year award, and LSU shortstop Bianka Bell was chosen Freshman of the Year.

A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel of media and sports publicists selected the All-Louisiana team, based on statistics and performances through the teams’ conference tournaments.

For the sixth consecutive year, UL leads the state in first-team selections. The Ragin’ Cajuns have four. Joining Draheim and Wallace on the first team are shortstop Nerissa Myers and outfielder Briana Cherry. LSU and Northwestern State have three first-team selections apiece, and Louisiana Tech has two.

Wallace, on the first team for the second consecutive year and the 2012 Freshman of the Year, was 28-7 with a 1.89 ERA and 331 strikeouts in 214.1 innings. She pitched an extra-inning no-hitter against Florida Atlantic and struck out a school-record 18 batters against Middle Tennessee.

The Cajuns finished the year 47-15 and reached an NCAA super regional for the fourth time in six seasons.

3 All-Louisiana Softball team  FIRST TEAM

Position Name School Yr. Notes
P Rachele Fico, LSU Sr. 24-11, 2.35 ERA
P Jordan Wallace, UL So. 28-7, 1.89 ERA
C Sarah Draheim, UL Sr. .423, 15 HR, 63 RBIs
1B Brianna Rodriguez, Northwestern State Jr. .359, 6 HR, 46 RBIs
2B Amanda Krueger, La. Tech Sr. .318, 6 HR, 25 RBIs
3B Brittany Virgoe Northwestern State So. .335, 8 HR, 34 RBIs
SS Bianka Bell, LSU Fr. Tampa, Fla. .356, 12 HR, 47 RBIs
SS Nerissa Myers, UL Sr. .417, 8 HR, 37 RBIs
OF A.J. Andrews, LSU So. .359, 2 HR, 32 RBIs
OF Briana Cherry, UL Sr. .397, 12 HR, 51 RBIs
OF Alanna DiVittorio, McNeese State Jr. .346, 9 HR, 28 RBIs
DP Cassandra Barefield, Northwestern State So. .325, 14 HR, 45 RBIs
UT Melanie Goff, La Tech Sr. .345, 32 RBIs
HITTER OF THE YEAR

Sarah Draheim, UL

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Jordan Wallace, UL

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

(tie) Ashley Czechner, LSU; Kaylee Guidry, Northwestern State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Bianka Bell, LSU

COACH OF THE YEAR

Donald Pickett, Northwestern State

SECOND TEAM

Position Name School Yr. Notes
P Meagan Bond McNeese State Sr. 18-6, 1.27 ERA
P Kylie Roos Northwestern State Sr. 17-4, 1.47 ERA
C Ashley Modzelewski, McNeese State So. .317, 5 HR, 29 RBI
1B Matte Haack, UL Sr. .341, 12 HR, 57 RBIs
2B Allison Falcon, LSU Jr. .257, 5 HR, 27 RBIs
3B Janna Frandrup, La. Tech Sr. .300, 26 RBI
3B Megan Moore, SLU So. .273, 6 HR, 34 RBIs
3B Jaci Trahan, LSU-Alex. Jr. .335, 24 RBIs
OF Jacee Blades, LSU Jr. .354, 22 RBIs
OF Shellie Landry, UL Fr. .297, 15 HR, 59 RBIs
OF Kelsey Nichols, SLU Sr. .352, 7 HR, 43 RBIs
DP Erin Kipp, La. Tech Jr. .349, 4 HR, 22 RBIs
UT Paulean Gonzalez, LSU-Alex. Fr. .320, 19 RBIs
All-Louisiana Voting

Hitter of the Year: Sarah Draheim, UL, 15; A.J. Andrews, LSU, 1; Kelsey Nichols, SLU, 1; Brianna Rodriguez, Northwestern State, 1.
Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Wallace, UL, 11; Rachele Fico, LSU, 7.
Newcomer of the Year: Ashley Czechner, LSU, 8; Kaylee Guidry, Northwestern State, 8; Jaci Trahan, LSU-Alexandria, 2.
Freshman of the Year: Bianka Bell, LSU, 14; Amber Sather, SLU, 2; Raquel Granados, catcher, LSU-Alexandria, 1; Shellie Landry, UL, 1.
Coach of the Year: Donald Pickett, Northwestern State, 11; Beth Torina, LSU, 5; Pete Langlois, SLU, 1; Mike Smith, McNeese State, 1.