Softball: Elkins, Stewart Take Home LSWA Honors for February

 LAFAYETTE – No. 5-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball’s Lexie Elkins and Alex Stewart were named the Louisiana Sportswriters Association (LSWA) Hitter and Pitcher of the Month for February, the LSWA announced on Thursday.
 
The voting was conducted by the softball school media relations representatives. They could nominate, but not vote for their own players.
 
Elkins took LSWA Softball Hitter of the Month honors after hitting .561 with 11 home runs and 26 RBI, while Alex Stewart and LSU’s Carly Hoover tied for the most votes for LSWA Softball Pitcher of the Month accolades. Stewart was 7-0 in February with a pair of wins over then-No. 5 Oregon, while Hoover won each of her five starts in the month.
 
The LSWA’s weekly softball honors begin next week.
 
For the month of February, Elkins was the nation’s leader in home runs (11), home runs per game (0.73), and slugging percentage (1.439).
 
The Cajuns’ senior catcher was named the Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Week, Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division I National Player of the Week and USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week on Feb. 16 after finishing 10-for-15 (.667) at the plate with five home runs, 14 RBI and a 1.800 slugging percentage in the Ragin’ Cajuns season-opening weekend at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores.
 
Elkins capped off the three matchups with No. 5 Oregon in the Louisiana Classics with a home run in each contest that the Cajuns faced All-American pitcher Cheridan Hawkins. The Victoria, Texas product homered in nine of the Cajuns 15 games and hit safely in 13 of the 15 games, highlighted by a 10-game hitting streak Feb. 14-27.
 
Stewart started the season with 35 2/3 consecutive walk-free innings and issued only two walks through 42 innings pitched in February. She finished the month ranked No. 8 nationally in fewest walks allowed per seven innings, while her seven wins ranked No. 11 nationally.
 
She posted a 3-0 record and allowed only one earned run while pitching 14 of the 29 innings that the Ragin’ Cajuns pitching staff worked at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores.
 
The wins over No. 5 Oregon marked her first two career wins as a starting pitcher against a ranked team. Stewart limited No. 5 Oregon to six runs (five earned) over 14 innings pitched and never trailed in either start against the fifth-ranked Ducks. She struck out a season-high nine batters in both games of a doubleheader vs. Texas Tech on Feb. 25.
 
The No. 5-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns, who recently finished a 10-game homestand with an eight game win streak, travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a three-game series with Southern Miss set for Saturday-Sunday, March 5-6. The teams square off in a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday. The series marks the final non-conference weekend prior to the start of Sun Belt Conference play March 12-13 vs. South Alabama at Lamson Park.
 
Season ticket packages for all 2016 regular season games at Lamson Park, starting at $106, remain on sale through the Ragin’ Cajuns Ticket Office. Fans can purchase season tickets via phone at (337) 265-2100, online at RaginCajuns.com or by visiting the Cajundome Box Office in-person Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
 
Fans who purchase season tickets have the benefit of the same seat location at every game and receive priority access to any NCAA postseason games hosted at Lamson Park.
 
For more information on Ragin’ Cajuns softball, fans can follow along with the team on Facebook (/RaginCajunSoftball) and Twitter (@RaginCajunSB).