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Softball: Landry ready to finish career in styleKevin Foote, The Advertiser, May 24, 2016
There are moments during practice, in between games and even on occasion during games that UL senior leftfielder Shellie Landry thinks as if she’s a coach. And why not? As a four-year starter on one of the nation’s elite Division I softball programs, she’s certainly played enough games under a seasoned head coach to have picked up a few things. Landry already has plans on being a graduate assistant at UL next season and one day becoming a head softball coach of her own. For now, though, that’s still a little ways off. After all, Landry’s got some unfinished business to take care of as a player when her No. 9-ranked and No. 14-seeded Ragin’ Cajuns travel to meet No. 3-seeded Oklahoma for the NCAA Super Regionals beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday in Norman, Oklahoma. “Coach Mike told us at practice that we’ve got two steps left,” Landry said. The first one is to get to the top of the NCAA softball mountain by reaching the Women’s College World Series for the second time in her career. The second one is to try to go ahead and win that coveted national title while they’re up there. In one way, it’s a climb that began at the beginning of the 2016 season. For veterans like Landry, it actually began four years ago the first day she stepped on the UL campus. “There’s no doubt that I feel like I’ve taken a million and one steps since I’ve been here,” Landry said. “So what’s two more steps at this point?” Indeed, it’s been a grinding process for Landry since arriving at UL after an All-State championship career at St. Thomas More. And as determined and focused as Landry is, her body is starting to feel that wear and tear. That’s where her maturity comes in. “Your body does get worn down,” Landry said. “That’s when it’s about your mindset. While your body wears down, you get stronger mentally. If you have the right mindset, your body may tell you that you’re hurting, but you tell yourself that you’re not and you just play through it.” Although Landry’s intensity and strong will to win will likely be an example used to motivate future UL Ragin’ Cajuns, UL coach Michael Lotief has also noticed that Landry’s learned the other side as well during his college career. “She’s learned some balance from some of her classmates,” Lotief said. “She’s taught some of them to be more competitive, but they also taught her to be a little more mellow. You can’t just see everything from competitive lenses all the time. Sometimes you have to take a deep breath and forget about things. If you don’t, this game will eat you up.” It won’t take very long after Landry’s departure from the program for her intensity level to become legendary in these parts. Lotief still laughs about the UL Monroe home game when the Warhawks kept hitting teammate Aleah Craighton with pitches, and Landry had to be restrained from charging the field. “She wanted to go,” Lotief laughed. "That’s Shellie. It’s in her DNA." Dealing with that elevated level of focus and determination will also be something Landry will need to temper during her future coaching career as well. “She’ll definitely need to hire some assistant coaches who are more laid back and have some tolerance,” Lotief laughed. “I hope all of my players will be as intense as I am,” Landry said. “I’m going to be an intense coach. At the end of the day, though, I’m also going to love them and try to teach them life lessons.” That’s an example Landry heard loud and clear over the years playing under Lotief. In fact, that’s one of the primary reasons Landry feels the Cajuns as a team has been able to overcome so many potentially-devastating obstacles during her career. “He prepares us for everything that happens,” Landry said. “He talks to us all the time and the fans probably think he’s always talking about hitting, but it’s not always about hitting and softball. A lot of it is about life. He’s teaching us life lessons every day. He’s basically equivalent to being a parent. Other than my parents, no one’s taught me more life lessons than him.” In addition to helping Landry becomes an All-American hitter, Lotief has also helped Landry begin seeing the game like a coach would. “When I’m on the bus and I’m done with my homework, I’m reading books about coaching,” Landry said. “I do a lot of texting with him about coaching, about what to do and what not to do.” Perhaps the critical eye of a coach leads Landry to the assessment that she’s had “a pretty good season” so far this season. She’s batting .321 with six doubles, two triples, 16 homers and 57 RBIs. “It’s not my best season, but that happens,” Landry said. “At this point in my career, it’s not about me anyway. It’s all about the team. It’s all about helping this team win a national championship.” Whether she’s a player or already in the mindset of a coach, Landry said, her college career has taught her how much she really loves the game of softball. “I thought I loved it when I was at St. Thomas More,” said Landry, who hopes to play pro ball this summer “with Lexie” and then begin her life as a coach as a UL graduate assistant next season. “But I didn’t think I’d ever love softball as much as I do now. It’s a very, very big part of my life. Without softball, my life would literally be nothing. It’s given me another family, another support system. “I love the game. I’d do anything for the sport.” NCAA Super Regional Series: Thursday-Friday. Place: Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla. Game 1: 8 p.m., Thursday (ESPN2) Game 2: 6 p.m., Friday (ESPN2) Game 3 (if necessary): 9 p.m., Friday (ESPNU) Radio: All games on KPEL 1420 AM. Records: UL 46-7; OU 50-7. Seeds/Rankings/RPI: UL 14-9-10; OU 3-3-3.
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