Softball: Lexie Elkins Earns Repeat Honors as Catcher of the Year

LAFAYETTE – Ragin’ Cajuns Softball’s Lexie Elkins earned repeat honors as the Diamond Sports Division I Catcher of the Year as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced her as the choice for the 2016 award.

 
The three-time NFCA All-American selection (first team the past two years) and No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch Draft, who was the winner of the award in 2015, becomes the fifth Division I player to win the award in consecutive seasons.
 
Elkins joins the following list of repeat winners on the NCAA Division I level: Leah Braatz (Arizona), Stacy Nuveman (UCLA), Kristen Rivera (Washington) and Chelsea Bramlett (Mississippi State).
 
The Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award is presented annually to the top catcher from an NFCA member institution in each of the following divisions: NCAA (Divisions I, II and III), NAIA, NJCAA (Divisions I, II and III), Cal JC, NWAC and high school. A committee comprised of head coaches in each of the 10 divisions determined the winner of their respective award.
 
In 2016, Elkins became the first Ragin’ Cajun to finish a season with a .500-plus average (.509). She led the nation in batting average, slugging percentage (1.130) and home runs per game (0.51), which powered the No. 1 home run hitting (1.96 per game) and slugging (.622) team in Division I.
 
In addition, Elkins launched 19 home runs, knocked in 49, scored 42 times and drew 28 free passes for a .607 on-base percentage.
 
Along with her monstrous offensive numbers, she committed just one error behind the dish for a .996 field percentage (212 PO, 25 A, 1 E), tallied 25 assists and controlled the opposition’s running game limiting foes to 14 stolen base attempts over 37 games competed in at the position.
 
Nominated for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year, Elkins was the first individual in Sun Belt history to win Student-Athlete of the Year honors a third straight time and was also recognized as the state of Louisiana’s Hitter of the Year.
 
The Victoria, Texas, native climbed into the No. 2 spot on school’s career home run chart, finishing with 75 career home runs in a Ragin’ Cajuns uniform after hitting none as a freshman at Texas Tech. Her career home run tally ranks 12th all-time in NCAA history.
 
During the 2016 season, Ragin’ Cajuns Softball claimed its third straight Sun Belt Conference championship and 14th in the 16 years of league competition since 2001. The squad appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the 18th straight year and 26th time overall in the past 27 years dating back to 1990. The Ragin’ Cajuns hosted an NCAA Regional at Lamson Park for the fourth time in the past five years (2012, 2014-16) and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the fifth straight year (2012-16).
 
For more information on 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) and Twitter (@RaginCajunSB).

Diamond Sports Division I Catcher of the Year Winners