Softball: Ragin’ Cajuns Have Four Named To The NFCA All-South Region Softball Team

Softball: Ragin’ Cajuns Have Four Named To The NFCA All-South Region Softball Team

Matt Hebert, Sports Information –

Danyele Gomez earns first team honors for the second time in her career

NORMAN, Okla. – Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team placed four
players on the 2005 National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA)
All-South Region Team as announced by the organization on Wednesday.
Louisiana-Lafayette was tied with Southeastern Conference members
Alabama and Tennessee for the most selections amongst the NFCA South
Region membership.

Representing Louisiana-Lafayette on the first team All-South Region was
junior right fielder and Metairie native Danyele Gomez. Gomez, the 2005
Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, currently leads the squad in
doubles (11), home runs (19), RBI (64), total bases (130) and slugging
percentage (.743).

The Ragin’ Cajuns’ second team honorees included senior ace pitcher
Brooke Mitchell, junior second baseman Brittany Bryant and senior center
fielder and Lafayette native Jill Robertson.

Each one will now advance to the national ballot for the opportunity to
be named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America team. The
All-America team will be determined on May 30 and announced prior to the
start of the Women’s College World Series in the first week of June.

This season’s selections to the NFCA All-South Region team marked the
18th straight season that the Ragin’ Cajuns softball program had at
least one player selected to the All-Region team.

It’s the most selections since exactly four were honored in 2002.

Louisiana-Lafayette has now had 16 NFCA All-South Region selections
under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief.

Gomez is appearing on the NFCA All-South Region team for the first time
since her freshman season in 2003 when she was named a first team
member. That season, the Metairie native went on to be named
All-American.

Gomez finished the season strong by hitting eight home runs and picking
up 32 RBI over the final three weeks of the regular season. The junior
power hitter has collected 18 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI games and
has set a personal-best for RBI with 64.

For Mitchell it’s her third straight appearance on the All-Region team.
Bryant and Robertson are appearing on the All-Region team for the first
time in their careers.

Mitchell was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Pitcher of the Year after
compiling 26 regular season victories, 330 strikeouts and 20
double-digit strikeout games. Earlier in the season she recorded her
1,000th career strikeout and 100th career victory – she now ranks in the
Top 10 on the all-time NCAA Division I career lists for each category.

The Pasadena, Texas, native tossed the 5th no-hitter in NFCA Leadoff
Classic history when she no-hit NCAA Regional participant DePaul. She
reached 15 strikeouts four times and at least 12 strikeouts 11 times.

Bryant carried a .300-plus batting average throughout the entire 2005
season. She began the season hitting .464 (13-of-28) through the first
two weekends with three doubles, one triple, two home runs and 11 RBI
and consistently maintained an average near .320 during the regular
season.

The Beaumont, Texas, native ranked second in the Sun Belt with four
triples and is currently tied for third on the team with 19 extra base
hits (eight doubles, four triples, seven home runs). Bryant sports a
.946 fielding percentage through 148 chances (87 PO, 53 A, 8 E).

Robertson had a career-year after returning from a knee injury in 2004
and was duly rewarded with her selection to the All-Region team. She
currently leads the Cajuns with a .384 batting average, 63 base hits and
55 runs scored. The Lafayette native sports a team-best overall on-base
percentage of .490.

Her 63 base hits are a personal-best eclipsing the 60 base hits she
collected as a freshman in 2001.

Robertson scored her 200th run of her career in game one of a
doubleheader with Middle Tennessee on Saturday, May 7 – it made her just
the fourth player in program history to reach 200 runs scored. She
currently ranks No. 3 in school history for runs scored with 206.

Robertson will enter the NCAA Regional No. 14 in Norman, Okla., on a
string of 22 consecutive games of reaching base safely – either by base
hit or walk.

Louisiana-Lafayette (50-8), the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Regional No. 14
in Norman will open play in the four-team tournament Friday at 5 p.m.
(CDT) against No. 2 seed Oregon (34-23) at the OU Softball Complex. The
game can be heard locally on the radio at SportsRadio ESPN 1420-KPEL AM
or nationwide via the Internet at www.sportsnoteradio.com.

NFCA SOUTH ALL-REGION TEAMS

1ST TEAM

Monica Abbott Pitcher University of Tennessee
Stephanie VanBrakle Pitcher University of Alabama
Ashley Courtney Catcher University of Alabama
Paige Jones 1st Base Auburn
University
Lauren Boone 2nd Base Sam Houston
State University
Courtney Bures Shortstop Mississippi
State University
Kristi Durant 3rd Base University of
Tennessee
Lauren Castle DP Louisiana State
University
Holly Currie Utility Auburn University
Sarah Fekete OF University of
Tennessee
Danyele Gomez OF University of
Louisiana-Lafayette
Jennifer Davis OF University of
Texas-San Antonio

2nd TEAM

Brooke Mitchell Pitcher University of
Louisiana-Lafayette
Sarah Pauly Pitcher Texas A & M
University-Corpus Christi
Jocelyn McCallum Pitcher Troy University
Aja Sherman Pitcher University of
Louisville
Carly Kellam Pitcher Jacksonville State
University
Lacey Swarthout Pitcher University of
Tennessee-Chattanooga
Shalayne Blythe Pitcher Sam Houston State
University
Tamra Howren Catcher Troy University
Beth Jordan 1st Base McNeese
State University
Brittany Bryant 2nd Base University of
Louisiana-Lafayette
Lindsay Schutzler Shortstop
University of Tennessee
Courtney Moore Shortstop University of
Louisville
Kristen Glowacz 3rd Base University of
Houston
Jessica Rogers 3rd Base University of
Texas-San Antonio
Jordan Praytor DP University of
Alabama
Jennifer Jessup Utility Mississippi
State University
Jill Robertson OF University of
Louisiana-Lafayette
Camille Harris OF Louisiana State
University
Jackie Wilkins OF University of
Alabama
Maigin Alexander OF
Jacksonville State University
Janine Sprague OF East Tennessee
State University

Posted May 19, 2005