Softball: Sanders Earns Third Sun Belt Player of the Week Award

DJ Sanders was 5-for-7 with three runs, a double, three home runs, seven RBI over final two games as Cajuns swept South Alabama in Mobile for the first time since 2011.

LAFAYETTE – For the third time in the 2017 season, Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball shortstop DJ Sanders was the recipient of the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week award.
 
Sanders hit .545, belted three home runs and posted seven RBI as the Ragin’ Cajuns collected their first sweep of South Alabama in Mobile since 2011. The performance earned the junior slugger the Sun Belt’s weekly award for games played March 20-26.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns have now claimed five of the seven player of the week awards handed out by the Sun Belt this season.
 
Sanders, who is the nation’s present leader in home runs with 16, joins Becky McMurtry (2003), Holly Tankersley (2004, 2007), Danyele Gomez (2006), Gabriele Bridges (2011) and Christi Orgeron (2012) as Ragin’ Cajuns to win at least three Sun Belt Player of the Week awards in a single season.
 
The Columbus, Miss., native previously won SBC Player of the Week on Feb. 21 and Feb. 28 for performances in the Alabama series and Mardi Gras Invitational. This week’s award increases her career total to four (won on March 8 in 2016).
 
Sanders finished 6-for-11 at the plate against South Alabama pitching, with five of her six hits going for extra bases (2 doubles, three home runs) resulting in a 1.545 slugging percentage. She homered twice in Game 2 of the series marking her fifth multiple-home run game of the season.
 
She closed the series 5-for-7 with three runs, a double, three home runs, seven RBI and 15 total bases over her final seven plate appearances, spanning Games 2 and 3, playing a key part in the wins which locked up the series victory and the sweep which kept Louisiana in sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt standings.
 
Sanders was 3-for-3 at the plate in the series-clinching 4-2 win, accounting for three of Louisiana’s four runs: solo homer in the second inning, RBI single in the third inning and a solo homer in the sixth inning.
 
In the series finale, she was 2-for-4 at the plate and posted all four of her RBI on a grand slam off of USA’s Devin Brown in the third inning that gave the Cajuns a 5-0 lead. The grand slam was key as it allowed the Cajuns to remain in the lead after the Jaguars scored four unanswered runs from the third through fifth inning.
 
The weekend home run totals moved Sanders not only into the national lead for home runs (16), but also within two of her career-high total (18) hit last season.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns have collected seven weekly awards total from the Sun Belt this season. In addition to Sanders’ three player of the week honors, Kelli Martinez (Feb. 14) and Lexie Comeaux (Mar. 7) have been honored. Alyssa Denham (Feb. 21) and Alex Stewart (Mar. 7) add a pitcher of the week award apiece to the team’s season award total.
 
Louisiana has now claimed 83 player of the week honors since the Sun Belt Conference began bestowing the honor in 2000.
 
The 17th-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns (23-5, 6-0 Sun Belt), who extended their school and Sun Belt record of consecutive conference series won to 31 dating back to March 2013 with the sweep of South Alabama, remain on the road this week traveling to Statesboro, Ga., for a three-game Sun Belt series against Georgia Southern (15-15, 5-4 Sun Belt) set for Saturday-Sunday, April 1-2.
 
Action begins at 12 p.m. (CDT) both days in Statesboro with a doubleheader slated for Saturday and a single game on Sunday. The Georgia Southern series marks the end of a six-game road trip for the Ragin’ Cajuns who return to Lamson Park April 8-9 vs. Troy.
 
For more information on Louisiana 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),Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsSoftball).
 
2017 RAGIN’ CAJUNS SUN BELT PLAYER/PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Feb. 14 – Kelli Martinez (Player of the Week)
Feb. 21 – DJ Sanders (Player of the Week)
Feb. 21 – Alyssa Denham (Pitcher of the Week)
Feb. 28 – DJ Sanders (Player of the Week)
Mar. 7 – Lexie Comeaux (Player of the Week)
Mar. 7 – Alex Stewart (Pitcher of the Week)
Mar. 28 – DJ Sanders (Player of the Week)
 
RAGIN’ CAJUNS SOFTBALL SUN BELT PLAYER OF THE WEEK ARCHIVE
2017: Kelli Martinez (2/14); DJ Sanders (2/21); DJ Sanders (2/28); Lexie Comeaux (3/7); DJ Sanders (3/28)
2016: Lexie Elkins (2/16); DJ Sanders (3/8); Shellie Landry (3/28); Aleah Craighton (4/11); Kara Gremillion (5/9)
2015: Lexie Elkins (3/23); Lexie Elkins (4/20); Aleah Craighton (5/4)
2014: Lexie Elkins (2/10); Natalie Fernandez (3/24); Lexie Elkins (4/7)
2013: Brianna Cherry (2/25); Nerissa Myers (4/8); Nerissa Myers (4/29)
2012: Christi Orgeron (2/13); Christi Orgeron (2/20); Nerissa Myers (3/5); Nerissa Myers (3/19); Christi Orgeron (3/26); Christi Orgeron (4/23)
2011: Gabriele Bridges (2/14); Christi Orgeron (3/7); Gabriel Bridges (3/21); Christi Orgeron (4/18); Gabriele Bridges (5/2); Gabriele Bridges (5/9)
2010: Vallie Gaspard (2/15); Christi Orgeron (3/8); Christi Orgeron (3/29)
2009: Gabriele Bridges (2/16); Karli Hubbard (3/16); Gabriele Bridges (4/6); Christi Orgeron (4/20); Christi Orgeron (4/27)
2008: Melissa Verde (2/11); Holly Tankersley (3/10); Holly Tankersley (4/14)
2007: Codi Runyan (2/12); Holly Tankersley (2/19); Holly Tankersley (2/26); Holly Tankersley (3/12); Holly Tankersley (3/19); Melissa Verde (4/23)
2006: Danyele Gomez (2/14); Danyele Gomez (2/21); Danyele Gomez (4/3); Danyele Gomez (4/10); Danyele Gomez (4/24); Codi Runyan (5/8)
2005: Jill Robertson (2/21); Crystal George (3/14); Jill Robertson (4/18); Danyele Gomez (4/25); Danyele Gomez (5/2)
2004: Holly Tankersley (2/17); Holly Tankersley (3/2); Holly Tankersley (4/5); Holly Tankersley (5/3)
2003: Becky McMurtry (3/4); Danyele Gomez (3/13); Becky McMurtry (4/7); Danyele Gomez (4/14); Becky McMurtry (5/5)
2002: Alana Addison (3/18); Becky McMurtry (3/25); Jerie Alexander (4/1); Alana Addison (4/15); Missy Martin (4/22); Becky McMurtry (4/29)
2001: Alana Addison (3/19); Missy Martin (3/26); Alana Addison (4/2); Jerie Alexander (4/23); Jana Mower (4/30)
2000: Tiffany Clark (3/13); Alana Addison (3/27); Jana Mower (4/10); Tiffany Clark (4/17)