UL squads reached the Women’s College World Series 5 times – the first time in 1993 and including 1995, 1996, 2003 and 2008 and Cajuns have competed in NCAA postseason play every year except once since 1990.

The first team managed a 7-15 record, and there hasn’t been a losing season since then.
Yvette Girouard, a 1976 UL graduate and the school’s outstanding female athlete as a senior, returned to her alma mater to start the softball program after success as a coach at Lafayette High and Comeaux High.

Under Girouard’s guidance, the program won 759 of 1,009 contests, reached the WCWS three times in 2003, 2005 and 2006 _ finishing third in the nation in 1993 _ and competed in NCAA postseason competition in 10 of her last 11 years at the helm.

The program’s success prompted the building of Lady Cajun Park on Cajundome Boulevard, later named Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin’ Cajun Softball Park. From humble beginnings, softball grew to become arguably the most successful program in UL athletics.

Current co-head coach Stefni Lotief is an enduring part of the Cajun softball legacy.
As a star pitcher from Friendswood, Texas, then-Stefni Whitton became the school’s first All-American in 1989, the initial first-team All-America pick a year later and was also UL’s first Academic All-American performer.

She pitched five no-hitters, had 16 shutouts and a 0.53 earned run average in 1989, had 16 more shutouts and posted a 0.28 earned run average in 1990, and finished with a 0.66 ERA from 1987-90.

She was the first high-profile face of the franchise that would include dozens more All-Americans. And, since taking over for founder Yvette Girouard in 2001, Lotief has guided the Cajuns to a record of 497-128 and World Series appearances in 2003 and 2008.

"It’s been an honor for me," Lotief said. "This is where I grew up, where I learned about myself. I have great admiration for the University, and as a graduate, to be able to do what we’ve done, is the most fulfilling thing of all."

When Girouard landed Lotief in 1986, many of the program’s aspirations were still in the formative stages.

"It was an emerging sport," said Lotief, whose husband Michael is her co-head coach. "A lot of energy existed, and it has continued to grow in tremendous leaps and bounds."

"The NCAA recognized it as one of the growth sports, with TV coverage and major conference schools offering softball. And, there was a lot of interest in Olympic softball. They were good role models. It’s a sport that grew from the top down."

Softball has also grown to become a more offensive-oriented sport than when Lotief pitched for the Cajuns.

"Obviously, bat technology is one reason," Lotief said. "That’s had a tremendous influence on the game. But, also, there has been more emphasis on hitting. When I played, three-fourths of practice was spent on defense and a fourth of the time on hitting."

"You also have the ability to videotape your swing now and analyze it."

As proof of that growth, Michael Lotief has guided UL to nearly 700 home runs in 10 years with the program, including an eye-catching 102 in 2006.

While the UL program has adjusted to the evolution of the game, the Cajuns have also grown to become a favorite of local fans.

"We get respect from the community for what the girls have been able to do, both on the field and in the classroom," Lotief said. "We feel the love from our fans, and we feed off of it. So, it’s a win-win situation for us.

"Our fans follow us across the country to watch us play. It’s a great love story for the fans and the players."

The 2010 Cajuns finished the season at UCLA in Super Regional action, losing twice to the eventual national champions to end their campaign. But they were still bolstered by a group of boisterous fans who made their way to the West Coast.

"Our players realize that’s their showtime. That’s their platform," Lotief said. "This is their Big Leagues."

The support from the community helped prompt a remodeling of Lamson Park for the 2010 season. As a result of ongoing construction on that project, home games were witnessed by fans grouped in outfield bleachers instead of the usual cozy atmosphere behind home plate.

It didn’t stop the Cajuns from succeeding, though, as UL lost just once in 20 home contests.
"The older girls on the team are fighters," Lotief said. "They weren’t going to give in, just because the park was being worked on. They kept fighting. We knew they were going to lay it on the line."

"For the seniors, it was their final curtain. They were relentless. Even the ones who were hurt were there every day at practice. They passed that attitude on to the younger players."

The Cajuns aim to recruit the best players in Louisiana each year, sprnkling in talent from Texas and elsewhere to add to the gumbo, but they mainly want players with that relentless attitude.

Pitcher Brooke Mitchell (2003-2006) was that kind of player. She compiled a 119-27 record while striking out 1,309 batters, led the 2003 Cajuns to the Women’s College World Series, was an NFCA All-American in 2004 when she had a 45-5 record, and twice was an Academic All-American. All this despite not being the biggest or most powerful pitcher in the game.

All-American Danyele Gomez is another sterling product. The New Orleans-area product made a statement as a freshman with a tape measure home run against Texas star Cat Osterman in the 2003 WCWS and in her career hit 20, 13, 20 and 30 home runs for a career total of 83. She batted .442 as a senior while launching those 30 homers.

Shortsop Alana Addison bridged the Girouard and Lotief eras at UL, finishing her career with 57 home runs, 63 doubles, 216 runs, 221 runs batted in and 508 total bases.

While Lotief set the bar high for pitchers at UL, Kyla Hall followed her with a record 17 no-hitters, a 0.50 earned run average and 820 strikeouts.

Crowley’s Allyson Habetz was a good enough baseball player in her youth to successfully sue to play on the boys baseball team in high school. She lettered in both softball and women’s basketball for the Ragin’ Cajuns and was one of the reasons the program reached the WCWS in 1993.

Habetz later played women’s professional baseball and is coaching softball at Alabama under former Girouard assistant Pat Murphy.

The list of All-Americans is a long one. The list of victories numbers over 1,200. And the number of memories continues to grow.

It’s a list sure to be amplified by standouts like Ashley Brignac, who pitched UL to the 2008 WCWS, redshirted in 2010 and will have two more seasons at the school.

But the battle is one the Cajuns fight every day, during the season and beyond, against larger programs with larger budgets.

"To be candid, it’s hard," Lotief said. "It’s a tough. We make a lot of sacrifices to build a brand name. We recruit special players with big hearts – underdogs, fighters."

This story is a copyrighted enterprise by Bruce Brown.

Information below was provided by the Athletic Network, Ed Dugas, Coordinator.

Click here for information and pictures provided by Donna Clark of the 1980 Softball team. It documents the trials and tribulations of the club sport team of which she was a member.
http://athleticnetwork.net/site251.php  Donna’s recollections are confirmed and vertified, as I was the HPE Department Head at the time.

Click here for the Softball photo gallery, then the year you wish to view  http://athleticnetwork.net/site278.php

If you wish to view the profile of a former softball player, please click on Select a Team (upper left on home page), then highlight and click on Softball. Teams from 2010 will appear in alphabetical order, going back to the 1980 team.  

Please ask those former softball players with "bare-bones" profiles (name, sport, year) to email the AN at athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu  so we may communicate with them about their profile and this feature.

Our rich athletic traditions were intrusted to the vision, hope, loyalty and dedicated of these former athletes and we will forever owe them a debt of sincere gratitude.  May God Bless each of them and their families. 

Anyone with information, materials, pictures, memorabilia, etc., of the university’s former athletic program participants is requested to contact Ed Dugas at athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu   Thank you.

The Photo Gallery Link located on the left side of the home page at http://www.athleticnetwork.net contains over 9,000 pictures of former and current athletes and support groups.  Just click on photo gallery and when the menu appears, click on the sport or support group you wish to view. The years of pictures posted for that team or group will appear and you may click on the year you wish to view. One click on a thumbnail picture or narrative and it is enlarged; a click on the enlarged photo and it reverts back to the thumbnail.