Softball: Louisiana Softball Welcomes Transfer Jenna Kean to the Program
Former Arizona outfielder becomes the fourth D1 product added to the 2021 roster
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball head coach Gerry Glasco added another left-handed batter, who is a veteran outfielder, to the program’s 2021 roster with the announcement on Wednesday (June 10, 2020) of the signing of Arizona transfer Jenna Kean.
A native of Los Alamitos, Calif., Kean has appeared in 110 games in her collegiate career, including 82 starts, over the past two-plus seasons at Arizona. She possesses the ability to slap, bunt, or hit away depending on the situation, and adds speed on the base path plus an excellent throwing arm.
Kean hit an impressive .353 over 12 appearances in the shortened 2020 season and started eight games in right field. One of the Wildcats’ top base-stealing threats, she has been successful in all but two of her 20 career attempts.
She is expected to have two seasons of eligibility remaining once she suits up for the Ragin’ Cajuns starting in 2021, as the NCAA granted an extra year of college eligibility to all spring sports participants due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kean joins a list of recently added newcomers that includes Division I transfers Jade Gortarez (Arizona State), Vanessa Foreman (Arizona) and Karly Heath (South Carolina), junior college All-American Frankie Izard (Lake Land College) and Georgia high school standout Brinson Rogers (Statesboro HS).
Jenna Kean (L/R, Outfielder)
Classification | Junior
Hometown | Los Alamitos, Calif.
Previous School | Arizona
High School | Los Alamitos HS
Kean was a highly regarded prospect coming out of high school, ranked as the 44th best recruit in the country by FloSoftball. She hit .600 as a senior at Los Alamitos (Calif.) High School.
In club ball she competed for the Firecrackers, helping lead the team to a championship in the Colorado Sparkler. Kean also competed for the OC All-Stars in games played against Team USA and Team Mexico.
She made her collegiate debut in Tucson in 2018 and found her stride late in the season, starting 19 of the final 22 games in right field for the 11th-ranked Wildcats – a period in which she hit .320 (17-for-55). Kean delivered a 4-for-4 performance which included a double and two runs scored vs. North Dakota State in the Tucson Regional, one of her six multiple-hit games that season.
As a sophomore in 2019, Kean started 30-plus games for the second straight season and hit a then career-best .313 over 99 at bats in helping lead the Wildcats to the Women’s College World Series and a Top 10 finish. She produced nine multiple-hit games and led the team with seven steals in eight tries.
Before the 2020 season was halted in mid-March, she was off to career-bests in average (.353), on-base percentage (.400) and slugging percentage (.412).
Glasco’s Take
"Jenna (Kean) is a player who is extremely hard to find: she is an elite five-tool athlete with not just elite speed, but elite quickness. She reminds me a lot offensively of Keeli Milligan and could produce similar numbers if she can find a way into our everyday lineup.
She has played for some great coaches and consistently competed at the elite levels of competition. Her defense and throwing ability from the outfield have the potential to impact our team in a very positive way. Overall, she can really help our program both offensively and defensively.
I spoke extensively to Tony Rico, her former travel ball coach, and Rob Weil, her high school coach, and they both raved about her outstanding athletic ability.
Jenna was an individual we targeted early on in the summer and felt she was the most athletic player in the transfer portal. Our fans will absolutely enjoy watching how she plays the game with such a high level of skill."
