Softball:Bryan, Ellyson Lead Contingent of Softball’™s Honorees on All-Sun Belt Awards List

Eight total individuals recognized and Ragin’ Cajuns claim four major awards

LAFAYETTE – No. 14 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball placed a league-high eight individuals on the 2021 All-Sun Belt Conference Team and nearly posted a clean sweep of the major awards handed out by the conference office on Monday.
 
Ciara Bryan, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, and Summer Ellyson, the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year, received the highest recognition among their league peers. It’s the 13th time overall in program history that Louisiana has swept both of the SBC’s major awards, and for the second consecutive time that awards were handed out (Alissa Dalton and Ellyson in 2019).
 
Bryan, who joined the Ragin’ Cajuns this spring for her final collegiate softball season, also captured the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year award.
 
Head coach Gerry Glasco was bestowed Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors after guiding Louisiana (40-10, 21-3 Sun Belt) to the regular season championship, orchestrated by a strong second half run in which the squad claimed 25 of its final 29 games including a key 8-1 mark against the league’s top challengers (Texas State, Troy, South Alabama).
 
Bryan and Ellyson were joined by Kandra Lamb and Kendall Talley on the All-Sun Belt First Team. Ellyson received her third career first team honor and repeated as SBC Pitcher of the Year.
 
Kaitlyn Alderink, Alissa Dalton, Justice Milz and Julie Rawls each received a spot on the All-Sun Belt Second Team.
 
Louisiana’s eight all-conference selections mark the third-most in program history, trailing only the 10 collected in 2002 and 2005 and the nine from 2019. It increases the program’s all-time All-Sun Belt selections total to 145 (2000-present).
 
Bryan’s major awards are a reflection of the impact she’s provided in the Ragin’ Cajuns lineup. Paced by an effort in which she posted at least one base hit in all but three of the 50 regular season games Louisiana played, Bryan (.434, 75 H, 52 R, 36 RBI, 19 extra base hits) delivered a 70-plus hit season in which her average has been above .430 throughout its entirety.
 
Ellyson (20-6, 2.17 ERA, 151 K) reasserted her dominance in the league by being her best in the second half as Louisiana rose to the top of the conference standings and steadily maintained a Top 20 ranking. She turned in a personal 11-game win streak with a 1.41 ERA from March 21-April 20 and factored into key SBC series wins by claiming two wins over both Troy and Texas State and combining with Lamb to shutout South Alabama over 21 innings.
 
Lamb’s spot on the All-SBC First Team was earned by her posting career-highs in wins (15) and strikeouts (139) punctuated by a 9-1 record and 1.93 ERA over 58 innings in SBC play. Talley produced 23 of her season total of 39 base hits in Sun Belt play, posting at least one base hit in 16 of the 21 league games she’s been a primary starter in the outfield.
 
Alderink claimed All-SBC honors with a strong showing in April that saw her post a team-leading .465 average (20-for-43) and eight doubles. Dalton had already totaled 12 base hits and 11 RBI in just 38 plate appearances in SBC play prior to missing time with injury.
 
Milz provided a steady presence at first base and carried a near .300-average the entire year with the team’s third-most RBI (33). Rawls rose to the top of the conference in RBI, and landed her first 50-RBI season, due to a strong push in April that saw her generate 24 RBI over a 16-game stretch.
 
No. 14 Louisiana is set to participate in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Troy Softball Complex in Troy, Alabama beginning on Wednesday, May 12 at 10:00 a.m., against the winner of the Coastal Carolina-ULM single-elimination game. All games in the tournament, which concludes Saturday, May 15 with the 2:30 p.m. championship game, are being broadcast on ESPN� and can be heard over the air on SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM.
 
All-Sun Belt First Team
Ciara Bryan, Louisiana
Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
Sara Vanderford, Texas State
Leanna Johnson, Troy
Jessica Mullins, Texas State
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama
Kj Murphy, UTA
Katie Webb, Troy
Jayden Mount, ULM
Kandra Lamb, Louisiana
Kendall Talley, Louisiana
Meredith Keel, South Alabama
Tara Oltmann, Texas State
Jade Sinness, Troy
Katie Lively, Troy
 
All-Sun Belt Second Team
Kelly Horne, Troy
Meagan King, Texas State
Mackenzie Brasher, South Alabama
Bailee Wilson, Georgia Southern
Makiya Thomas, Coastal Carolina
Kaitlyn Alderink, Louisiana
Abby Krzywiecki, South Alabama
Kenzie Longanecker, App State
Alissa Dalton, Louisiana
Julie Rawls, Louisiana
Korie Kreps, ULM
Kayla Rosado, Coastal Carolina
Justice Milz, Louisiana
Gabby Buruato, Appalachian State
Arieann Bell, Texas State
 
Sun Belt Player of the Year
Ciara Bryan, Louisiana
Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year
Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
Sun Belt Freshman of the Year
Sara Vanderford, Texas State
Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year
Ciara Bryan, Louisiana
Sun Belt Coach of the Year
Gerry Glasco, Louisiana
 
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