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Mrs. Brooke Garrity , née Mitchell
Graduated 2005

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Email: brooke.garrity@sbcglobal.net

June, 2016

A Heart as big as Texas
Brooke Garrity led Cajuns back to College World Series

By Bruce Brown

Special to Athletic Network

A dozen years ago, Brooke Garrity was among the best pitchers in college softball.

She was Brooke Mitchell back then, and she wasn’t the tallest or most imposing hurler in the game, but she perfected her craft with unmatched focus.

And she had a heart the size of her native Texas.

By the time she left UL with a finance degree, Garrity was an NFCA All-American, a two-time Academic All-America choice and a three-time Pitcher of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference.

She won 119 games, worked 908 2/3 innings and struck out 1,309 batters in four sterling years as the face of the program from 2002-2005.

“It was a great opportunity for me to go there,” Garrity said. “I hadn’t pitched too well in front of college coaches, and we knew the Lotiefs (coaches Michael and Stefni) before they became coaches at UL.

“That’s what God wanted for me, and it worked out that way.”

The Cajuns were 208-42 in that time, and in 2003 followed their star pitcher back to the Women’s College World Series after a 7-year absence.

“It was the old format,” Garrity said. “If you won the regional, you went to the World Series. We were playing in Fullerton (Calif.) and were in the winner’s bracket until the last game.

“That’s when the drama started. I hurt my arm warming up (against Oregon). We lost (9-2) then won (6-4) to reach the World Series.”

Currently, teams must win both regional and super regional competition to advance, with this year’s Cajuns facing Oklahoma for a WCWS bid.

UL’s 2003 squad reached the pinnacle, then lost 3-2 to Texas and 5-1 to UCLA to finish 47-11 – ironically, the lowest team win total in Garrity’s four years.

“Our mentality was always that the World Series was our goal,” Garrity said. “We wanted to win it all. We didn’t (just) want to beat the next team we played; we wanted to beat No. 1.

“Playing in the World Series met my expectations. It was a great experience, and I was thankful to be there, although our goal was to win it all and we didn’t do that. I had visited Hall of Fame Stadium as a kid, and it was a childhood dream to play there.”

Such lofty success doesn’t come easily. UL was 50-13 in 2002, but lost in regional play. The 2004 Cajuns were 60-8 behind a season for the ages by Garrity, yet fell to Oklahoma in a regional showdown. And the 2005 squad was eliminated by Oregon, finishing 50-11.

Garrity put up some staggering numbers in 2004 – a 45-5 record, 0.82 earned run average, 524 strikeouts in 315 2/3 innings of work, 5 no-hitters and 14 shutouts – to earn All-America status.

“Was I tired? Yes, and no,” Garrity said. “It was definitely worth it.”

With a chance to return to the WCWS, UL traveled to No. 1 Arizona for regional play. The Cajuns lost to Arizona 4-0, but fought back with wins over Temple (8-1) and Northwestern (3-0), then stunned Arizona 5-0.

They needed to beat Oklahoma twice, and defeated the Sooners 12-4, but ran out of gas as OU won 15-0 to advance.

“We were heartbroken,” said Garrity, who thrived with a season on the line.

“I remember games and situations at the end of a season,” she said. “I look back and think, ‘Did I really do all that?’ ”

No easy path

The journey began in Texas, where Dennis Mitchell taught the fundamentals of the game to his daughter Brooke, who also played basketball and volleyball until she reached high school.

“Pitching did not really come naturally to me, but from the time I was young I enjoyed it and wanted it,” Garrity said. “It did not come easy.

“When I came out of high school, I was not ready to pitch in college. There was a lot of fine tuning. I looked at a lot of videos, learned how to get smarter with pitch calls and I learned how to throw a good change-up. That was big.

“Between the lines, it’s a different game. You keep that poker face. Our mentality was, nobody could top us. I wanted three outs, and it didn’t matter if it was a strikeout, a pop-up or ground ball.”

Garrity’s closest ally in that process was catcher Joy Webre, her battery mate all four years at UL.

“Joy was great,” Garrity said. “She called all my pitches, and I can only recall two or three times when I shook her off in four years. She was a hitter, and she always tried to fake the hitter out. She’d figure out what they wanted and we’d give them something else.

“Four years playing with her. She made a huge difference for me.”

That bond was typical of the chemistry found on the UL squad.

“You do everything together – live in the dorm, eat together – and you don’t get that with (youth) tournament ball,” Garrity said.

Scary moment

The entire Cajun program was rocked when Garrity was struck in the head and felled by a wicked line drive off the bat of a Florida International hitter in a home series at Lamson Park.

“It wasn’t scary for me, because I didn’t know how bad it was,” said Garrity. “I remember asking, ‘Can I still pitch?’ and Coach Mike just smiling. It was my own fault. It was a pitch I missed. It was supposed to be a curve. It was a curve outside, but it wasn’t outside enough. I probably missed two weeks. It was swollen pretty bad.

“In that same game, Tiffany Hebert got sliced open (by a sliding FIU base runner). I remember it was Florida International.”

Obviously, most of Garrity’s memories of her college years are much more enjoyable. The 2010 UL Athletic Hall of Fame inductee even met husband Tim while they were students.

Now married 11 years, the couple has two daughters – Abby, 4, and Hailey, 9 months – and recently moved to Baton Rouge where Tim is a security consultant in the computer industry.

Brooke stays home with the girls, for now, and keeps up with former teammates as well as the current UL program.

“I’m sure I’ll eventually go back to work, but they are the future generation and it’s important to be with them now,” Garrity said. “Playing at UL, I learned that if you want something enough, you can do it.”

Brooke Garrity Highlights

Career

119-27 W-L; 1.09 ERA; 1,309 K; 81.5 Win Pct.; 908 2/3 IP; 10 No Hitters

Season

2004 – 45-5 W-L; 0.82 ERA; 524 K; 315 2/3 IP; 5 No Hitters; 14 Shutouts

Game

2004 vs. Nevada – 22 K in 9 innings.

Also

Degree in Finance; 2010 Inductee in UL Sports Hall of Fame

* * * * * * * *
Softball: Softball to Honor Alum on Friday – Brooke Mitchell Garrity

October 20, 2010 RaginCajuns.com

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team returns to Lamson Park on Friday as they host Trinity Valley at 3:00 p.m. Fans coming to Friday’s game need to be aware of some special parking instructions that can be found at the link above.

Fans will also have an opportunity to see UL honor a former All-American on Friday afternoon. Brooke Mitchell Garrity is being inducted into the UL Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend as part of the Cajuns’ Homecoming festivities and will be recognized during Friday’s contest.

Mithcell was a pitcher for the Cajuns from 2002-05 and had arguably the best season ever by a Cajuns hurler in 2004. Mitchell was named First Team NFCA All-American as well as CoSIDA Academic All-American in that season. She was also Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year and Most Outstanding Player while picking up Louisiana Pitcher of the Year honors.

Mitchell went 45-5 in 2004, becoming just the 12th player in NCAA history to win at least 40 games. She posted a 0.82 ERA including a school and Sun Belt record 524 strikeouts. She threw five no-hitters and posted a complete-game shutout to eliminate No.1 Arizona in NCAA Regionals.

Overall in her career, Mithcell was a four-time All-Sun Belt selection and three times an NFCA All-Region performer. She was also named CoSIDA Academic All-American on two different occasions. She is also the only player in Sun Belt history to win three Pitcher of the Year awards.

She finished her career with a 119-27 record while posting a 1.09 ERA and 1,309 strikeouts. Mitchell earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from UL in 2005.

After Friday afternoon’s game, the Cajuns will return to Lamson Park for their final fall game on Wednesday, October 27 as they host LSU-Eunice. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. and the game will mark the Cajuns breast cancer awareness night.

— Ragin’ Cajuns —

* * * * * * * * * *

Softball: BROOKE MITCHELL SELECTED FOR FIRST-TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA HONOR

June 03, 2005 – Matt Hebert, Sports Information –

Senior pitcher earned her bachelor’s degree in finance on May 14 and
collects her second Academic All-American honor

LAFAYETTE – Senior righthanded pitcher Brooke Mitchell of
Louisiana-Lafayette was the recipient of many honors in her illustrious
career. On Thursday, the Pasadena, Texas, native received one of the
highest national honors when she was named a first-team member of the
2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team.

The Academic All-America program is presented by the College Sports
Information Directors of America and voted on by a national panel of
over 125 representatives. Award winners are chosen on the basis of the
most impressive combination of academic and athletic achievement during
the 2004-05 year.

Mitchell is the program’s 15th Academic All-American selection and
second under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief. She picked up
the second Academic All-American honor of her career after being named a
member of the second team as a junior in 2004.

Mitchell joins former Ragin’ Cajuns Joni Podhorez, Stephanie DeFeo, Lynn
Britton, Alyson Habetz and Melody Mohar as the only players in program
history to be named Academic All-America twice in a career.

Mitchell, who received her bachelor’s degree in business finance on May
14 and finished her playing career during the 2005 season, carries a
3.481 cumulative grade point average. On May 12, Mitchell was named a
member of ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI First Team – her
third all-district honor.

Mitchell finished off her career in style in 2005 by collecting the
1,000th strikeout of her career and 100th career victory. She posted a
28-7 overall record with a 0.92 ERA and 342 strikeouts during the 2005
season to finish off her career with a record of 119-27 and 1,309 career
strikeouts.

The 2005 Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, she leaves
Louisiana-Lafayette as a member of the Top 10 in NCAA Division I history
for career strikeouts and victories.

A Top 40 finalist for the 2005 USA Softball Player of the Year and
five-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week in 2005, Mitchell reached double
digit strikeouts in 19 of her 23 complete game performances and tossed
the 5th no-hitter in NFCA Leadoff Classic history when she no-hit 2005
NCAA College World Series participant DePaul.

Her achievements are not limited to the field. She has been a fixture on
the Sun Belt’s Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA) as well as being named an NFCA
Scholar Athlete in each of the previous three seasons.

Created in 1952 by CoSIDA, the Academic All-America Teams program is the
premier nationwide college scholar-athlete awards program, honoring 816
athletes in NCAA Division I, II and III and NAIA covering all NCAA
Championship sports.

2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-AmericaR Softball Team (University
Division)
as selected by CoSIDA

First Team
Pos. Name School Year Hometown GPA Major
P Megan Meyer Seton Hall Sr. Vermillion, Ohio 3.98 Biochemistry
P *Brooke Mitchell Louisiana-Lafayette Sr. Houston, Texas 3.48 Business
Finance
C Christine Fukumoto Creighton Sr. Flagstaff, Ariz. 3.56 Mathematics
IF Charity Butler Southern Mississippi Jr. Pensacola, Fla. 4.00 Business
Administration
IF Stephanie Hill Louisiana State Jr. Harahan, La. 3.85 Finance &
Political Science
IF Jessica Rogers Texas-San Antonio Jr. Grand Prairie, Texas 3.82
Kinesiology
IF *Kim Wilmoth Baylor Sr. Garland, Texas 3.91 Accounting
OF Ashley Kalina South Dakota State Sr. Elkhorn, Neb. 4.00 Psychology
OF Nicole Martin Northwestern State Sr. Keller, Texas 3.70 Business
Administration
OF Caitlin White Seton Hall Jr. Lincoln University, Pa. 3.98 Biology
DP #Cameron Astiazaran Illinois-Chicago Sr. Rolling Hills Estates,
Calif. 3.37 Criminal Justice

Second Team
Pos. Name School Year Hometown GPA Major
P Kelly Flinn Troy Sr. Fenton, Mo. 3.84 Journalism
P #Jamie Southern Fresno State Sr. Clovis, Calif. 3.52 Liberal Studies
C Erin Myers Cal Poly Sr. Redding, Calif. 3.78 Journalism
IF Cara Deldeo St. Joseph’s Sr. Dagsboro, Del. 3.96 Interdisciplinary
Health Services
IF Katie Lewis Georgia Sr. Marietta, Ga. 3.52 Biology
IF Lauren Redfern Jacksonville Sr. Jacksonville, Fla. 3.80 Sociology
IF Lindsay Schutzler Tennessee So.. Monterey, Calif. 3.92 Psychology
IF Lauren Wible Bucknell Jr. Dover, Pa. 3.75 English
OF Natasha Jacob Florida State Jr. Coppell, Texas 3.93 Exercise Science
OF Anna Ollgaard Detroit Mercy Sr. Portage, Mich. 3.95 Math Education
OF Tiffany Stewart South Florida Jr. Odessa, Fla. 3.93 Psychology
DP Laurie Stone St. Bonaventure Gr. Jamesville, N.Y. 3.88/4.00
Management & Marketing

Third Team
Pos. Name School Year Hometown GPA Major
P Amy Harre Southern Illinois Sr. Nashville, Ill. 3.65 Physiology
P Brittani Houghton Stetson Sr. Fort Myers, Fla. 3.83 Health Science
C *Ashley Smith South Carolina Jr. Portage, Mich. 4.00 Civil Engineering
IF *Kim Dodson St. Bonaventure Sr. Tonawanda, N.Y. 3.78 Management
Science
IF Paige Jones Auburn Sr. Alabaster, Ala. 3.22 Secondary Ed. & General
Science
IF Kate Stake Illinois State Sr. Buffalo Grove, Ill. 3.70 English
OF Brandi Gordon Pacific Sr. Redmond, Wash. 3.83 Sport Science
OF #Rachael Riopel Gardner-Webb Gr. Rhinelander, Wis. 3.91/3.58 Biology
OF Mary Elizabeth Ryan Holy Cross Sr. Holden, Mass. 3.83 History
DP Heather Gelbard North Carolina State So. Miami, Fla. 3.95 Psychology
2004 Academic All-America First Team
*2004 Academic All-America Second Team
#2004 Academic All-America Third Team

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAR OF THE YEAR: Megan Meyer, Seton Hall

Softball: MITCHELL AND ROBERTSON NAMED ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT

May 24, 2005 – Matt Hebert, Sports Information –

Brooke Mitchell garnered first-team honors for the second straight
season and is now eligible for Academic All-American honors

LAFAYETTE – In 2004 Brooke Mitchell became the University of Louisiana
at Lafayette’s first softball Academic All-American since 1997. Now the
Ragin’ Cajuns all-time career strikeouts and career victories leader has
the chance to earn repeat honors.

Mitchell was named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District
VI First Team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors
of America (CoSIDA) prior to NCAA Regional action. By rule, Mitchell’s
selection to the first team makes her eligible for ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-American honors which will be announced by CoSIDA on
Thursday, June 2.

Louisiana-Lafayette has had 14 Academic All-Americans since 1990. The
last time the Cajuns had back-to-back seasons with at least one Academic
All-American was 1996 and 1997. Mitchell’s selection last season was the
Cajuns’ first since 1997.

Joining Mitchell on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI team
was fellow senior Jill Robertson. Robertson was named to the second team
outfield – the third Academic All-District VI honor of her career.

Mitchell, who received her bachelor’s degree in business finance on May
14 and finished her playing career during the 2005 season, carries a
3.481 cumulative grade point average. The three-time Sun Belt Pitcher of
the Year earned all-district honors for the third straight season
overall and first team honors for the second straight season. She was a
second team all-district selection as a sophomore in 2003 and a first
team honoree as a junior in 2004.

Mitchell finished off her career in style in 2005 by collecting the
1,000th strikeout of her career and 100th career victory. She posted a
28-7 overall record with a 0.92 ERA and 342 strikeouts during the 2005
season to finish off her career with a record of 119-27 and 1,309 career
strikeouts.

She leaves Louisiana-Lafayette as a member of the Top 10 in NCAA
Division I history for career strikeouts and victories.

A Top 40 finalist for the 2005 USA Softball Player of the Year and
five-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week in 2005, Mitchell reached double
digit strikeouts in 19 of her 23 complete game performances and tossed
the 5th no-hitter in NFCA Leadoff Classic history when she no-hit NCAA
Super Regional participant DePaul.

Robertson, a Lafayette native, also completed her bachelor’s degree
requirements during the 2004-05 academic year earning her degree in
mechanical engineering on May 14. The Cajuns leadoff hitter holds a
3.595 cumulative grade point average.

Robertson enjoyed a career season in 2005 leading the Ragin’ Cajuns in
batting average (.366) and runs scored (57) while posting a career-best
64 base hits. A First Team All-Sun Belt Conference member and a Second
Team All-NFCA South Region selection she reached base via a hit or walk
in 53 of the Cajuns 61 games in 2005.

Robertson dominated in Sun Belt Conference play, leading the league with
a .490 batting average (25-for-51) with 23 runs scored.

A student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate
athletic credentials and at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average
(on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible for the Academic All-District award. She
must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at the
institution (true freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and first-year athletic
transfers are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full
academic year at the institution.

CoSIDA selects Academic All-America teams in 12 programs: football,
women’s volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s basketball,
women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s track and field/cross
country, women’s track and field/cross country, men’s at-large and
women’s at-large.

2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI University Division
Softball Team

FIRST TEAM
Pos., Name, School, Dist., Yr., Hometown, GPA, Major(s)
P Brooke Mitchell Louisiana-Lafayette VI Sr. Houston, Texas 3.481
Business finance
P Cristin Vitek Baylor VI Sr. Katy, Texas 3.36 Pre-med, accounting
C Courtney Totte Oklahoma State VI So. Lawton, Okla. 3.787 Marketing
IF Charity Butler Southern Mississippi VI Jr. Pensacola, Fla. 4.0
Business administration
IF Stephanie Hill LSU VI Jr. Hanrahan, La. 3.855 Finance, political
science
IF Jessica Rogers Texas-San Antonio VI Jr. Grand Prairie, Texas 3.82
Kinesiology
IF Kim Wilmoth Baylor VI Sr. Garland, Texas 3.91 Accounting
OF Ryanne Hodgins New Mexico VI So. Burbank, Calif. 4.0 Journalism/mass
communication
OF Nicole Martin Northwestern St. VI Sr. Keller, Texas 3.70 Business
administration
OF Kelly Osburn Baylor VI Jr. Missouri City, Texas 3.53 Health science,
pre-phys. Therapy
DP Jana Jones McNeese State VI So. Tomball, Texas 3.788 General studies

SECOND TEAM
Name School Dist. Yr. Hometown GPA Major(s)
P Loni Rasberry Northwestern St. VI Sr. Tyler, Texas 3.50 Mathematics
P Jill Weynand Texas A&M VI So. Frisco, Texas 3.86 Accounting
C Chrissy Dileo Sam Houston St. VI Sr. San Diego, Calif. 3.31 Criminal
justice
IF Lyndsey Gorski Northwestern St. VI So. Houston, Texas 3.94 Business
administration
IF Adrian Gregory Texas A&M VI Sr. Livingston, Texas 3.45 Recreation,
park & tourism
IF Tessa Lynam Baylor VI Jr. Alpharetta, Ga. 3.75 Health science,
pre-phys. Therapy
IF Stephanie Nicholson Oklahoma State VI Sr. Tucson, Ariz. 3.586
Athletic training
OF Jennifer Davis Texas-San Antonio VI Sr. Grand Prairie, Texas 3.41
Marketing
OF Melanie Jarrett Texas VI Sr. Odessa, Texas 3.92 Journalism
OF Jill Robertson Louisiana-Lafayette VI Sr. Lafayette, La. 3.595
Mechanical engineering
DP Christina Gwyn Texas VI So. Keller, Texas 3.44 Sociology

Softball: MITCHELL AND GOMEZ TOP HONOREES AT SUN BELT AWARDS BANQUET

May 11, 2005 – Matt Hebert, Sports Information –

No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette places a league-high 10 on the All-Sun Belt
Team; Brooke Mitchell named Pitcher of the Year for the third straight
year

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The 13th-ranked Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball
team tied a school record with 10 All-Sun Belt Conference selections and
senior ace pitcher Brooke Mitchell picked up her third straight Sun Belt
Pitcher of the Year award as the league handed out its annual awards
during the Sun Belt Conference Softball Tournament banquet here at the
Hall of Champions in E.A Diddle Arena on the Western Kentucky University
campus Wednesday evening.

The Ragin’ Cajuns placed a league-high six players on the All-Sun Belt
First Team with an additional four named to the All-Sun Belt Second
Team. Louisiana-Lafayette’s 10 selections tied the 2002 team for the
most in program history.

Mitchell, who led the league in victories (26), strikeouts (330) and ERA
(0.77), became the first player in the history of the league to earn
Pitcher of the Year distinction for a third straight season. She also is
the first player in the league’s history to claim any one of the major
awards for three consecutive seasons.

Mitchell accounted for 26 of the Ragin’ Cajuns 47 victories this season.
She picked up career strikeout No. 1,000 and career victory No. 100
during the season – ranks in the Top 10 on each all-time NCAA list. The
Pasadena, Texas, native tossed the fifth no-hitter in NFCA Leadoff
Classic history when she no-hit DePaul on Feb. 25.

Danyele Gomez joined Mitchell as one of the Sun Belt’s top honorees as
she was honored as the Player of the Year. Gomez, the 2003 Sun Belt
Freshman of the Year, picked up her first Player of the Year honor after
leading the SBC in hits (61), home runs (18), RBI (62) and total bases
(126) during the regular season. In Sun Belt games only, the Metairie
native crushed 10 home runs and drove home 33 runs.

Both Mitchell and Gomez highlighted the Ragin’ Cajuns first team
selections. Joining them on the first team were catcher Joy Webre (first
selection since 2002), first baseman Lacey Bertucci, outfielder Jill
Robertson and designated player Ashley Evans.

Three Louisiana-Lafayette infielders were members of the second team –
second baseman Brittany Bryant, shortstop Codi Runyan and third baseman
Tiffany Hebert. Joining the infield trio on the second team was
sophomore pitcher Heather Bobbitt who ended the regular season with a
perfect 16-0 overall record and 10-0 Sun Belt record to earn her first
career All-Sun Belt honor.

Head coach Stefni Lotief was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the
Year for the second straight season and fourth time in her five-year
career. Lotief led the Cajuns to 19-1 league mark, which clinched the
program’s fifth straight regular season championship, and guided the
team to the first-ever sweep of FIU in Miami April 16-17.

Louisiana-Lafayette was also presented with the regular season
championship trophy, its fifth straight. The Cajuns remain the only
champion that the Sun Belt Conference softball league has ever known
since the league began play in 2001.

Webre started every game at catcher for Louisiana-Lafayette (55 straight
games) to extend her streak of consecutive games started to 205 straight
games as the Cajuns’ catcher. She threw out 21 baserunners attempting to
steal (opponents were 20-of-41 in stolen bases against her). The Denham
Springs High School product tied her career-high with 10 doubles.

Bertucci hit a personal-best 14 home runs this season and had 11 home
runs by March 12. She is second on the team with 19 extra base hits (5
doubles, 14 home runs) and second with a .594 slugging percentage.

Robertson leads the Sun Belt Conference in batting average with a .389
clip and hit a league-best .490 (25-of-51) during conference play. Tied
with Gomez for the team-lead in base hits, Robertson scored 53 runs this
season as she eclipsed the 200-mark for her career.

Evans started slow as lingering back troubles kept her average down
through the first half of the season. When the calendar turned to April
her swing returned and her numbers went up – a .364 batting average with
seven home runs and 16 RBI.

Bobbitt, in her first full season as a member of the Ragin’ Cajuns
pitching rotation, was 10-0 with a 0.65 ERA in SBC games only The Vidor,
Texas, native pitched two complete game shutouts – her first two of the
season – and recorded eight strikeouts while walking only one batter in
36 at bats during the Cajuns four-game sweep of FIU.

Bryant carried a .300-plus batting average throughout the entire 2005
season and reached 50 hits in her career for the first time. The
third-year starter sports a .941 fielding percentage through 135 chances
(82 PO, 45 A, 8 E) and ranks third on the team with 15 two-out RBI and
second with 17 hits with runners in scoring position.

Hebert made the switch from shortstop to third base at the beginning of
Sun Belt play. Her fielding percentage during Sun Belt play was .891 as
she has made only five errors in 46 chances. For the season she is fifth
on the team with a .287 batting average and during Sun Belt play she was
the third-best hitter on the team in terms of average with a .368
average (14-of-38).

Runyan entered the starting lineup as a true freshman on March 29 and
committed only five errors through 77 chances for a .935 fielding
percentage. She began her collegiate career with no errors in her first
44 chances.

The Ragin’ Cajuns will begin defense of their five straight SBC
Tournament titles and go for a sixth straight on Thursday at 4 p.m. when
they take on the winner of New Mexico State and North Texas in the
quarterfinals at the WKU Softball Field.

2005 ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM
Pitcher Brooke Mitchell, Sr.,
Louisiana-Lafayette
Pitcher Amanda Nealer, Sr., Florida
International
Catcher Joy Webre, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette
1st Base Lacey Bertucci, So.,
Louisiana-Lafayette
2nd Base Shelly Floyd, Sr., Western
Kentucky
Shortstop Bailey Rolfs, Jr., Western
Kentucky
Third Base Tabitha Embry, So., Florida
International
Outfield Danyele Gomez, Jr.,
Louisiana-Lafayette
Outfield Renita Pennington, Sr., Western
Kentucky
Outfield Jill Robertson, Sr.,
Louisiana-Lafayette
Designated Player Ashley Evans, Jr.,
Louisiana-Lafayette

2nd Team
Pitcher Heather Bobbitt, So.,
Louisiana-Lafayette
Pitcher Sarah Seagraves, Jr., New Mexico State
Catcher Ashley Roszkos, Fr., New Mexico State
1st Base Mailei Hilva, Jr., New Mexico
State
2nd Base Brittany Bryant, Jr.,
Louisiana-Lafayette
Shortstop Codi Runyan, Fr.,
Louisiana-Lafayette
Third Base Tiffany Hebert, Sr.,
Louisiana-Lafayette
Outfield Stephanie Cranmer, Sr., North
Texas
Outfield Jennifer Grybash, Sr., Middle
Tennessee
Outfield Trish White, So., Middle
Tennessee
Designated Player Jennifer Powell, Jr., Florida
International

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:: Danyele Gomez, Louisiana-Lafayette
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Brooke Mitchell, Louisiana-Lafayette
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Sarah Seagraves, New Mexico State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Sarah O’Neill, New Mexico State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Stefni Lotief, Louisiana-Lafayette

Softball: UL softball records 1,000th win in sweep

April 21, 2005 –

Bruce Brown

Wednesday was a grand day in Monroe, as Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns swept the UL Monroe Indians 6-2 and 9-0 for the 1,000th and 1,001st victories in school history.

Now 1,001-299 all-time, Louisiana joined Arizona, UCLA, California, Cal State Fullerton, South Carolina, Arizona State and Michigan as programs in NCAA Division I that have reached 1,000 wins.

Coach Stefni Lotief’s squad, ranked 14th in the nation, also ran its season winning streak to 12 in a row with the victories.

Senior All-American Brooke Mitchell improved to 22-6 this season with a win in the first game. She struck out 10 and now has 1,243 for her UL career to pass Texas A&M’s Shawn Andaya (1,234) for the No. 10 spot on the NCAA’s all-time career list.

It took five runs in the final three innings to assure victory in the opener.

UL also got busy late in the nightcap with eight runs in the last three innings to back Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week Heather Bobbitt.

The Cajuns had 10 extra base hits and a total of 19 for the evening, while ripping six doubles and belting four home runs.

Louisiana (34-7) returns to action this weekend, hosting North Texas for the squad’s third Sun Belt series of the season.

A third-inning error allowed ULM to tie the first game at 1-1, but the visitors regained the lead in the fifth when Sun Belt Player of the Week Jill Robertson lashed an RBI double to plate Codi Runyan. Brittany Bryant’s single then scored Robertson to make it 3-1.

Three hits produced threee UL runs in the sixth, sparked by Crystal George’s leadoff home run and topped by Danyele Gomez’s two-run single.

Robertson led off the nightcap with a double down the left field line. Danyele Gomez followed Robertson’s frozen rope with a double of her own deep into the left center field gap to score Robertson for the 1-0 lead.

Bobbitt held ULM at bay until the offense hit high gear.

She’s queen of the K’s
Mitchell tells foes ‘No, no, a thousand times no’

Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun pitcher Brooke Mitchell joins select company by reaching 1,000 career strikeouts in Sunday’s 8-0 win over Sam Houston State.

Maybe she makes it look too easy.

It’s not. Brooke Mitchell and the University of Louisiana softball coaches know it.

“People tend to discount what pitchers like Brooke can do,” said Ragin’ Cajun co-head coach Michael Lotief. “That comes at a price.”

But when the Texan takes the circle for the Ragin’ Cajun squad, it’s hard not to have high expectations … big strikeout numbers and minuscule numbers for the opposition.

On Sunday, it was pretty much business as usual for Mitchell and the Cajuns in the final game of the second Mardi Gras Classic. Mitchell fanned six Sam Houston State batters in four innings, allowed one hit and no baserunners past first base, and her team provided plenty of offensive support in an 8-0 victory that kept UL perfect in two years of Mardi Gras tournament play.

The fact that the Cajuns (5-0) finished a sweep of five tournament games – only one of them close – was nearly overshadowed Sunday when the senior from Pasadena, Texas, struck out Bearkat catcher Erin Lindsey for the third out of the first inning.

That slow curve that Lindsey was well in front of gave Mitchell 1,000 strikeouts in her All-American career, the 28th pitcher in NCAA Division I history to get to that mark.

She entered the tournament needing 33 strikeouts to reach that pinnacle and came into Sunday’s finale only two short.

“This was the first time she’s thrown three straight days since last season,” Lotief said. “She had to work through a lot of soreness. Every other pitcher here, when they pitched their second game they dropped off 50 percent.

“It’s incredible that she can go out there with her ‘B’ or ‘C’ game and still compete at the highest level.”

Mitchell (4-0) struck out four of the first seven batters she faced and was never in trouble, especially after her teammates put up a six-spot in the third inning off SHSU starter Melissa Collins (0-2).

Collins also got off to an impressive start, fanning five of the first six Cajuns she faced. But three straight one-out singles by Tiffany Hebert, Jill Robertson and Danyele Gomez and walks to Joy Webre and Lacey Bertucci in the third inning provided a 2-0 lead.

Moments later, Ashley Evans dropped a two-out single six inches inside the left-field line, and by the time Bearkat left fielder Stephanie Mosley ran down the ball Gomez and Webre scored. Tara Hamilton followed with a one-hop double to the left-field wall that scored two more for a 6-0 lead.

From then on, the only question was whether the Cajuns could record their third run-rule victory of the tournament. That was answered with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on RBI ground balls by Hamilton and Brittany Bryant.

The closest the Bearkats (2-3) came to scratching a run across came in the bottom of the sixth when hits by Amber McAvoy, Lindsey and Megan Beard put two runners in scoring position. But UL reliever Ashley Kirchberg coaxed a pair of short fly balls to end the game one inning early and wrap up the first of three home tournaments to open the Cajuns’ season.

“It’s good for this team to open at home,” said head coach Stefni Lotief. “These girls feed off these fans, and we’re lucky that with all the parades, the weather and the late nights they came out here for us.”

Those Ragin’ Cajun Softball Park faithful watched their team collect 10 hits Sunday, wrapping up a tournament in which the hosts outscored their opponents 44-2.

“We’ve got some early-season issues,” Michael Lotief said. “We had some bad at-bats and we walked a couple of leadoff hitters. But for the first time out, that’s not too bad.”

LAGNIAPPE: To the surprise of absolutely no one, Mitchell was named the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Lacey Bertucci, Brittany Bryant, Danyele Gomez, Jill Robertson and Joy Webre, Ole Miss’ Lauren Rowe, DeDe Justice and Dana Brill, Stephanie Mosley and Shalayne Blythe of Sam Houston, Sarina Noack and Loni Rasberry of Northwestern State and Jana Jones of McNeese … UL won the tournament title for the second straight year with a 5-0 record. Northwestern was second at 4-1 including an 8-0 five-inning win over Prairie View A&M in Sunday’s second game, while Ole Miss finished third at 3-2 and took a 9-5 victory over McNeese in Sunday’s opener. Sam Houston finished at 2-3, McNeese at 1-4 and PVA&M at 0-5 … Mitchell finished the tournament 4-0 with 37 strikeouts in 21 innings, allowing seven hits and two unearned runs … Bertucci was the tournament’s leading hitter with a .643 average, with SHSU’s Mosley runner-up at .529 … UL returns to action Friday in the Ragin’ Cajun Invitational, a double round-robin with McNeese and Mississippi State. The Cajuns face McNeese Friday at 7 p.m.

Originally published February 7, 2005

Softball: Amazing numbers for Brooke Mitchell

February 04, 2005 –
Cajun pitcher Brooke Mitchell looking to one more record year.

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

Mitchell struck out 524 foes in leading the Cajuns to a school-record 60-8 record.

Brooke Mitchell has a head for numbers, as you’d expect from a business finance major.

By the time she finishes her softball career for Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns, though, even Mitchell will need extra help adding up all her records and numbers.

The Pasadena, Texas, product enters today’s start of the 2005 season with a 91-20 career won-loss record and a staggering 967 strikeouts – 45 of those wins and 524 of those strikeouts coming last year when she led the Cajuns to a 60-8 finish.

But she’s much more than the sum total of her accomplishments, impressive though they are.

She’s on schedule to graduate on time this May.

She’s engaged to marry college sweetheart Tim Garrity as soon as they can find jobs.

And in many ways she’s still the quiet, deeply religious young woman who arrived at UL in 2002, the only daughter of Dennis and Cherry Mitchell.

To Cajun fans, she remains the key to reaching the Women’s College World Series, the player in the spotlight.

“It’s definitely weird to have the spotlight on you like that,” Mitchell said. “I try to surround myself with people who will make me humble.

“Other people on this team can pitch, and it’s not just me out there. We’ve still got to score. We’ve got to have defense behind us. I can’t hit like the others can.

“Responsibility goes with pitching, but it’s not just you. Once you’ve got your part done, then they do theirs.”

No one in Cajun history has pitched like the 5-foot-7 Mitchell has. Not current UL coach Stefni Lotief, the school’s first All-American. Not Kyla Hall. Not Cheryl Longeway. The spotlight may not always be comfortable, but she’s earned it.

“Sometimes I look back at my career, to keep myself motivated,” Mitchell said. “I strive to be better all the time. My goal is to go to the College World Series and win it all, not just get there.”

Mitchell pitched the Cajuns to the WCWS in 2003, overcoming an injured arm, and they fell one game short in 2004. Returning with a roster that includes many veterans of that 2003 experience offers promise this spring.

“We’re practicing like we’re world champions,” Mitchell said. “We believe we’re going to do it, instead of getting there and being so surprised. We were a little awestruck, I think, in 2003, saying ‘Oh my gosh, we did it!’ even though we deserved to be there.

“It’s an experience, for sure.”

Mitchell has gotten more and more dominating with each year of college competition, mirroring her own growth as a college student.

“My freshman year was rough,” she said. “It was that whole transition of being away from home for the first time. I think it’s like that for everyone. It definitely did help me grow, though. It made me stronger.”

Now, of course, she’s a seasoned veteran of tests, term papers and study halls, as well as someone who’s enjoying life.

“I understand now how it all works out,” Mitchell said. “I’m not as scared. College is fun, very fun.”

With the Cajun softball program, which has four pre-med majors on the roster as well as engineering students and those in other demanding majors, academics is an understood requirement. Stefni Lotief was an Academic All-American and co-head coach Michael Lotief has a law degree.

“School is stressed,” Mitchell said. “It’s a big deal to go to class. Coach wants us to have the highest GPA of all the teams here. Study hall is definitely No. 1.”

There’s still time to live, though.

“I enjoy movies, the normal stuff,” Mitchell said. “We go bowling sometimes. I love comedies, or a good love story. I won’t watch scary movies. It’s hard to go to sleep after watching them.”

Reading?

“Mostly school books,” Mitchell said. “I don’t read that much for my own enjoyment.”

How about computers?

“My fiancee is mostly the one who’s interested in them,” Mitchell said. “That’s what he came to UL for. If I have questions, I’ll ask him.”

Mitchell and Garrity met as UL students, and she admits the final year of college is “an exciting time.”

It’s also exciting to step into the pitching circle each game and see fellow senior Joy Webre behind the plate.

“It’s great for us to be starting together for four years,” Mitchell said. “It doesn’t happen that often.

“She’s very smart. She thinks like the hitters. She knows what to expect, and we throw opposite.”

It’s not often Mitchell shakes off Webre, so seamless is their working relationship.

“We prepare for each team,” Mitchell said. “If we played them before, we check how we did against them before.”

That relationship is one reason Mitchell always looks calm in the circle.

“People have taught me that (demeanor),” Mitchell said. “I’ve been taught to throw hard every pitch, no matter what happened on the last one.”

While Mitchell is calm now, it’s taken time.

“Pitching got into me,” she said. “I started pitching when I was 7, and I loved it. I was doing circles in the grocery store, I was so excited. I always wanted to be good at it.”

With Olympian Christa Williams as one of her early role models, Mitchell set her sights on excellence. Now she’s on the preseason list of the best players in the college game.

“That’s weird, too,” Mitchell said. “It seems like not too long ago I was a little kid. But it’s really good, because it shows that all the hard work has paid off.”

Most days, Mitchell is on the positive side of he ledger on the field. But her inner strength has been tested on more than one occasion.

There was the arm injury in 2003, which made it hard for her to place her pitches once UL got to the WCWS.

Then last April against visiting Florida International, Mitchell was struck above the eye by a line drive and dropped, bleeding and shaken to the infield.

Teammates, Garrity, her parents, her grandmother and her husband and a stunned crowd were horrified by the sight of the usually sunshiny Mitchell on the ground. A season hung in the balance, to be sure, but more important was her well-being.

Prayers were answered when stitches closed the wound and Mitchell was eventually able to return to action with unsettling memories of the line drive and resulting concussion.

“The biggest thing was recovering mentally,” Mitchell said. “I don’t know when I really got past it. There are times when I still think about it. But I realize that it was a one-time thing.”

In a very different sense, Mitchell is a one-time kind of player, the kind fans will miss when she’s gone. They will remember the highlights, but like most stellar athletes Mitchell recalls moments when she could have done better.

“There are one or two games from every year when my eyes were kind of opened,” Mitchell said. “Games that told me I had to get it in gear.”

When she does, that’s usually bad news for Cajun opponents.

Originally published February 4, 2005

Junior pitcher becomes the 11th First-Team All-American selection in
program history and first since 2000

OKLAHOMA CITY – Louisiana-Lafayette junior pitcher Brooke Mitchell
received many honors for the record-breaking campaign that she
experienced during the 2004 season. Of all, none was more special than
the one bestowed upon her here Wednesday evening at the opening
ceremonies of the 2004 Women’s College World Series.

Mitchell was honored as a first-team All-America selection by Louisville
Slugger and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association at the opening
ceremonies held at Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium. Mitchell was in
attendance, alongside her parents and co-head coach Michael Lotief, to
accept her prestigious award.

Mitchell’s selection marks the sixth straight season that at least one
player from Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team was named to the
National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Team.

She is the program’s 11th first-team selection and first since 2000 when
Tiffany Clark received the honor. Mitchell is the fourth Cajuns pitcher
to be a first-team honoree joining current head coach Stefni Lotief,
Kyla Hall and Cheryl Longeway.

“She is the most extraordinary story in college softball,” said
Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Stefni Lotief. “She’s hard working, a
great student, the heart and soul of this team, good Christian and
awesome role model. She is the type of person every parent would want
their child to grow up to be.”

“We always knew she had the talent to be an All-American and this year
she went out on the field and proved it all year long,” Lotief added.
“We are just thrilled for her and pleased that her tireless efforts were
recognized.”

The selection was the 33rd in UL Lafayette softball history and since
1989. Louisiana-Lafayette has had at least one All-American in 15 of the
last 16 seasons.

“There was never any question in my mind that she was a First-Team
All-America pitcher,” Lotief remarked. “She deserves all of the
accolades for her hard work and accomplishments.” .
Since Lotief took over the program in 2001, the Cajuns have received
five All-America honors. This season marked the first time under Lotief
that the Cajuns received a first team selection.

The two-time Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year and tournament’s
Most Outstanding Player, Mitchell completed the 2004 season with a 45-5
record, 524 strikeouts and 0.82 ERA. She was one of the 10 finalists for
the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award.

She set the program records for single season and career strikeouts and
averaged over 11 strikeouts per seven innings.

She became the fourth player in NCAA history to record 500-plus
strikeouts, joining Courtney Blades, Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman, and
the 12th ever to reach 40 wins in a season.

Her 524 strikeouts rank as the fourth-most in a single season in the
NCAA record books and are the most compiled by a pitcher from a
Louisiana school that sponsors softball. Her 45 wins were the
fourth-most all-time and shattered the previous school-record 35 set by
Melissa Coronado in 2001.

Mitchell had 29 double-digit strikeout games to her credit and struck
out 15 batters five times, 16 twice and school-record 22. She allowed
four-or-less hits in 16 appearances of seven-plus innings and from Feb.
8-Feb. 21 had double-digit strikeouts in eight straight appearances.

The right-handed hurler tossed six no-hitters including one of Big
12-member Missouri and defeated top-ranked Arizona at last week’s NCAA
Regional to snap the Wildcats streak of 16 consecutive Women’s College
World Series appearances.

She accounted for 45 of the Cajuns 60 victories (75 percent) and had a
streak of 20 consecutive wins from March 24-May 21. She owns victories
over two of the Top three finalists for the Player of the Year Award –
Arizona’s Alicia Hollowell and Florida State’s Jessica van der Linden.

The eight-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, Mitchell struck out six
batters and allowed just three runs in a complete game against the U.S.
Olympic Team at the KIA Klassic. It marked just the third time in the
Olympians “Aiming for Athens” tour that they were held to less than four
runs.

With her fifth strikeout of the second game of a doubleheader at
Louisiana Tech on April 14, she netted her 821st career strikeout – a
tally which set a new school career record by surpassing the former
record of 820 set by former All-American Kyla Hall. Her strikeout tally
this season increased her career total to 967 with a senior season left
to complete.

The NFCA All-South Region First Team member, Mitchell erased plenty of
school records this season including: single-season victories (45), win
percentage (.900), games pitched (53), games started (49), innings
pitched (315 2/3), strikeouts (524) and strikeouts per seven innings
(11.6).

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS (since 1990)
2004 – Brooke Mitchell
2000 – Tiffany Clark
1996 – Cheryl Longeway
1995 – Cheryl Longeway
Kathy Morton
1994 – Stephanie DeFeo
Kathy Morton
Kyla Hall
1993 – Kyla Hall
1992 – Dorsey Steamer
1990 – Stefni Whitton

Cajuns’ Mitchell helps USA Schutt Elite to Canada Cup wins

July 07, 2004 –

July 7, 2004

SURREY, B.C. USA Schutt Elite plated three runs in the third and erupted for six more runs in the fourth on its way to a 10-0 triumph over the Bloomington Lady Hearts on Tuesday in the 2004 Canada Cup in Softball City.

The game was shortened to five innings because of the mercy rule. A barrage of 14 hits, including a 4-for-4 performance by Caitlin Lowe and a 3-for-3 outing by Kristie Fox, was more than enough offense for left-hander Monica Abbott.

Abbott went the distance with a two-hitter and eight strikeouts to improve to 3-0 at the 2004 Canada Cup. With contests remaining against New Zealand and Canada, USA Schutt Elite upped its record to 4-1 at the event.

“I think we’re getting better,” coach Jay Miller said. “In the past when we have struggled it was because adjustments were not made. Although we were not able to score early in the game, we did a much better job of putting the hits together. Monica pitched very well and we came through with timely hits.”

On Monday, USA Schutt Elite tallied a tournament-high 12 hits and rode the one-hit pitching of UL Lafayette All-American Brooke Mitchell and Abbott to a 6-0 blanking of the Buffalo Bison’s.

Mitchell collected six strikeouts and surrendered one hit over three innings, while Abbott earned her second win of the event by fanning 10 of the 13 batters she faced over four frames.

“When the pitching staff records 16 strikeouts, it makes things a lot easier for our defense,” Miller said. “Brooke and Monica were each dominating on the mound, a positive sign as the tournament moves along.

“I was disappointed that we had not take advantage of an opportunity in the first inning to break the game open early. However, once we were able to put a few runs on the board, we kept chipping away. We are continuing to make strides of getting better each game.”

After Mitchell struck out the side to begin the game, Vicki Galindo and Caitlin Lowe delivered consecutive singles off Christine Keleher. A fielder’s choice by Lisa Dodd forced Galindo at third before Caitlin Benyi and Jodie Legaspi each flew out to strand the runners.

Kim Dodson scratched out a bunt to start the second for Buffalo and was later safe at second base when the relay from Liz Borawski’s bunt did not arrive in time.

A sacrifice by Nikki Thompson gave the Bisons a pair of runners in scoring position before shortstop Dodd cut down Dodson at the plate with a perfect strike to catcher Sara Dean for the second out. Still with runners on the corners, Mitchell closed the door by retiring Brianne Hout on a ground ball.

Powered by four straight hits in the bottom of the third, USA Schutt Elite was able to build a 3-0 lead.

Galindo ripped a base-hit up the middle to begin the rally and promptly stole second base. Lowe slapped a single to give her club runners on first and third with none out and Dodd deposited a single into left to drive in Galindo.

A double steal by Lowe and Dodd set the table for Benyi, who roped a two-run single and managed to take second on the relay throw.

USA Schutt Elite put the game out of reach with three runs on three hits and a couple of Buffalo errors in the sixth.

�The Lafayette Daily Advertiser
July 7, 2004

BROOKE MITCHELL NAMED TO THE USA SCHUTT ELITE TEAM

June 23, 2004 –
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball All-American ace hurler
Brooke Mitchell was one of the six athletes added to the 2004 USA Schutt
Elite team, announced by USA Softball.

The USA Schutt Elite team will compete July 3-11 at the Canada Cup in
Surrey, B.C. and July 14-18 at the Champions Cup in Irvine, Calif.

Mitchell joins former Cajuns All-American shortstop Alana Addison as the
only two players in program history to compete with the Elite team.
Addison starred in the Canada Cup during the summer of 2002.

The Pasadena, Texas, native is the lone representative of a softball
program from the state of Louisiana.

Looking to defend their 2003 Canada Cup title, the USA team will be led
by head coach Jay Miller (Starkville, MS, head coach at Mississippi
State). He will be assisted by Michelle Gromacki (Huntington Beach, CA,
head coach at Cal State Fullerton) and Kirk Walker (Keizer, CA, head
coach at Oregon State).

The six additional players to the 16 member roster include:

Sara Dean (Valencia, CA), Auburn
Vanessa Iapala (San Diego, CA), Oregon State
Kristie Fox (San Diego, CA), Arizona
Brooke Mitchell (Pasadena, CA), Louisiana Lafayette
Catalina Morris (Sonoita, CA), Stanford
Jackie Rinehart (Reno, NV) , Stanford

For a complete roster the 2004 USA Schutt Elite team log on to
www.usasoftball.com