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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Ms. Tiffany "Hebert" Louviere , née Hebert
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Home Phone: 337-277-8129 Bruce Brown Wasn’t it just the other day that Tiffany Hebert joined Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun softball team? It seems that way to the Breaux Bridge product and former Teurlings Catholic star, but she’s heading into the homestretch of her senior year. “Time flew by,” said Hebert, who turned 22 on Monday. “When I first got here, the seniors told me to enjoy it, that things would go by fast. They were right. “It seems like it was just yesterday that I came here. Now we’re the seniors, trying to teach the younger players the ropes.” Hebert, Joy Webre, Crystal George, Brooke Mitchell and Jill Robertson are this year’s seniors, looking at just four more regular-season home playing dates in their UL careers. Their work ethic and open nature have helped the No. 14 Cajuns to a 34-7 record. “The team is very close,” Hebert said. “It’s like having 20 sisters. If you need somebody to talk to, there’s somebody there. Me, Joy and Crystal are best friends. When one of us struggles, we’re best friends and help each other through it.” Hebert recalled being awed by All-American shortstop Alana Addison when she joined the Cajun program, and being reluctant to confide in her. It’s different this season. “The freshmen come to us a lot,” Hebert said. “They have questions. They ask us ‘Do you ever feel like this?’ When I was a freshman, I lived at home, and that helped. Some of these girls are far from home.” If this year’s freshmen are looking for a role model, they could do worse than Hebert, who arrived as a second baseman, moved to shortstop when Robertson was injured in 2004 and is now stationed at third base in part to open the door for freshman Codi Runyan. “Out of any of the players we have out here, Tiffany has made the most dramatic incremental jumps,” co-head coach Michael Lotief said. “She had played second base her whole career, then when Jill went down she moved to short. “Last year she took 23 stitches when that girl from Florida International slid into her and spiked her, but she was back on the field in seven days (The gash in Hebert’s right thigh was scary, but luckily just missed muscle, so she was able to return quickly to action.). “She’s unselfish. She’s played wherever we’ve asked. She’s incredibly tough-minded and tough physically. She’s always the first one out here and the last one to leave. She’s extremely intelligent (Hebert was a 4.0 student at TCHS) who has an incredible feel for the game. “She may be overlooked, but she’s never been under-appreciated by the program or the team.” “It’s a matter of coming to practice every day and getting mentally tougher,” Hebert said. “You’re going to have adversity, ups and downs, and that toughens you mentally. That helps not only in college, but when you go out in the real world.” The real world will include two years of physical therapy school for Hebert, an exercise science major who will graduate in December. She still bears the scars of that gruesome slide of 2004, as well as fresh reminders on her shin from last weekend’s visit to Miami of how FIU players keep their spikes high. Last year was also the series in which Mitchell was felled by a line drive off her forehead. But the Cajuns were all business instead of revenge-minded on their latest trip. “We never talked about it,” Hebert said. “We worked on hitting and playing defense. This year, we’ve either had hitting and no defense, or defense and no hitting. We wantedto treat last weekend as a regional and play solid, error-free ball. “We had everything this (past) weekend. That first game we were waiting for the key hit. It’s like the end of the year. You’re waiting for someone to blink. It prepares us for the long run.” Hebert turned in several eye-catching defensive plays at third base in Miami, and also provided the game-winning hit in the ninth inning of the opener, a 1-0 victory that got the Cajuns off on the right foot. The recent switch to third base might have rattled some players, but Hebert has accepted the new role with her usual drive as well as a bit of help from ex-UL teammate Summar Lapeyrouse. “Me and Summar had a lot of classes together,” Hebert said. “She helped me with scheduling, with what professors to take. She helped me not only academically, but she’s one of my role models. She’s mentally tough and spiritually strong. She’s always given me good advice.” That includes the finer points of third base. Like Hebert, Lapeyrouse was versatile at UL, playing first base and third after being a catcher at Lafayette High. “I needed some pointers, and she gave me that,” Hebert said. “At third, there’s a lot less thinking than at short. It’s more reaction. At shortstop you have two bases to cover and you have to know coverages and steals. “At third, it’s kind of in your face. You have to react to hard shots down the line. Especially last week, I saw more balls at third than I think I had at short all year. It’s something different, and that challenges me.” Hebert was quick to praise Runyan, her heir at shortstop. “Codi is doing an excellent job at shortstop,” Hebert said. “She’s got a great arm and good range. I’ve shared everything I possibly could. She’s learned a lot in the last couple of months.” Hebert, who started 60 of 62 games last season and has been a fixture this year, takes pride in the high level of play at UL. “Our first couple of years of playing at the Kia Klassic, we would see other teams’ third-string pitcher, ” Hebert said. “Now we’re seeing their top pitcher. That comes from getting a higher level of play, at games and at practice.” That frame of mind should continue with this weekend’s Sun Belt Conference home series against North Texas. “After we’ve played teams like Arizona and Oklahoma at the Kia, we don’t want to play down to our competition,” Hebert said. “Everybody plays up against us in the conference. We want to stay in our zone. We’re basically playing ourselves. “That way, when we get to regionals, we won’t freak out. We’ve come a long way in recognition and respect. We want to set a higher standard – not only this year, but keep it at a higher level in the future.” When this year’s freshmen hear Hebert has turned 22, that sound old. But she’s gained plenty of wisdom, as well as respect, in the last four years. Originally published April 22, 2005
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