Young Cajuns continuing tradition

• By SCOTT RABALAIS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: May 16, 2008 - Page: 3C - UPDATED: 12:15 a.m.

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With a 24-player roster dotted with 10 newcomers, the Louisiana-Lafayette softball team had plenty of question marks going into the 2008 season.

It didn’t take long, however, for the new players to get with the program. The Ragin’ Cajuns went out and had the kind of season ULL typically has. They went 46-12 — 19-3 en route to their seventh Sun Belt Conference regular season title. They won their eighth SBC Tournament in nine tries and are ranked No. 16 nationally.

And they played two stellar exhibition games against the U.S. Olympic team, losing 1-0 in nine innings in Fullerton, Calif., and 2-0 in Sulphur.

“We’re considered to be somewhat young,” ULL co-head coach Stefni Lotief said, “but we’ve done a good job of maturing over the year. We’ve played good competition and been road tested.”

Today, they take the short road, about 50 miles east to LSU’s Tiger Park for the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.

The No. 2 seed, ULL faces No. 3 East Carolina (36-28) at 4 p.m. in the regional’s first game. The game will be broadcast in Lafayette on KPEL-AM (1420). No. 1-seeded LSU and No. 4 Mississippi Valley are scheduled to follow at 6 p.m. today. The regional continues through Sunday.

ULL knew it had a top talent to count on in senior right fielder Holly Tankersley. One of 25 on the national player of the year watch list and the SBC player of the year, Tankersley is hitting .467 with 19 homer and 68 RBIs.

“One of the best I’ve ever seen,” Lotief said. “My husband (co-head coach Michael Lotief) works with the hitters and he thinks she’s the best power hitter in the country.”

The Cajuns got an infusion of experience in the offseason when senior second baseman Vanessa Soto transferred from LSU and senior Brooke Brodhead transferred from McNeese State.

A pair of three-year starters for their former teams, Soto earned SBC newcomer of the year honors while batting .319 with seven homers and 57 RBIs. Brodhead is batting .228 with 24 RBIs.

Youth serves ULL well on the pitching staff with freshmen Ashley Brignac (27-6, 1.25 earned run average) and Donna Bourgeois (14-4, 0.96 ERA). Sophomore Brittany Cuevas (5-2, 2.42) is rallying from fatigue induced from pitching so much in 2007. Together, ULL bills Brignac, Bourgeois and Brittany as its “Killer Bs.”

“All the pitchers have done a great job,” Lotief said. “Ashley is very talented, had great high school success and in international competition and continues to grow as a pitcher.”

East Carolina finished fifth in Conference USA at 10-12 and reached the semifinals in the C-USA Tournament. Senior left fielder Stacey Andrews leads the Pirates in hitting (.339), homers (11) and RBIs (38). ECU’s top pitcher is junior Brooke Swann (24-19, 3.28, 3 saves).