LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball claimed the top three individual awards and led the state with six first team honorees and nine total selections on the 2019 All-Louisiana Collegiate Softball Team, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) announced Sunday evening.
The top two player awards were claimed by junior shortstop Alissa Dalton who was named the state’s Hitter of the Year and junior pitcher Summer Ellysonwho was selected as the Pitcher of the Year. Head coach Gerry Glasco captured Coach of the Year honors.
Dalton and Ellyson earned All-Louisiana First Team distinction for the second straight season, and were joined on the first team by Julie Rawls at catcher,Kourtney Gremillion at first base, Sarah Hudek in the outfield and Lexie Comeaux at designated player.
Keeli Milligan earned a spot on the All-Louisiana Second Team at the utility position. Kara Gremillion, a four-time All-Louisiana honoree, and Raina O’Nealwere honorable mention selections, rounding out the Ragin’ Cajuns contingent which was honored.
A first team NFCA All-Central Region pick and the Sun Belt’s Player of the Year, Dalton logged a .400 average and consistently delivered in clutch situations with over half of her season RBI total (24 out of 43) coming in two-out situations. The Cypress, Texas native, who was the 2018 Newcomer of the Year, added a second All-Louisiana major award to her resume.
Ellyson, a third team NFCA All-American choice and the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year, led the nation at all levels of collegiate softball with 39 wins and tallied a career-best 354 strikeouts. She was the lone unanimous first team selection on the 2019 All-Louisiana Softball squad, and her plus-18 advantage in Pitcher of the Year votes — 19 for her, one apiece for two others — was the largest of the last 10 years.
In Glasco’s second season leading the program, Louisiana recorded its first 50-win season (52-6) since 2012, boasted a Top 10 national ranking, turned in only the second undefeated conference mark in Sun Belt history, established a school-record 29-game win streak, continued the streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (now 21 straight) and returned to Championship Sunday of an NCAA Regional.
The Ragin’ Cajuns led the state in first team selections for the 11th time in 12 years. The six first teamers marked the most since claiming the exact amount in the 2017 season.
The nine total selections equaled the representation Louisiana received on the 2019 All-Sun Belt Team. It’s the most overall All-Louisiana award winners since 10 were honored in 2012.
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel of media and sports publicists selected the All-Louisiana team, based on statistics and performances through the teams’ conference tournaments. This is the 32nd year of All-Louisiana softball selections.
Below is a complete breakdown, with notable achievements, of the Ragin’ Cajuns 2019 All-Louisiana selections:
FIRST TEAM
| Pos. | Name | Noteworthy |
| P | Summer Ellyson [ragincajuns.com] | Nation’s leader in wins; recorded 2nd-most wins (39) and 3rd-most strikeouts (354) in program history |
| C | Julie Rawls [ragincajuns.com] | Tied career-high in home runs (10); led team in RBI (49) and multiple-RBI games (13) |
| 1B | Kourtney Gremillion [ragincajuns.com] | Career-best .339 average; produced career-best 11 extra base hits and career-best 31 RBI |
| SS | Alissa Dalton [ragincajuns.com] | 60-plus hits a second straight year; after March 20, hit .459 with 13 multi-hit games and 11 extra base hits |
| OF | Sarah Hudek [ragincajuns.com] | Led team with a career-high 11 home runs; also led in runs (49), extra base hits (23) and total bases (106) |
| DP | Lexie Comeaux [ragincajuns.com] | Posted a 40-hit and 40-RBI season; dominated in Sun Belt play, posting league-high 23 RBI |
SECOND TEAM
| UT | Keeli Milligan [ragincajuns.com] | Program and Sun Belt record 60 stolen bases; after March 31, hit .458 with 10 RBI to close regular season |
| 3B | Kara Gremillion [ragincajuns.com] | Posted a career-high 15 extra base hits (led team with 11 doubles); only eight errors over 160 total chances |
| OF | Raina O’Neal [ragincajuns.com] | Reached the 50-hit mark for the first time (58 hits total); recorded first career .300 season |
2019 ALL-LOUISIANA COLLEGIATE SOFTBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Summer Ellyson (Louisiana)
Pitcher: Krystal De La Cruz (Louisiana Tech)
Pitcher: Megan Landry (Nicholls)
Catcher: Julie Rawls (Louisiana)
First Base: Kourtney Gremillion (Louisiana)
Second Base: Shemiah Sanchez (Louisiana State)
Third Base: Amanda Sanchez (Louisiana State)
Shortstop: Alissa Dalton (Louisiana)
Outfield: Aliyah Andrews (Louisiana State)
Outfield: Jazlyn Crowder (Louisiana Tech)
Outfield: Sarah Hudek (Louisiana)
Designated Player: Lexie Comeaux (Louisiana)
Utility: Shelbi Sunseri (Louisiana State)
Hitter of the Year: Alissa Dalton, Louisiana
Pitcher of the Year: Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
Newcomer of the Year: Amanda Sanchez, Louisiana State
Freshman of the Year: Lindsay Edwards, Louisiana Tech
Coach of the Year: Gerry Glasco, Louisiana; Mark Montgomery, Louisiana Tech
SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Preslee Galloway (Louisiana Tech)
Pitcher: Jensen Howell (LSU-Eunice)
Pitcher: Shelby Wickersham (Louisiana State)
Catcher: Kali Clement (Nicholls)
First Base: Rebecca Skains (Southeastern Louisiana)
Second Base: Kimmie Atienza (Louisiana Tech)
Third Base: Lindsay Edwards (Louisiana Tech)
Shortstop: Ruby Butler (Bossier Parish)
Outfield: Shelby Bergeron (Louisiana College)
Outfield: Justyce McClain (McNeese)
Outfield: Morgan Turkoly (Louisiana Tech)
Designated Player: Rikkelle Miller (Grambling)
Utility: Keeli Milligan (Louisiana)
HONORABLE MENTION
Pitcher: Alley McDonald, Southeastern Louisiana; Heather Zumo, LSU-Eunice
Catcher: Ella Manzer, Southeastern Louisiana
First Base: Amanda Doyle, Louisiana State; Abby Sterling, Louisiana College
Second Base: Abi Cole, Bossier Parish; Jaquelyn Ramon, Southeastern Louisiana
Third Base: Kara Gremillion, Louisiana; Lauren Rachal, LSU-Alexandria
Shortstop: Bayli Simon, Louisiana Tech
Outfield: Sydney McKay, ULM; Raina O’Neal, Louisiana; Rebecca Shepherd, Bossier Parish; Savannah Stewart, LSU; Sara Tate, LSU-Eunice
Designated Player: Sloane Stewartson, Louisiana Tech
Utility: E.C. Delafield, Northwestern State; RyLeigh Rutherford, LSU-Alexandria
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