After pitching the only complete game no-hitter in conference play this season, Louisiana Softball’s Mallory Wheeler was named the Sun Belt Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday as announced by the league office.
Wheeler’s no-hit performance was delivered last Thursday (May 1) as Louisiana opened its three-game, regular-season ending series against Southern Miss at Lamson Park with a 2-0 victory.
She faced only one batter over the minimum in collecting the first no-hitter of her collegiate career and the first in a seven inning game by a Cajuns pitcher since Karly Heath in February 2023.
Backed up by her defense, there were 12 ground ball outs recorded. It was her recovery after a line drive in the fifth inning took the glove off of her hand, locating the ball and firing the throw to first base for the out, that saved the no hitter. The very next play, first baseman Emily Smith solidified the no-hitter with her leaping catch of a rising line drive.
Wheeler followed up with another strong performance on Saturday, extending the no-hit performance against the Golden Eagles into the fifth inning – making it 11-⅓ innings before she surrendered a hit in the series.
Over the 13-2/3 innings that Wheeler pitched against Southern Miss, she yielded only two runs and four hits.
The USM series performance punctuated a strong second half in conference play that saw Wheeler post a 5-1 record with a 1.81 ERA, allowing only 12 runs over 46-1/3 innings over eight appearances (seven starts).
Louisiana has received at least one SBC Pitcher of the Week award since the inception of the league in 2000. Wheeler’s recognition marks the 101st time in which the program has had a player earn the award.
Wheeler and her Ragin’ Cajuns teammates scheduled to begin play in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship Tournament on Thursday, May 8 at 10:00 a.m. at the Troy Softball Complex in Troy, Alabama. Louisiana is matched up with No. 6 seed App State (23-26, 13-11 SBC) in the quarterfinal round contest.
Louisiana (28-24, 14-10 SBC) elevated itself to the No. 3 seed in the tournament after winning nine of the last 10 conference games to close the regular season, earning a bye from opening day action on Wednesday (May 7).
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