Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball head coach Gerry Glasco announced on Wednesday (Nov. 11, 2020) the signing of 10 student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent who are members of the program’s highly touted 2021 recruiting class.
The contingent is part of the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class as ranked by Extra Inning Softball.
Eight of the individuals who signed with the Ragin’ Cajuns on Wednesday are featured in Extra Inning Softball’s Elite 100, led by Samantha Landry (Mont Belvieu, Texas/Barbers Hill HS) who is rated as the nation’s fourth-best prospect.
A pair of Louisiana prep products are included in the group, most notably Maddie Hayden (West Monroe, La./West Monroe HS) who is the younger sister of former Ragin’ Cajuns great Haley Hayden.
Landry is one of six individuals to sign who are all natives of Texas and all competed for the highly successful travel ball squad, Houston Hotshots-Dumezich.
“This is a very deep and balanced group that we believe will play a huge part in our program over the next five years,” Glasco said. “We expect these student-athletes to compete for starting positions immediately and want to see many of them become starters for us over the next two seasons.”
Each future student-athlete will enroll at Louisiana beginning in the 2021-22 academic year.
Below are capsules for each signee:
Samantha Landry
RHP | Mont Belvieu, Texas | Barbers Hill High School
Travel Team: Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich
Extra Inning Softball Rank: No. 4
- Top-10 ranked recruit nationally by Extra Inning Softball, Landry is coming off back-to-back seasons with a sub-1.00 ERA for Barbers Hill High School.
- Collected 189 strikeouts in the pitcher’s circle during the 2019 season and earned honors at all levels (District MVP, First Team All-Greater Houston, 2019 TGCA All-State Team).
- Was a key performer last summer for Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich with 170 strikeouts recorded against elite competition at ASA 18U Nationals. Was selected to the Extra Inning Softball 18U All-Summer Team.
Glasco’s Point of View
“Samantha was our No. 1 recruiting target as soon as I was hired at Louisiana. We expect her to compete for the position of ace of our staff as a freshman due to her ability to throw hard, change speeds, and field her position well. She simply has proven to be a winner in the circle throughout her travel ball career.”
Maddie Hayden
OF/UT | West Monroe, La. | West Monroe High School
Travel Team: Louisiana Bombers
Extra Inning Softball Rank: No. 15
- Younger sister of former Louisiana Softball standout Haley Hayden (2014-17). Was a slap hitter, but is beginning to show signs of power as evidenced by summer 2020 when she hit .575 and launched seven home runs for the Louisiana Bombers.
- Played shortstop for West Monroe (La.) High School and batted .500-plus all three seasons. As a freshman and sophomore totaled 20-plus stolen bases and piled up 50 swipes total during that timeframe.
- After receiving first team all-district honors as a freshman in 2018, Hayden rose to District MVP as a sophomore in 2019 after posting a .588 average and finishing 28-for-28 in stolen bases.
Glasco’s Point of View
“Maddie has speed, power, a tremendous arm, and is a fierce competitor. She is one of the most special all-around athletes we have seen. Her abilities would allow her to play on the infield or outfield for us. She will compete to play here as soon as she arrives on campus.”
Kayla Falterman
OF | The Woodlands, Texas | The Woodlands High School
Travel Team: Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich
Extra Inning Softball Rank: No. 39
- A two-time Class 6A All-State performer and three-time All-District 13-6A selection, Falterman collected 20-plus stolen bases each season and struck out only twice over 221 plate appearances through her sophomore season.
-Was hitting .500-plus for the second straight season and had already reached 15 stolen bases prior to the 2020 season being shut down.
- Last summer, hit .480 in the Texas Fastpitch League Championships tournament leading Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich to the championship and earning her Extra Inning Softball 18U All-Summer Team honors.
Glasco’s Point of View
“Kayla makes the players around her better, and her team better, because of her ability and willingness to do whatever is needed to win. She will bring great leadership abilities to our program. She gets exceptional reads in the outfield as a defender, and offensively plays the short game at a very high level.”
Samantha Graeter
OF/UT | Spring, Texas | Oak Ridge High School
Travel Team: Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich
Extra Inning Softball Rank: No. 41
- A career .458 hitter heading into her senior season, Graeter is Oak Ridge High School’s reigning Offensive MVP and was a First Team All-District 15-6A selection in 2019.
- In the spring, she was hitting .519 with six home runs and had helped lead Oak Ridge to a No. 1 ranking in Texas’ Class 6A prior to the COVID-19 shutdown.
- Is a three-time national champion on the travel ball circuit: 12U PGF Premier, 12U ASA and 14U World Fastpitch. Last summer, batted .382 and helped lead Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich to its first-ever Texas Fastpitch League title and a runner-up finish at ASA Gold 18U.
Glasco’s Point of View
“Samantha is a very powerful athlete who has great speed to complement her power at the plate. She possesses a strong arm and can really cover a lot of ground in the outfield. She is that player that is not only determined to win – she expects to win.”
Alexa Langeliers
IF | Keller, Texas | Keller High School
Travel Team: Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich
Extra Inning Softball Rank: No. 48
- Was a standout performer right away on the prep scene, hitting .522 as a freshman in 2018 to earn Dallas/Fort Worth Newcomer of the Year. Also named the district’s Utility Player of the Year.
- Followed up with a .492 average and 44 RBI during her sophomore campaign. Posted 61 total hits, fifth-most recorded in Keller High School’s history, which included 11 doubles, nine triples and five home runs.
- Sister of Shea Langeliers who was selected ninth overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Glasco’s Point of View
“Alexa is a complete player who can hit for average, and also has tremendous power. Her speed allows her to be a great asset on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. She has been of the most feared hitters in the country over the past few summers.”
Laney Credeur
1B/3B | Old Mines, Mo. | Kingston K-14 School
Travel Team: St. Louis Chaos
Extra Inning Softball Rank: No. 51
- Born in Lafayette and grandparents currently reside in nearby Carencro, La.
- Has drawn comparisons to former Georgia All-American Alisa Goler, who was coached by Gerry Glasco when he was with the Bulldogs.
- Last summer, led travel ball team St. Louis Chaos in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage.
Glasco’s Point of View
“Laney can really hit for power and we expect her to be a corner infielder. We believe that she has both the ability and the drive to develop into a very powerful and consistent hitter over her collegiate career and look forward to working with her.”
Elia Hebel
3B | Albany, Texas | Albany High School
Travel Team: Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich
Extra Inning Softball Rank: No. 73
- After missing her sophomore season with a knee injury, Hebel returned to the diamond in spring 2020 and sported a .660 average with seven home runs and 28 RBI prior to the COVID-19 shutdown.
- Last spring’s figures were on pace to be a carbon copy of her freshman season in 2018. That season she hit .629 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI resulting in Newcomer of the Year honors and all-state recognition.
- During the 2020 summer ball season, Hebel sported a .366 average for Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich which included a .429 stretch during the Texas Fastpitch League in which she slugged seven home runs.
Glasco’s Point of View
“A corner infielder with tremendous power, Elia fits the prototype of a Ragin’ Cajuns softball player due to her ability to hit a lot of home runs. She possesses a good arm and is capable of playing either corner position well.”
Kramer Eschete
OF | Brenham, Texas | Brenham High School
Travel Team: Houston Hotshots Premier-Dumezich
Extra Inning Softball Rank: No. 89
- Extra Inning Softball report states that she is “a great athlete with game-changing speed and has a cannon for an arm”.
- Earned all-district, all-region and all-state honors following a prep debut season that included a .540 average and 13 stolen bases. Repeated an as an all-district selection in 2019 and earned the first of back-to-back team MVP honors.
- Was batting an impressive .596, and had reached double digits in stolen bases once again (11), before the 2020 season was halted.
Glasco’s Point of View
“Kramer can run, hit, hit for power, and defend. She possesses one of the most elite arms in the country. Her athleticism will play a critical role in allowing us to continue to play the type of defense that we have become known for in recent seasons.”
Tyler Oubre
RHP | Destrehan, La. | Destrehan High School
Travel Team: Georgia Impact-Jeffreys
Extra Inning Softball Rating: No. 101
- Earned a first team spot on the 2019 Louisiana Class 5A All-State Team after a sophomore season in which she recorded 279 strikeouts and allowed only one run in 27 innings of work in the playoffs.
- Helped guide Destrehan (La.) High School to the quarterfinal round of the 2019 Louisiana Class 5A playoffs – the furthest the program advanced in school history.
- In the shortened 2020 season, Oubre managed to collect 82 strikeouts in just eight appearances.
Glasco’s Point of View
“Tyler is a spin and finesse pitcher who understands the importance of the spin and movement on her pitches. She possesses great intelligence in the circle and has shown a great ability to pick up things quickly. Her pitching style reminds me of former Georgia great Chelsea Wilkinson.”
McKenzie Wittenberg
OF | Fort Myers, Fla. | Riverdale High School
Travel Team: Jersey Intensity
Extra Inning Softball Rating: No. 135
- Has competed at multiple positions for Riverdale (Fla.) High School including outfield, shortstop and pitcher.
- Top season was in 2019 in which she posted a .497 average, collected 46 hits and had 29 stolen bases, earning her a spot on The News-Press All-Area Softball team.
- As a freshman, received Riverdale’s Best Offensive Player award and helped lead the Raiders to a runner-up finish in the conference standings.
Glasco’s Point of View
“McKenzie is another recruit that found us and expressed her desire to be a part of our program. She is fast, has a good arm, and makes it known she has a strong desire to compete. Most importantly, she has a desire to improve and become a valuable part of a top tier program. I have always loved to coach these type of players.”
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