Louisiana Tech’s Josh Taylor named Conference USA Softball Coach of the Year

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Louisiana Tech Softball head coach Josh Taylor was selected as the 2024 Conference USA Coach of the Year in a vote among the league’s head coaches.

The third-year head coach led the Bulldogs to a 31-20 mark that featured a third-straight 30+ win season, 13-11 league mark and third-consecutive CUSA Tournament berth. He guided the Bulldogs to marquee wins over Sun Belt champion UL-Lafayette, Mountain West champion San Diego State and Southland Conference champion McNeese (three times) while also defeating Power Fives in Georgia Tech and Illinois.

Taylor has now won CUSA Coach of the Year honors in two of his three seasons at Louisiana Tech, having previously won the honor in 2022 after leading the Bulldogs to a CUSA Regular Season Championship and 39-20 overall record.

He is just the second coach in program history to guide Tech to 30+ wins in each of his first three seasons. Taylor has a record of 102-64 in his three seasons at LA Tech. His 102 wins during his first three seasons at LA Tech are the most by all current CUSA coaches in their first three seasons at their respective schools.

Taylor won his 100th game as the Bulldogs’ skipper with a 5-4 victory at New Mexico State on April 27. He became the second fastest LA Tech head coach to reach the 100-win mark trailing only NFCA Hall of Famer Bill Galloway who accomplished the feat in 132 games.

Taylor is just the second Tech softball coach to earn conference coach of the year honors, joining Mark Montgomery (2019). He is the first coach in program history to win multiple CUSA Coach of the Year honors.

Highlighted by a pair of first-team selections in catcher Brooke Diaz and center fielder Alexis Gilio, six members of the Louisiana Tech Softball team received All-Conference USA honors.

In addition to Diaz and Gilio, pitcher Allie Floyd, designated player Kylie Neel, and infielder Claire Raley were named to the second team. Freshman pitcher Mattison Buster earned a spot on the CUSA All-Freshman team.

The six all-conference selections are the fourth most in program history, trailing only the seven selections in 2017 and 2022 and eight selections in 2019. The Bulldogs’ six selections on the first, second, and all-freshman teams were the third-most in the conference, trailing Liberty and WKU, who both had eight.

Diaz earned first-team recognition for the first time in her career and previously was a second-team selection in 2022. The Eagle Pass, Texas native, has had an outstanding senior season, batting .265 with 26 hits, seven doubles, and 11 RBI. Her .265 batting average marked a 75-point improvement from a year ago. Defensively, Diaz has been one of the top catchers in the country, ranking 23rd nationally and leading CUSA with 13 runners caught stealing this season. Her first-team All-CUSA selection is the first for a Louisiana Tech catcher in the CUSA era (2014-present).

Gilio has made an immediate impact in her first season in Ruston. The BYU transfer leads LA Tech with a .380 batting average while registering 60 hits, 22 RBI, 29 runs scored, 19 walks, and a team-leading 14 stolen bases. She has recorded multiple hits in each of her last four games and has 20 multi-hit games this season. Her 60 hits were the most by a CUSA player this season. In addition to leading the league in hits, she ranked among the league leaders in numerous categories, including batting average (5th, .380), on-base percentage (7th, .443), and sacrifice flies (T-1st, 4).

Floyd has been a force in the circle for Louisiana Tech in 2024. The sophomore right-hander leads the Bulldogs with a 13-8 record, 77 strikeouts, and 137.1 innings pitched while posting a 2.70 ERA and limiting opposing hitters to a .241 batting average. Her 13 wins this season are the sixth-most by a sophomore in program history and rank third among all CUSA pitchers. She leads LA Tech and ranks second in the league with five saves. Floyd also ranks among the league leaders in innings pitched (3rd, 137.1), ERA (6th, 2.70), and strikeouts (T-6, 77).

Neel earned second-team accolades for the third straight season. The Richmond, Texas, product was among the league’s best hitters during the conference slate. Neel led CUSA with eight doubles during league play and posted a team-leading 11 doubles in the regular season, the 17th-most during a single season in program history. During league play, she also ranked among the CUSA leaders in hit-by-pitch (T-6th, 3), slugging percentage (8th, .647), and RBI (T-8th, 17).

Raley has started all 51 games at third base during her first season as a Bulldog. Offensively, she has posted 11 multi-hit games and three multi-RBI games. Raley is batting .280 this season with 47 hits, four doubles, four triples, four home runs, 15 RBI and a team-leading 32 runs scored. Her four home runs this season have tied a single-season career high, which she set last year at Utah State. The Clovis, Calif., product led CUSA with four triples while ranking among the league leaders in sacrifice bunts (T-3rd, 8) and stolen bases (9th, 11).

Buster has been outstanding in her rookie season for the Bulldogs. The freshman led Conference USA with a 1.57 earned run average in 26.2 innings pitched during league play. She also led the league in numerous additional statistical categories during the conference slate, including hits allowed (27), runs allowed (8), earned runs allowed (6), and walks allowed (3). Overall, she has posted a 2.72 ERA with 24 strikeouts and two saves in 46.1 innings pitched.

The Bulldogs will open play at the CUSA Championship on Wednesday as the No. 3 seed when they face sixth-seeded UTEP at 3:30 p.m. (CT). Coverage for all games leading up to the championship game will be available through ESPN+, with the title game set to air on CBS Sports Network.

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2024 CUSA All-Conference Teams

First Team All-CUSA
C: Brooke Diaz, LA Tech
C: Ansley Blevins, MTSU
DP/UT: Dezianna Patmon, NM State
IF: Emma Jones-Hubbard, Jax State
IF: Shelby Echols, MTSU
IF: Ajia Richard, UTEP
IF: Taylor Sanders, WKU
IF: TJ Webster, WKU
OF: Rachel Roupe, Liberty
OF: Alexis Gilio, LA Tech
OF: Devin Elam, NM State
OF: Desirae Spearman, NM State
P: Kaylan Yoder, Liberty
P: Desirae Spearman, NM State
P: Katie Gardner, WKU

Second Team All-CUSA
C: Sierra Kersten, Liberty
C: Randi Drinnon, WKU
DP/UT: Kylie Neel, LA Tech
IF: Raigan Barrett, Liberty
IF: Megan Fortner, Liberty
IF: Claire Raley, LA Tech
IF: Elia Hebel, Sam Houston
IF: Morgan Sharpe, WKU
OF: Bailey Grossenbacher, FIU
OF: Kally Meredith, FIU
OF: Jillian Taylor, NM State
OF: Ellie Grill, Sam Houston
P: Kat Carter, Jax State
P: Elena Escobar, Liberty
P: Allie Floyd, LA Tech

CUSA All-Freshman Team
Kally Meredith, FIU
Megan Rasmussen, Jax State
Katie Love, Liberty
Kaylan Yoder, Liberty
Mattison Buster, LA Tech
Desirae Spearman, NM State
Amy Abke, Sam Houston
Faith Aragon, UTEP
Madi Mendoza, UTEP
Morgan Sharpe, WKU
Rylan Smith, WKU
Annie White, WKU

2024 CUSA Specialty Awards

Player of the Year
Desirae Spearman, NM State

Pitcher of the Year
Katie Gardner, WKU

Defensive Player of the Year
TJ Webster, WKU

Freshman of the Year
Desirae Spearman, NM State

Newcomer of the Year
Dezianna Patmon, NM State

Coach of the Year
Josh Taylor, LA Tech