Ragin’ Cajuns stars O’Neal, Lamb sweep first Community Coffee Sun Belt Softball Weekly Awards of 2019

AROUND #SUNBELTSB
• Sun Belt softball has another heavy slate ahead with 50 games on the Week 2 schedule.

• Louisiana moved up to 13th in both the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 and ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 polls coming off a 5-0 start. The Ragin’ Cajuns are one of 10 teams with an unblemished record and ranked in the top 15 following the opening week.

• Coastal Carolina (4-1) bounced back from a season-opening setback to win four straight at its Kickin’ Chicken Classic.

• UTA went 2-3 at the Hawaii Paradise Classic in Honolulu, all three losses coming by one run – 2-1 to UCLA (ranked No. 2 by USA Today/NFCA and No. 1 by ESPN.com/USA Softball), 5-4 to Fresno State (received votes in ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll) and 8-7 to host Hawaii (lost on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning).

• Through the first week, Louisiana boasts the Sun Belt top three in batting average and top four in slugging percentage. Ragin’ Cajuns sophomore outfielder Raina O’Neal leads the way with 12 hits followed by Georgia Southern junior outfielder Mekhia Freeman and ULM senior outfielder Sydney McKay with nine each. Louisiana junior pitcher Summer Ellyson has 33 strikeouts to her credit in four appearances.

• Sun Belt softball is honoring the life of Geri Ann Glasco, daughter of Louisiana head coach Gerry Glasco. Geri Ann Glasco passed away on Jan. 24 as a result of a multi-vehicle accident. A standout student-athlete at Oregon, she was set to serve her first season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Ragin’ Cajuns. To honor Geri Ann’s memory throughout the 2019 season, Sun Belt teams are wearing stickers on their helmets blazoned with her name.

• WeCOACH, in partnership with the Natasha Watley Foundation and the Glasco Family, announced the creation of the Geri Ann Glasco Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded to a female assistant coach in the first five years of her career at the NCAA level.

• This season is the 20th season of Sun Belt softball. Sun Belt teams have combined for 33 postseason appearances (29 NCAA Division I Softball Championship and four National Invitation Softball Championship) in 19 seasons. Over that span, the conference has compiled 66 NCAA Tournament wins, seven NCAA Super Regional appearances, three NCAA Women’s College World Series appearances and one NISC Championship Round appearance.

• The Sun Belt moves a three-day (generally Friday, Saturday and Sunday) conference schedule for the first time this season.

• The 2019 Sun Belt Softball Championship, hosted by Texas State, is set for May 8-11 at the Bobcat Softball Stadium in San Marcos, Texas.

COMMUNITY COFFEE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Raina O’Neal, Louisiana (So., OF, Richmond, Texas)
Louisiana sophomore outfielder Raina O’Neal was the driving force behind the Ragin’ Cajuns’ offensive explosion in the Ragin’ Cajuns Classic, finishing the weekend with a team-best .714 average (10-for-14) with five RBI. O’Neal closed her debut weekend by posting three consecutive, three-hit games. The Texas Tech transfer produced at least one RBI in all four games, generated a 1.143 slugging percentage and did not strike out in any of her 14 plate appearances. O’Neal delivered the decisive blow in the season-opening win over Fordham, launching a two-run homer in the third inning to stretch the lead to 4-0. She added a double in each of the next three games to give her a team-high four extra-base hits.

COMMUNITY COFFEE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Kandra Lamb, Louisiana (Fr., P, Kurrajong, New South Wales, Australia)
Louisiana freshman pitcher Kandra Lamb tossed two no-hitters in wins over Incarnate Word and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in her collegiate debut. Lamb faced only three batters over the minimum and struck out 16 over 10 innings in the circle. Against Incarnate Word, she took the circle for the first time and promptly retired the first six batters. Lamb worked around a leadoff walk in the third inning, retiring the final nine batters to preserve the shutout. In the no-hitter against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, she posted three strikeouts in three different innings and recorded the final seven outs by strikeout.

2019 Weekly Award Winners
Player
February 12: Raina O’Neal, Louisiana

Pitcher
February 12: Kendra Lamb, Louisiana

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Wednesday, February 13
Coastal Carolina at Charleston Southern (ESPN+), 3 p.m.
ULM at Stephen F. Austin, 3 p.m.
Georgia State at Georgia Tech (ACC Network Extra), 3 p.m.
Georgia Southern at Mercer, 4 p.m.

Friday, February 15    
1-Georgia State vs. Eastern Illinois, 10 a.m.
2-UTA vs. Sam Houston State, 10 a.m.
3-Troy vs. Stetson, 11 a.m.
2-UTA vs. Southern Miss, 12:30 p.m.
4-Marshall at Coastal Carolina, 1 p.m.
3-Troy vs. Missouri, 1:30 p.m.
5-Texas State vs. San Jose State, 2:30 p.m.
4-Presbyterian at Coastal Carolina, 3:15 p.m.
6-IUPUI at Georgia Southern, 3:30 p.m.
7-Jackson State at Louisiana, 4 p.m.
8-Lipscomb at South Alabama, 4:15 p.m.
5-Texas State at New Mexico State, 5 p.m.
1-Georgia State at Samford, 5:30 p.m.
6-Morehead State at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m.
7-Austin Peay at Louisiana, 6:30 p.m.
8-North Dakota at South Alabama, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 16
1-Georgia State vs. Eastern Illinois, 9 a.m.
9-ULM vs. Maryland, 9 a.m.
5-Texas State vs. Montana, 10 a.m.
4-Towson at Coastal Carolina, 10:45 a.m.
8-Tulsa at South Alabama, 11:15 a.m.
9-ULM vs. Nevada, 11:30 a.m.
North Carolina A&T at Appalachian State, Noon
7-Stephen F. Austin at Louisiana, 12:30 p.m.
2-UTA at Baylor, 12:30 p.m.
5-Texas State vs. Bradley, 12:30 p.m.
4-Presbyterian at Coastal Carolina, 1 p.m.
3-Troy vs. Massachusetts, 1:30 p.m.
North Carolina A&T at Appalachian State, 2 p.m.
7-Louisiana vs. TBD, 3/5:30 p.m.
2-UTA vs. TBD, 3/5:30 p.m.
6-Morehead State at Georgia Southern, 3:30 p.m.
8-Mercer at South Alabama, 3:45 p.m.
3-Troy vs. LIU Brooklyn, 4 p.m.
6-Mount St. Mary’s at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m.

Sunday, February 17
3-Troy vs. Saint Joseph’s, 9 a.m.
7-Louisiana vs. TBD, 10 a.m./12:30 p.m.
2-UTA vs. TBD, 10 a.m./12:30 p.m.
5-Texas State vs. Montana, 10 a.m.
6-UMKC at Georgia Southern, 10:30 a.m.
1-Georgia State vs. DePaul, 11 a.m.
9-ULM vs. Nicholls, 11:30 a.m.
4-Eastern Kentucky at Coastal Carolina, 12:15 p.m.
6-Mount St. Mary’s at Georgia Southern, 1 p.m.
1-Georgia State at Samford, 1:30 p.m.
9-ULM at Houston, 2 p.m.

All Times are Central and Subject to Change

KEY:
1-Samford Classic, Birmingham, Ala.
2-Getterman Classic, Waco, Texas
3-Citrus Classic, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
4-Battle at the Beach, Conway, S.C.
5-Troy Cox Classic, Las Cruces, N.M.
6-Eagle Round Robin, Statesboro, Ga.
7-33rd Annual Louisiana Classics, Lafayette, La.
8-Jaguar Challenge, Mobile, Ala.
9-Houston Classic, Houston, Texas