2013 ALL-LOUISIANA COLLEGIATE SOFTBALL TEAM
For release in morning newspapers (newsprint editions only — NOT WEBSITES) of Sunday, June 2;
available to all other media, including newspaper websites, after 11 p.m. CDT on Saturday, June 1


All-time list of All-Louisiana softball special awards  (PDF file)

By Ed Cassiere
Sports Information Director, Xavier University
(written for the Louisiana Sports Writers Association)

     Louisiana-Lafayette catcher Sarah Draheim and Northwestern State coach Donald Pickett produced career-best seasons in 2013 to earn two of the top awards on the All-Louisiana collegiate softball team.
     Draheim, a .267 hitter through her first three seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns, collected 15-of-18 votes for Hitter of the Year after batting .423 with 15 home runs and 63 runs batted in. Although it's the seventh time in 11 seasons that a UL Lafayette player was voted Hitter of the Year, it's the first time a catcher from any school has won this award, which was created in 2003.
     Pickett, 83-128 through his four seasons at Northwestern State, led the Lady Demons to a 40-15 record, a school-record .727 winning percentage and their first Southland Conference Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002. He is the Lady Demons' first Louisiana Coach of the Year in this sport since 1998.
     UL Lafayette sophomore right-hander Jordan Wallace was voted Pitcher of the Year. Pitchers Ashley Czechner of LSU and Kaylee Guidry of Northwestern State shared the Newcomer of the Year award, and LSU shortstop Bianka Bell was chosen Freshman of the Year.
     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.
     For the sixth consecutive year, UL Lafayette leads the state in first-team selections. The Ragin' Cajuns have four. Joining Draheim and Wallace on the first team are shortstop Nerissa Myers and outfielder Briana Cherry. LSU and Northwestern State have three first-team selections apiece, and Louisiana Tech has two.
     Wallace, on the first team for the second consecutive year and the 2012 Freshman of the Year, was 28-7 with a 1.89 ERA and 331 strikeouts in 214.1 innings. She pitched an extra-inning no-hitter against Florida Atlantic and struck out a school-record 18 batters against Middle Tennessee.
     The Ragin' Cajuns finished the year 47-15 and reached an NCAA super regional for the fourth time in six seasons.
     LSU's Czechner, a transfer from Chattanooga State Community College and a junior from Pawley's Island, S.C., was 10-1 with a 2.96 ERA and victories against three top-20 teams from the SEC: Alabama, Missouri and Kentucky. Her April 20 two-hitter against Missouri was the only time Missouri was shut out during the regular season.
     Guidry, a transfer from two-year LSU-Eunice and a junior from Walker, La., was 12-3 with one save for Northwestern State and a 1.66 ERA. She was 8-1 in Southland Conference games.
     Bell set an LSU record of 12 consecutive games with an RBI. She hit .356 with 12 home runs and 47 RBI and was the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year. Bell tied with Myers in the voting at first-team shortstop. It was the third consecutive year that Myers made the first team.
     The other first-team selections are pitcher Rachele Fico and outfielder A.J. Andrews of LSU, first baseman Brianna Rodriguez, third baseman Brittany Virgoe and designated player Cassandra Barefield of Northwestern State, second baseman Amanda Krueger and utility player Melanie Goff of Louisiana Tech and outfielder Alanna DiVittorio of McNeese State.
     Fico, Louisiana's only player on the NFCA All-America first team this season, is on the All-Louisiana first team for the second consecutive year and the third time in four years. Fico was the 2012 Pitcher of the Year, but Wallace outpolled her 11-7 this time. Draheim and Goff are repeat first-team selections, and Draheim made the second team in 2011.
     On the second team are third baseman Janna Fandrup and designated player Erin Kipp of Louisiana Tech, second baseman Allison Falcon and outfielder Jacee Blades of LSU, third baseman Jaci Trahan and utility player Paulean Gonzalez of NAIA member LSU-Alexandria, pitcher Meagan Bond and catcher Ashley Modzelewski of McNeese State, first baseman Matte Haack and outfielder Shellie Landry of UL Lafayette, third baseman Megan Moore and outfielder Kelsey Nichols of Southeastern Louisiana and pitcher Kylie Roos of Northwestern State.
     Because Bell and Myers tied at first-team shortstop, there is no second-teamer at that position. Fandrup, Moore and Trahan tied for second-team third base.
     Eleven players received honorable mention, including Czechner and Guidry.


2013 ALL-LOUISIANA COLLEGIATE SOFTBALL TEAM
First Team
Position Name School Yr. Hometown Notes
Pitcher Rachele Fico LSU Sr. Oxford, Conn. 24-11, 2.35 ERA, NFCA All-America first team
Pitcher Jordan Wallace Louisiana-Lafayette So. Weatherford, Texas 28-7, 1.89 ERA, All-Sun Belt first team
Catcher Sarah Draheim Louisiana-Lafayette Sr. Flower Mound, Texas .423, 15 HR, 63 RBI, NFCA All-America third team
First Base Brianna Rodriguez Northwestern State Jr. Rowlett, Texas .359, 6 HR, 46 RBI, All-Southland first team
Second Base Amanda Krueger Louisiana Tech Sr. Warren, Ore. .318, 6 HR, 25 RBI, All-WAC first team
Third Base Brittany Virgoe Northwestern State So. Anaheim, Calif. .335, 8 HR, 34 RBI, All-Southland second team
Shortstop Bianka Bell LSU Fr. Tampa, Fla. .356, 12 HR, 47 RBI, SEC Co-Freshman of the Year
Shortstop Nerissa Myers Louisiana-Lafayette Sr. Petal, Miss. .417, 8 HR, 37 RBI, set school career record for runs scored
Outfield A.J. Andrews LSU So. Oldmar, Fla. .359, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 19 SB, NFCA All-America third team
Outfield Briana Cherry Louisiana-Lafayette Sr. Petal, Miss. .397, 12 HR, 51 RBI, NFCA All-America second team
Outfield Alanna DiVittorio McNeese State Jr. Harahan, La. .346, 9 HR, 28 RBI, All-Southland first team, Capital One Academic All-District 6
Designated PlayerCassandra Barefield Northwestern State So. Houston, Texas .325, 14 HR, 45 RBI, All-Southland second team
Utility Melanie Goff Louisiana Tech Sr. San Diego, Calif. .345, 32 RBI, 4-5 as pitcher with 4 saves, 2.96 ERA
 
Hitter of the Year:  Sarah Draheim, Louisiana-Lafayette
Pitcher of the Year:  Jordan Wallace, Louisiana-Lafayette
Newcomer of the Year:  (tie) Ashley Czechner, LSU; Kaylee Guidry, Northwestern State
Freshman of the Year:  Bianka Bell, LSU
Coach of the Year:  Donald Pickett, Northwestern State
 
Second Team
Position Name School Yr. Hometown Notes
Pitcher Meagan Bond McNeese State Sr. Lumberton, Miss. 18-6, 1.27 ERA, All-Southland first team
Pitcher Kylie Roos Northwestern State Sr. Celina, Texas 17-4, 1.47 ERA, Southland Conference Tournament MVP
Catcher Ashley Modzelewski McNeese State So. Sour Lake, Texas .317, 5 HR, 29 RBI, All-Southland first team
First Base Matte Haack Louisiana-Lafayette Sr. Katy, Texas .341, 12 HR, 57 RBI, All-Sun Belt first team
Second Base Allison Falcon LSU Jr. Donaldsonville, La. .257, 5 HR, 27 RBI, SEC Community Service Team
Third Base Janna Frandrup Louisiana Tech Sr. Phoenix, Ariz. .300, 26 RBI
Third Base Megan Moore Southeastern Louisiana So. Elgin, Texas .273, 6 HR, 34 RBI, All-Southland third team
Third Base Jaci Trahan LSU-Alexandria Jr. Delcambre, La. .335, 24 RBI
Outfield Jacee Blades LSU Jr. Baton Rouge, La. .354, 22 RBI, All-SEC second team
Outfield Shellie Landry Louisiana-Lafayette Fr. Broussard, La. .297, 15 HR, 59 RBI, All-Sun Belt first team
Outfield Kelsey Nichols Southeastern Louisiana Sr. Alvin, Texas .352, 7 HR, 43 RBI, school-record 6 sacrifice flies
Designated PlayerErin Kipp Louisiana Tech Jr. Bullard, Texas .349, 4 HR, 22 RBI, Capital One Academic All-America second team
Utility Paulean Gonzalez LSU-Alexandria Fr. El Paso, Texas .320, 19 RBI
 
Honorable Mention
Pitcher:  Ashley Czechner, LSU; Kaylee Guidry, Northwestern State.
Catcher:  Brittany Marcet, Nicholls State.
Second Base:  Ashley Bertot, Nicholls State.
Third Base:  Alexis Cacioppo, Louisiana-Monroe.
Outfield:  Michelle Duhe, Southeastern Louisiana; Katie Lacour, Southeastern Louisiana; Lauren Langner, McNeese State; Kristen Miles, Louisiana Tech.
Designated Player:  Amber Sather, Southeastern Louisiana; Emily Vincent, McNeese State.
 
Vote Breakdown of Special Awards
Hitter of the Year:  Sarah Draheim, Louisiana-Lafayette, 15; A.J. Andrews, LSU, 1; Kelsey Nichols, Southeastern Louisiana, 1; Brianna Rodriguez, Northwestern State, 1.
Pitcher of the Year:  Jordan Wallace, Louisiana-Lafayette, 11; Rachele Fico, LSU, 7.
Newcomer of the Year:  Ashley Czechner, LSU, 8; Kaylee Guidry, Northwestern State, 8; Jaci Trahan, LSU-Alexandria, 2.
Freshman of the Year:  Bianka Bell, LSU, 14; Amber Sather, Southeastern Louisiana, 2; Raquel Granados, catcher, LSU-Alexandria, 1; Shellie Landry, Louisiana-Lafayette, 1.
Coach of the Year:  Donald Pickett, Northwestern State, 11; Beth Torina, LSU, 5; Pete Langlois, Southeastern Louisiana, 1; Mike Smith, McNeese State, 1.