LAFAYETTE, La. --The No. 24th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team placed a league-high seven individuals on the 2023 All-Sun Belt Softball Team, including Texas High graduate Lauren Allred, who made first team as a freshman.
The former Lady Tiger standout closed out the regular season batting .370, with 40 hits in 108 at-bats -- three doubles, three triples and 11 home runs -- and tied for a team-high 43 RBIs. She actually reached the 40-RBI mark in less than 100 at-bats (92).
Allred's collegiate rookie campaign skyrocketed over 30-day stretch from March 3 to April 2 when she produced 23 RBI in just 46 at-bats. She had a season-high two home runs on April 23 against Troy and five RBIs -- four coming from a grand slam -- against James Madison on April 1.
The Texarkana native was a two-sport athlete at Texas High, where she played volleyball and was an infielder and catcher for the Tigers' softball program. She won District 15-5A MVP in back-to-back years from 2019-20.
During her freshman year, she batted .622 with 16 doubles, a triple and seven home runs. During that season, she also scored 46 times and had 43 RBIs.
The Sun Belt Conference superlatives were highlighted by Karly Heath who was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year, the conference office announced on Tuesday (May 9, 2023).
Joining Heath in claiming one of the major awards for Louisiana was Mihyia Davis who was selected as the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
For the fourth consecutive time that All-SBC awards were handed out -- and 18th time overall since the league's creation in 2000 -- Louisiana claimed the Player of the Year award. A Cajun claimed Freshman of the Year for the first time since 2017.
Pitchers Meghan Schorman and Sam Landry along with catcher Sophie Piskos and shortstop Alexa Langeliers each received a spot on the All-Sun Belt Second Team.
The individual awards and all-conference selections were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
Louisiana placed at least seven players on the All-Sun Belt Team for the fourth straight time under Gerry Glasco's guidance, increasing the total number of selections under his watch to 37. The program's all-time All-Sun Belt selections total grew to 161 (2000-present).
The selections marked repeat All-Sun Belt honors for Heath, Landry, Langeliers and Piskos who received honors in 2022. The remainder of the group received their first accolade as a Ragin' Cajun.
No. 24 Louisiana (43-13, 22-2 SBC) is hosting the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park this week and is scheduled to begin play in the event on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
There are 10 Sun Belt Conference teams participating in the single-elimination tournament from Wednesday-Saturday, May 10-13, vying for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The event begins on Wednesday with a pair of first-round games, ramps up with the quarterfinal round on Thursday and concludes with the championship game on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
The Ragin' Cajuns quarterfinal round opponent on Thursday will be the winner of the ULM-Georgia State first-round contest.
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(Texarkana Gazette Sports Director Jason Hopkins contributed to this report)