Four Cajuns Named First Team All-Region

LAFAYETTE – Four members of the 11th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team were named to the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-Central Region Team First Team, the NFCA announced Thursday.

Lexie Elkins, Haley Hayden, Shellie Landry and Jordan Wallace were the Ragin' Cajuns' representatives on the NFCA All-Central Region First Team. The entire group is now eligible for All-American accolades.

Louisiana's four first team selections were the second-most in the Central Region, trailing only Oklahoma's five picks. It's the most first team selections for the Cajuns since five in 2012.

The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first, second and third teams selected for each region. The all-region teams were voted on by NFCA member coaches from each respective region, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to one of three 2015 NFCA Division I All-American teams.

The 2015 NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced at approximately 4 p.m. (CDT) on Wednesday, May 27, via NFCA.org.

"With so many good players and good players in our region, this is the highest honor for our team and these players to be recognized," Louisiana softball head coach Michael Lotief said.

Elkins, who repeated as Sun Belt Player of the Year last week, received first team all-region honors for the second straight year. A 2014 NFCA All-American, the Victoria, Texas, native is eligible for the honor once again.

Wallace returned to the All-Central Region team for the first time since 2012 when she was a first team choice. It's the first career selections for Hayden and Landry.

Elkins presently leads the nation with 29 home runs boosted by seven games with multiple home runs. She enters the NCAA Tournament one home run shy of tying Danyele Gomez's single-season school record 30 hit in 2006. One more homer would make Elkins one of eight players in Division I history with 30 or more homers in a season (Laura Espinoza of Arizona and Lauren Chamberlain of Oklahoma did it twice).

Wallace tops the Cajuns pitching staff with 16 victories, including three over ranked foes (#4 Alabama, #24 South Alabama, #14 Baylor). She currently ranks No. 4 in the NCAA in fewest hits allowed per seven innings and has limited opponents to a .143 average and 65 hits in 134-1/3 innings pitched.

Hayden, who had a reached-base streak of 28 games from Feb. 21-Apr. 18, has been among the nation's Top 10 in runs scored per game throughout the season. The sophomore second baseman has been aboard the base path in 45 of the Cajuns' 48 games and has scored 60 runs for an average of 1.25 per game, which stands No. 7 in the NCAA.

Landry, a Lafayette-area native, has enjoyed a breakout season at the plate with career-highs in total hits (58), doubles (14), home runs (19) and extra base hits (33). The junior left fielder registered a hit in 35 of 48 games played and has 17 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI games.

Louisiana (39-9), the national No. 13 seed, begins play in the 2015 NCAA Tournament in the Lafayette Regional at Lamson Park scheduled for Friday-Sunday, May 15-17. Action begins Friday with Baylor and Mississippi State at 5:30 p.m., followed by Louisiana and Weber State at 8 p.m., on ESPN3.com.

2015 NFCA DIVISION I ALL-CENTRAL REGION TEAM

FIRST TEAM
P - Paige Parker (Oklahoma)
P - Jordan Wallace (Louisiana)
C - Lexie Elkins (Louisiana)
1B - Lauren Chamberlain (Oklahoma)
2B - Haley Hayden (Louisiana)
3B - Kelsey Arnold (Oklahoma)
SS - Shelby Pendley (Oklahoma)
OF - Shellie Landry (Louisiana)
OF - Erin Miller (Oklahoma)
OF - Lindsey Stephens (Texas)
DP - Devon Thomey (Texas Tech)

SECOND TEAM
P - Heather Stearns (Baylor)
P - Randi Rupp (Texas State)
C - Whitney Ellis (Oklahoma)
1B - Shelby Friudenberg (Baylor)
2B - Ari Hawkins (Baylor)
3B - Courtney Harris (Texas State)
SS - Ariel Ortiz (Texas State)
OF - Kady Self (Oklahoma)
OF - Lindsey Cargill (Baylor)
OF - Nicole Pendley (Oklahoma)
DP - Linsey Hays (Baylor)

THIRD TEAM
P - Erica Wright (Texas)
P - Julana Shrum (Houston)
C - Erin Shireman (Texas)
1B - Kendall Wiley (Texas State)
2B - Lea Hopson (Texas Tech)
3B - Roni Patterson (IUPUI)
SS - Sammy Marshall (Western Illinois)
OF - Kaitlyn Thumann (Baylor)
OF - Kathryn Hollingsworth (Belmont)
OF - Stephanie Wong (Texas)
DP - Holly Kern (Texas)

#GeauxCajuns

Players Mentioned

Lexie Elkins

Haley Hayden

Shellie Landry

Jordan Wallace