2019 Sun Belt Softball Weekly News and Notes:
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Championship | Records Book
 
AROUND #SUNBELTSB
• Sun Belt softball moves into conference play this weekend in a week with 23 games on tap.
 
• For the first time, the Sun Belt is conducting its conference schedule this season in three-day, three-game series generally playing one game on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
 
• Louisiana (15-3) enters the week ranked 11th in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 and 12th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 polls. Coastal Carolina (16-4) were among the teams receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25.
 
• The Ragin' Cajuns are among the top run-producing teams in NCAA Division I so far this season ranked third in runs per game (8.17) and sixth in batting average (.358).
 
• Five Sun Belt teams have already reached double-digit wins – Louisiana, Coastal Carolina, Troy (16-6), Georgia Southern (13-7) and UTA (10-9). Three teams enter the week one game way - Appalachian State (9-6), South Alabama (9-9) and Texas State (9-10).
 
• Troy's start to the season is its second-best start under head coach Beth Mullins. Trojans freshman pitcher Leanna Johnson is tied for second in NCAA Division I in strikeouts (98).
 
• South Alabama has hit at least one home run in 12 of its last 15 contests, including a season-high-tying three against Savannah State on March 2.  All 17 of the Jaguars' home runs have come during this 15-game stretch.
 
• Georgia Southern senior catcher/outfielder Logan Harrell enters the week tied for seventh in the nation in home runs (8).
 
• Four Sun Belt teams are among the top 25 fielding teams in the nation – Coastal Carolina (11th, .979), Louisiana (12th, .978), Appalachian State (14th, .978), and Troy (25th, .975).
 
• Appalachian State recorded its longest win streak in program history with eight straight wins after defeating Miami (Ohio) on March 1. The Mountaineers had their steak halted later the same day in a one-run loss at Lipscomb.
 
• ULM (3-17) erupted for 22 runs in its last two games, recording back-to-back wins and snapping a 15-game losing streak.

• 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.

• The National Fastpitch Coaches Association, in partnership with the Natasha Watley Foundation (NWF) and the Glasco Family, has created a Geri Ann Glasco Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to one female assistant coach in the first five years of her career at the collegiate level. Each year this scholarship will cover costs associated with attendance to the NFCA National Convention in December.
 
• WeCOACH, in partnership with NWF and the Glasco Family, also announced the creation of a Geri Ann Glasco Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to a female assistant coach in the first five years of her career at the NCAA level. Each year this scholarship will cover tuition and a travel stipend to attend WeCOACH's NCAA Women Coaches Academy.

• 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
Whitney Walton, UTA (Jr., SS, Lake Jackson, Texas)
UTA junior shortstop Whitney Walton had a productive week at the plate, batting .647 in five games. Walton hit safely in all five games and crossed the plate five times, including twice in her 4-for-5 effort in a 12-7 win over North Texas at the Texas Tech Invitational. Defensively, she recorded just one error in 24 chances for a .958 fielding percentage. Walton leads the Sun Belt in batting average (.475) and hits (28).

COMMUNITY COFFEE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Kaitlin Beasley-Polko, Coastal Carolina (So., P, Leonardtown, Md.)
Coastal Carolina sophomore pitcher Kaitlin Beasley-Polko threw consecutive complete-game victories over Austin Peay and UNLV. Both were big wins for the Chants as Beasley-Polko followed up a 10-1 Coastal Carolina loss to UNLV come back and pitch a complete-game, two-hitter over Austin Peay. In the second game against UNLV, she scattered six hits with eight strikeouts in a 2-1 victory. Beasley-Polko went 2-0 with a save with a 1.83 earned run average over 15.1 innings during the Chanticleer Showdown.

2019 Weekly Award Winners
Player
February 12: Raina O'Neal, Louisiana
February 19: Logan Harrell, Georgia Southern
February 26: Brittani Reid, South Alabama
March 5: Whitney Walton, UTA
 
Pitcher
February 12: Kendra Lamb, Louisiana
February 19: Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
February 26: Kaitlin Beasley-Polko, Coastal Carolina
March 5: Kaitlin Beasley-Polko, Coastal Carolina

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday, March 5
Appalachian State at Tennessee State, 2 p.m.
South Alabama at Alabama (SEC Network Plus), 5 p.m.
 
Wednesday, March 6    
Kennesaw State at Georgia State, 8 a.m.
UTA at Texas A&M (SEC Network Plus), 4 p.m.
Samford at Troy, 5 p.m.
Baylor at Texas State, 6 p.m.

Thursday, March 7
*Appalachian State at Georgia Southern, 4:30 p.m.
 
Friday, March 8  
*Appalachian State at Georgia Southern, 2 p.m.
*Georgia State at Coastal Carolina, 3 p.m.
*ULM at Troy, 4 p.m.
*South Alabama at UTA, 5 p.m.
*Louisiana at Texas State, 6 p.m.
*ULM at Troy, 6 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 9
*Appalachian State at Georgia Southern, Noon
*Georgia State at Coastal Carolina, 1 p.m.
*ULM at Troy, 1 p.m.
*South Alabama at UTA, 1 p.m.
*Louisiana at Texas State, 2 p.m.
 
Sunday, March 10
*Georgia State at Coastal Carolina, 11 a.m.
*South Alabama at UTA, Noon
*Louisiana at Texas State, Noon

Sunday, March 11
Bryant at Coastal Carolina, 3 p.m.
Baylor at Louisiana (CST), 6 p.m.

*Sun Belt Conference contest
All Times are Central and Subject to Change