2020 Sun Belt Softball News and Notes:
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Records Book
 
AROUND #SUNBELTSB
• This week's Sun Belt Conference softball slate features 52 games as league teams continue action in early-season tournaments. The third week of the season poses another strong slate for Sun Belt teams with 15 contests pitted against teams from Autonomy Five conferences.
 
• In the two major national polls, Louisiana moved up this week ranked 11th in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 and 10th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25. The Ragin' Cajuns are also ranked ninth in the Softball America Top 25, 10th in the D1Softball.com Top 25 and 12th in the College Sports Madness Top 25 polls. The Ragin' Cajuns entered the season as a consensus top 10 pick among the six national preseason polls.
 
• Appalachian State senior third base Keri White is one of 30 initial candidates under consideration for the 2020 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate softball. The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season. The 10 finalists on the official ballot will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2020 Women’s College World Series®.
 
• Louisiana (7-2) pulled off the Sun Belt's first Top 25 upset of the season with its 2-1 win over then-No. 7 LSU. This win was especially sweet for the Ragin' Cajuns as it marked the 100th victory for head coach Gerry Glasco. In his third season in Lafayette, Glasco enters the week with a 100-24 (.806) record.
 
• Appalachian State (7-2) went a perfect 5-0 in the D9 Citrus Blossom Tournament in Orlando, Fla., marking second straight season the Mountaineers swept a weekend tournament.
 
• Georgia Southern (8-2) also had a strong weekend in the same tournament as Appalachian State, going 4-1. The Eagles lead NCAA Division I in earned run average (0.73).
 
• Texas State (7-2) enters the week coming off its own 5-0 week, sweeping the Bobcat Classic on his home field. Junior first base ArieAnn Bell ranks sixth nationally in home runs (5) and ninth nationally in home runs per game (0.56).
 
• Troy sophomore pitcher Leanna Johnson is tied for the Division I lead in shutouts (3). Johnson already has three double-digit strikeout performances and ranks fifth nationally in strikeouts (60).
 
• Louisiana senior pitcher Summer Ellyson is among the Division I active career leaders in earned run average (3rd, 1.37), strikeouts (4th, 639), wins (5th, 67) and innings pitched (7th, 558.0). Her career ERA ranks fourth in Sun Belt history.
 
• UTA head coach Peejay Brun picked up her 200th career coaching victory in the Mavericks' win over Abilene Christian on Feb. 9 to capture the Aggie Classic title in College Station, Texas. Brun enters the week needing 28 more wins to reach 100 victories at UTA.
 
• Ellyson, Louisiana senior pitcher Megan Kleist and UTA senior shortstop Whitney Walton are among the initial candidates on the Top 50 watch list for the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
 
• Kleist (11th) and Ellyson (15th) were ranked among the best 25 Division I players entering the season by ESPN.com.
 
• Louisiana topped the Sun Belt preseason accolades entering this season, picked as the unanimous preseason favorite to win the regular-season title with senior shortstop Alissa Dalton selected as Preseason Player of the Year and Ellyson tabbed as Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
 
• The 2020 Sun Belt Softball Championship, hosted by Georgia State, is set for May 6-9 at the Robert E. Heck Softball Complex in Atlanta.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kimber Cortemelia, UTA (So., 3B, Lake Jackson, Texas)
UTA sophomore third base Kimber Cortemelia broke out with a big stick during the Maverick Classic, going 9-for-11 (.818) with three home runs, three doubles and eight RBI in four games. Cortemelia crushed three homers in back-to-back games on Feb. 15 She hit her first long ball against Stephen F Austin in the afternoon game before smacking two dingers in the nightcap against Kansas City. She was perfect at the plate throughout the doubleheader going a combined 6-for-6 at the dish, adding doubles and two walks. Cortemelia started the weekend off by going 3-for-4 with a double against Texas Southern the day before in the opener. In the tournament finale against Kent State, she went 0-for-1 with walks and a stolen base. In addition to her power at the plate, Cortemelia brought speed on the base pads as she swiped one bag in three separate games.
 
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Summer Ellyson, Louisiana (Sr., P, Lafayette, La.)
Louisiana senior pitcher Summer Ellyson claimed a pair of victories, struck out at least six batters each of her three starts and limited foes to just six hits over 17.0 innings pitched. Her highlight of the week throwing a six-inning perfect game in the 8-0 victory over Lamar on Feb. 11 – her first career perfect game and fourth career no-hitter. Against Lamar, Ellyson did not blink the entire evening, striking out 11 of the 18 batters that she faced for her first shutout of the young season. In three outings, she recorded 24 strikeouts and a .105 opposing batting average. This marks Ellyson's 11th Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honor of her career.
 
2020 Weekly Award Winners
Player
February 11: Avery Grimes, UTA
February 18: Kimber Cortemelia, UTA
 
Pitcher
February 11: Allie Gardiner, UTA
February 18: Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday, February 18    
South Alabama at McNeese, 6 p.m.
 
Wednesday, February 19    
Georgia Tech at Georgia State, 4 p.m.
ULM at McNeese, 6:30 p.m.
 
Friday, February 21   
1-Texas State vs. Minnesota, 9 a.m.
2-Appalachian State vs. Bradley, 11:15 a.m.
3-Georgia State vs. Bryant, 11:15 a.m.
4-Louisiana vs. Oklahoma State, 12:30 p.m.
5-ULM vs. Houston Baptist, 1 p.m.
6-Troy vs. Oakland, 1 p.m.
7-UMBC at Coastal Carolina, 1:30 p.m.
1-Texas State vs. Illinois, 1:30 p.m.
8-UTSA at UTA, 3 p.m.
9-Evansville at Georgia Southern, 3:30 p.m.
6-Troy vs. Clemson, 3:30 p.m.
2-Appalachian State vs. Charleston Southern, 3:45 p.m.
10-Jacksonville at South Alabama, 3:45 p.m.
7-Seton Hall at Coastal Carolina, 4:15 p.m.
4-Louisiana at UAB, 5:30 p.m.
8-Rutgers at UTA, 5:30 p.m.
9-Monmouth at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m.
3-Georgia State vs. Presbyterian, 6 p.m.
10-Memphis at South Alabama, 6 p.m.
 
Saturday, February 22   
2-Appalachian State vs. North Carolina A&T, 9 a.m.
4-Louisiana vs. Oklahoma State, 10 a.m.
3-Georgia State vs. Akron, 10:15 a.m.
7-Seton Hall at Coastal Carolina, 10:30 a.m.
3-Georgia State at Mercer, Noon
1-Texas State vs. Minnesota, 12:15 p.m.
4-Louisiana vs. Ole Miss, 12:30 p.m.
8-Kansas at UTA, 12:30 p.m.
7-Iona at Coastal Carolina, 12:45 p.m.
6-Troy vs. Stetson, 1 p.m.
2-Appalachian State at College of Charleston, 1:30 p.m.
10-Stephen F. Austin at South Alabama, 2:30 p.m.
1-Texas State at Baylor (ESPN+), 2:30 p.m.
6-Troy vs. Morgan State, 3:30 p.m.
5-ULM vs. Abilene Christian, 4 p.m.
9-Monmouth at Georgia Southern, 4:30 p.m.
10-Memphis at South Alabama, 4:45 p.m.
5-ULM vs. Incarnate Word, 6 p.m.
 
Sunday, February 23
1-UTA vs. UTSA, 10 a.m.
6-Troy vs. Villanova, 10 a.m.
2-Appalachian State vs. Ohio, 10:15 a.m.
3-Georgia State vs. Presbyterian, 10:15 a.m.
9-Maryland at Georgia Southern (ESPN+), 11 a.m.
4-Louisiana vs. Ole Miss, 11 a.m.
5-ULM vs. Nicholls, Noon
7-UMBC vs. Coastal Carolina, 12:15 p.m.
10-Stephen F. Austin at South Alabama, 12:15 p.m.
1-Texas State vs. Tulsa, 1 p.m.
9-Furman at Georgia Southern, 1:30 p.m.
5-ULM vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 2 p.m.

All Times are Central and Subject to Change

KEY:
1-Baylor Invitational Presented by Fairfield Inn & Suites Waco North, Waco, Texas
2-Charleston Invitational, Charleston, S.C.
3-Black & Orange Challenge, Macon, Ga.
4-Blazer Classic, Birmingham, Ala.
5-Mardi Gras Mambo, Youngsville, La.
6-D9 Citrus Classic I, Orlando, Fla.
7-Ripley's Chanticleer Showdown, Conway, S.C.
8-Boerner Invitational, Arlington, Texas
9-Eagle Round Robin, Statesboro, Ga.
10-Mardi Gras Classic, Mobile, Ala.