Louisiana Sweeps Sun Belt Softball Preseason Coaches’ Polls
NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana swept the big three preseason polls for Sun Belt Conference softball in a vote by the league's head coaches. The Ragin’ Cajuns were picked as the unanimous preseason favorite to win the conference regular-season title. Louisiana senior shortstop Alissa Dalton was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year while teammate Summer Ellyson, also a senior, was tabbed as Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
 
Louisiana received all 10 first-place votes and 100 points for the second year in a row.  Troy (87 points), Texas State (72 points) and Coastal Carolina (68) and UTA (68) rounded out the top half of the poll.
 
The 2021 season gets underway this Friday with all 10 teams in action over the opening weekend.
 
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SUN BELT CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL & HONORS

Preseason Coaches' Poll
 
Louisiana                              100 (10)
Troy                                        87          
Texas State                          72          
Coastal Carolina                 68          
UTA                                        68          
App State                             43          
Georgia Southern               38          
South Alabama                   36          
ULM                                       22          
Georgia State                      16          

Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
 
Summer Ellyson, Louisiana (Sr, Pitcher)
Leanna Johnson, Troy (So, Pitcher)
Alissa Dalton, Louisiana (Sr, SS/3B)              
Katie Webb, Troy (Sr, INF/1B)                      
Raina O'Neal, Louisiana (Jr, OF)                   
Julie Rawls, Louisiana (Sr, C)
Courtney Dean, Coastal Carolina (Sr, OF)
Mekhia Freeman, Ga. Southern (5th, OF)                 
Korie Kreps, ULM (Jr, OF)
Kaitlyn Alderink, Louisiana (Sr, 2B)                             
Jade Gortarez, Louisiana (Sr, SS/3B)                           
Ciara Bryan, Louisiana (Sr, OF)       
Kelly Horne, Troy (So, INF/2B)       
Makiya Thomas, Coastal Carolina (Sr, OF/INF)                          
Tara Oltmann, Texas State (Sr, INF/SS)                       
Jayden Mount, ULM (Sr, IF)                            
Katie Lively, Troy (So, OF)
 
Softball Preseason Player of the Year: Alissa Dalton, Louisiana
 
Dalton was voted Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year for the second year in a row. The senior has been Louisiana's starting shortstop the last three seasons. She started all 24 games during the 2019 COVID-19 shortened season. In the final six games of the season last spring, she hit .444 with eight runs scored and four extra base hits (two doubles, two triples). The Cypress, Texas native recorded at least one base hit in nine of the final 11 games. Dalton closed with a streak of seven straight games reaching base, a key factor in her run production rising to the second-highest total on the team (19). In her last full season of competition (2019) she recorded a career-best .400 average and emerged as one of the nation’s top clutch hitters, recording 24 of 43 RBI in two-out situations (17 of final 23 RBI came with two out). Dalton is also one of the nation's toughest strike outs with only 18 K’s over 489 plate appearances.
 
Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (2021)
Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (2020)
Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (2019)
All-Sun Belt First Team (2019)
Sun Belt Tournament All-Tournament Team (2019)
Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year (2018)
All-Sun Belt First Team (2018)
 
 
Softball Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
 
Ellyson named the 2021 Preseason Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year after leading Louisiana in victories a third straight season. She recorded 11 wins during the 2019 COVID-19 shortened season and ranked Top 10 nationally in victories. Ellyson limited foes to 48 hits and a .174 average over 76-1/3 innings pitched spanning 15 appearances. She also held the opposition to a sub-.200 average for the third straight season. Last season she fired off three shutouts, including the first perfect game of her career on Feb. 11 vs. Lamar. Ellyson notched a sub-2.00 ERA for the third straight season, her 1.83 mark ranking Top 100 nationally. She closed the 2019 season with 11 consecutive scoreless innings pitched with wins over Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Florida (twice). She has 677 career strikeouts and 74 career wins. Ellyson has also been selected to the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List.
 
Sun Belt Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year (2021)
Sun Belt Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year (2020)
Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year (2019)
All-Sun Belt First Team (2019)
Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2019)
All-Sun Belt First Team (2018)
Sun Belt Tournament All-Tournament Team (2018)