NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced its 2022 softball postseason awards Monday. The awards were highlighted by Louisiana and Texas State each picking up a pair of individual accolades.

The Ragin’ Cajuns second baseman Melissa Mayeux captured Player of the Year honors while her teammate third baseman Jourdyn Campbell was tabbed as the Newcomer of the Year. Bobcats’ teammates Jessica Mullins and Ciara Trahan were named Pitcher and Freshman of the Year respectively.

South Alabama’s Becky Clark earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Jaguars to a 16-6 league record.

Additionally, the All-Sun Belt teams were selected with 15 student-athletes represented on both the first and second teams. The Ragin’ Cajuns totaled a league-high nine selections, including four representatives on the first team and five on the second team. Texas State and South Alabama had five honorees each. 

The individual awards and all-league selections were voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches.

Mayeux batted .336 on the season and posted a .608 slugging percentage. She accounted for six round-trippers to go along with 29 RBI. Twenty of her 42 this on the year went for extra bases – 12 of which were doubles. Mayeux had 12 multi-hit contests. She registered a season-high two home runs in the win over Texas State and produced a season-best five RBI in the victory over Coastal Carolina. In the field, Mayeux registered a .989 fielding percentage, totaling 147 putouts and 34 assists.

Mullins, a first-team all-conference selection as a freshman, led the league with 25 wins, including 17 against league foes. In Sun Belt action, Mullins posted a 1.43 ERA in 132 innings. She appeared in 21 games, notching 12 complete games. Mullins struck out a season-high 13 batters at South Alabama. In Sun Belt action, she held opponents to a mere .191 batting average and topped the league with 143 strikeouts.

Campbell transferred from Texas A&M and produced immediately for Louisiana. She sported a .416 batting average, posting 52 hits in 44 games. Campbell drove in 32 runs and scored 29 times. She carried a .429 on-base percentage. Campbell had 18 multi-hit performances, including a season-best three base knocks in the win over Georgia State.

Trahan helped the Bobcats to a third-place finish in the regular season. She held a .337 batting average and registered a .397 on-base percentage. The outfielder notched 55 hits and scored 33 runs while starting 51 games. Solid in the field, Trahan tallied 77 putouts and had two assists. She collected a career-high three hits in the win at UT Arlington, drove in a career-best four runs in the victory over Georgia Southern and scored a career-high three runs in the win at Coastal Carolina.   

Clark guided the Jaguars to a second-place finish in the conference and a 24-19 overall ledger. Facing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the conference, USA squared off against five nationally-ranked opponents. Clark’s teams won six series against Sun Belt foes. She helped her team account for winning records at home and on the road.    

The 2022 Sun Belt Conference Championship begins Tuesday in Mobile, Ala. The tournament runs through May 14, when a conference champion will be crowned and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

2022 SUN BELT CONFERENCE SOFTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
 
Player of the Year
Melissa Mayeux, Louisiana (Sr., 2B – Le Barcares, France)
 
Pitcher of the Year
Jessica Mullins, Texas State (So., P – Tarkington, Texas)
 
Newcomer of the Year
Jourdyn Campbell, Louisiana (So., 3B – Kingwood, Texas)
 
Freshman of the Year
Ciara Trahan, Texas State (Fr., OF – Santa Fe, Texas)
 
Coach of the Year
Becky Clark, South Alabama
 
All-Conference First Team
Leanna Johnson, Troy (Jr., P – Brantley, Ala.)
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama (So., P – Walker, La.)
Jessica Mullins, Texas State (So., P – Tarkington, Texas)
Sophie Piskos, Louisiana (So., C – Paris, Tenn.)
Caitlyn Rogers, Texas State (Sr., C – Magnolia, Texas)
Kennedy Johnson, ULM (Jr., 1B – Houston, Texas)
Kelly Horne, Troy (Jr., 2B – Tallahassee, Fla.)
Melissa Mayeux, Louisiana (Sr., 2B – Le Barcares, France)
Hannah Earls, Texas State (So., SS – Willis, Texas)
Jourdyn Campbell, Louisiana (So., 3B – Kingwood, Texas)
Mackenzie Brasher, South Alabama (Jr., OF – Orange Beach, Ala.)
Kayt Houston, App State (So., OF – Rock Hill, S.C.)
Caroline Nichols, South Alabama (Sr., OF – Hoover, Ala.)
Makiya Thomas, Coastal Carolina (Gr., OF – Tacoma, Wash.)
Karly Heath, Louisiana (Jr., DP – North Augusta, S.C.)
 
All-Conference Second Team
Jenna Hardy, South Alabama (Jr., P – Whitehouse, Ohio)
Kandra Lamb, Louisiana (Jr., P – Kurrajong, Australia)
Sam Landry, Louisiana (Fr., P – Mont Belvieu, Texas)
Morgan Rios, UTA (Gr., C – Mansfield, Texas)
Stormy Kotzelnick, Louisiana (RS Fr., 1B – Carmel, Ind.)
Alexis Chavez, ULM (Fr., 2B – Riverside, Calif.)
Alexa Langeliers, Louisiana (Fr., SS – Keller, Texas)
Meredith Keel, South Alabama (Sr., 3B – Ashville, Ohio)
Lourdes Bacon, ULM (So., OF – San Antonio, Texas)
Maddie Hayden, Louisiana (Fr., OF – West Monroe, La.)
Mary Pierce Barnes, App State (Sr., OF – Waxhaw, N.C.)
Jade Sinness, Troy (So., OF – Sebring, Fla.)
Ciara Trahan, Texas State (Fr., OF – Santa Fe, Texas)
Cat Crenek, Texas State (Sr., DP – Cypress, Texas)
Iyanla De Jesus, Coastal Carolina (Jr., DP – Mill Creek, Wash.)