NEW ORLEANS – The 2024 season cemented that Sun Belt Conference softball is on the rise. 
 
We take a look back at the accomplishments of Sun Belt softball in 2024 below. 
 
TRIO TO THE TOURNAMENT: Three Sun Belt softball teams competed in the 2024 NCAA tournament. The Sun Belt was one of just six conferences with at least three teams featured in the NCAA field and received multiple bids for the 12^th time in conference history. The trio of bids also marked the most for the league since 2021. Sun Belt tournament champion Texas State (47-15) competed in the College Station Regional. Louisiana (45-19) earned the right to host the Lafayette Regional as the tournament’s No. 13 overall seed. South Alabama (34-20-1) rounded out the Sun Belt’s programs in the NCAA field at the Gainesville Regional.  
 
‘CATS CLINCH THE CROWN: No. 22 Texas State put together a standout 2024 campaign. After being picked third in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll, the Bobcats went 18-6 in league play en route to the tournament championship. The conference crown marked the second in program history for Texas State, with their last coming in 2018. Representing the Sun Belt at the College Park Regional, the Bobcats made their first Championship Sunday appearance since 2003. Despite bowing out in regionals play, Texas State finished the year with a 47-15 record, the team’s best since head coach Ricci Woodard’s first season at the helm. Additionally, the Bobcats closed their season in the top 25 of the RPI after making their 13^th NCAA tournament appearance in program history. 
 
WITH LOVE, FROM LOUISIANA: No. 19 Louisiana (45-19) continued to prove its dominance in 2024, capturing the Sun Belt regular season crown along with the No. 13 overall seed and the right to host the NCAA Lafayette Regional at Lamson Park. The Ragin’ Cajuns put together a stellar season in the spring which included a 22-2 mark in Sun Belt play along with seven straight weeks ranked in the ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. Louisiana also faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules, highlighted by a takedown of then-No. 1 Oklahoma. A formidable force in league play, the Ragin’ Cajuns extended its nation-leading total of consecutive conference series won to 89 straight to continue a streak that dates back to March 2013. Louisiana made its 25^th consecutive and 33^rd overall NCAA appearance this spring and is one of six programs to appear in the NCAA Tournament each year since 2000. 
 
JAGS ON THE ATTACK: South Alabama (34-20-1) earned the Sun Belt’s final bid to the tournament and represented the league at the Gainesville Regional. The Jags put together an impressive regular season in which they took down six opponents ranked in the Top 25 including Mississippi State, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas State, and a tie over Arizona. South Alabama also posted a 4-2 mark in 2024 against opponents from the SEC. 
 
HERE TO STAY: Louisiana and Texas State capped their 2024 seasons ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Cajuns check in at No. 19, while the reigning Sun Belt Conference Champion Bobcats sit at No. 22. 
 
RPI ROUNDUP: The Sun Belt conference placed seven teams in the top-100 of the NCAA RPI on Selection Sunday. The 2024 selection day RPI featured No. 11 Louisiana, No. 17 Texas State, No. 33 South Alabama, No. 52 Troy, No. 68 James Madison, No. 80 Coastal Carolina, and No. 97 ULM. As a conference, the Sun Belt ranked sixth in the RPI nationally, only behind the SEC, Pac-12, Big 12, ACC, and Big Ten. 
 
40+ CLUB: Two Sun Belt Conference teams eclipsed the 40-win plateau during the 2024 season: Texas State (47) and Louisiana (45). The Bobcats’ 47 victories this spring mark their seventh season with 40 or more wins and their first since 2018. For Louisiana, the feat marked its 25^th straight season with 40-plus games won. 
 
TOP TEN: Sun Belt teams ranked in the top-10 of a number of statistical categories throughout the season. Here are the Sun Belt programs who were among the best in the nation in the final NCAA statistics, released on June 6. 
 

Category	School	National Rank	Statistic
Double Plays Per Game	Louisiana	No. 1	0.72
	Marshall	No. 9	0.55
Earned Run Average	Texas State	No. 8	1.95
Fielding Percentage	James Madison	No. 10	0.977
Shutouts	Texas State	No. 10	15
Strike-to-Walk Ratio	Texas State	No. 10	3.52

 
CIRCLE THEIR NAMES: Some of the most coveted pitchers nationally hailed from the Sun Belt Conference in 2024. Texas State’s Jessica Mullins earned NFCA First Team All-American honors after putting together a standout senior season. The Bobcats’ pitcher finished the 2024 campaign with a 1.45 ERA and 31 victories, a mark that ranks second nationally. Mullins tossed 246.2 innings this season, allowing just 171 hits and only 37 of those for extra bases. In addition, the Tarkington, Texas, native, struck out 222 batters, tossed 19 complete games, recorded eight shutouts and registered one perfect game against UTEP on March 2. In addition to her Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year accolade, Mullins was named Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week four times, was tabbed as one of the Top 10 pitchers in the nation by D1 Softball and Softball America and was a Top-26 candidate for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
 
Olivia Lackie also earned national recognition, adding NFCA Second Team All-American honors to her illustrious South Alabama career. The four-time all-South Region selection ended the season with a 1.54 ERA, 231 batters and an opponent batting average of .183. The senior ranked first in the Sun Belt in opposing batting average and strikeouts, while finishing second in the league in innings pitched (243.0), ERA, wins and strikeouts looking (77). Lackie also finished the season ranking third nationally in innings pitched, tied for fourth in shutouts with nine, ninth in strikeouts (231), and her 25 wins are good for ninth most in the country. 
 
Leading Louisiana in the circle was the duo of Sam Landry and Chloe Riassetto. Landry posted 10 wins against the Top 75 RPI in the regular season and entered NCAA postseason play with career-highs in wins (24), a mark that ranks tied for 22th nationally, and strikeouts (158). Her 194 innings pitched also ranked 28^thnationally, while her six shutouts in the 2024 campaign sits 24^th in the country. Riasetto recorded five Top 25 RPI wins, including a triumph over then-No. 1 Oklahoma. The pitcher from Friendswood, Texas recorded eight saves in her sophomore season, a mark that ranks fifth in NCAA Division I. 
 
AND THE AWARD GOES TO: Sun Belt Conference softball players received ample national recognition during the 2023-24 season. Here’s a look at those honors. 
 
NFCA First Team All-American
Jessica Mullins, Texas State
 
NFCA Second Team All-American
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama
 
NFCA Rawlings Gold Glove
Libby Baker, Troy
 
Division I – NFCA Central Region - First Team
P – Sam Landry, Louisiana
2B – Brooklyn Ulrich, Marshall
 
Division I – NFCA Central Region - Second Team
1B – Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina
OF – Mihyia Davis, Louisiana
 
Division I – NFCA Central Region - Third Team
P – Raelee Brabham, Coastal Carolina
C – Victoria Valdez, Louisiana
1B – Sam Roe, Louisiana
3B – Brooke Ellestad, Louisiana
OF – Kayt Houston, App State
OF – Bella Gerlach, Marshall
UT/P – Payton List, James Madison
 
Division I – NFCA South Region - First Team
P – Jessica Mullins, Texas State
2B – Taylor McKinney, Troy
UT/P – Libby Baker, Troy
 
Division I – NFCA South Region - Second Team
P – Olivia Lackie, South Alabama
SS – Hannah Earls, Texas State
 
Division I – NFCA South Region - Third Team 
C – Hannah Borden, Southern Miss
OF – Emma Davis, Georgia Southern
OF – Jade Sinness, Troy
 
Division I - NFCA South Region – Coaching Staff of the Year
Texas State – Ricci Woodard, Scott Woodard, Peejay Brun, Josh Trevino
 
Softball America Second Team All-American
P – Jessica Mullis, Texas State
 
D1Softball Second Team All-American 
P – Jessica Mullins, Texas State
 
2023-24 CSC Academic All-District
Kayt Houston, App State
Taylor Throp, App State
Peyton Darnell, App State
Iyanla De Jesus, Coastal Carolina
Nicolette Picone, Coastal Carolina
Libby Pippin, Coastal Carolina
Courtney Ball, Georgia Southern
Faith Barth, Georgia Southern
Janai Conklin, Georgia Southern
Emma Davisk Georgia Southern
Gracie Bellard, Georgia Southern
Jaycee Goodwin, Georgia State
Chloe Middlebrooks Georgia State
Ashton Schroyer, Georgia State
Kate Kastelic, Georgia State
Bella Henzler, James Madison
KK Mathis, James Madison
Alissa Humphrey, James Madison
Kat Zarate, Texas State
Piper Randolph, Texas State
Karsen Pierce, Texas State
Jade Sinness, Troy
Anslee Finch, Troy
Hailey Pittman, Troy
D’Aun Riggs, Troy
Audra Thompson, Troy
Sam Landry, Louisiana
Maddie Hayden, Louisiana
Cicilia Vasquez, Louisiana
Chloe Riassetto, Louisiana
Lourdes Bacon, ULM
Kassidy Giddens, ULM
Gianni Hulett, ULM
Madison Nichols, ULM
Carys Platt, ULM
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama
Bailey Welch, South Alabama
Sasha Willems, South Alabama