Throwback Thursday: On Camera in 2018, An Emotional Ciara Briggs Realizes Her LSU Signing “Is Just Weeks Away”

Redshirt sophomore Ciara Briggs is having a tremendous season both at the plate and in the field for the LSU Tigers.

Currently, she’s second on the Bayou Bengals with a .371 batting average and has started every game this year (54) with a .438 on-base percentage, 66 hits, three triples, seven doubles, 30 RBIs and has gone a perfect 7-for-7 in steals.

But it’s on defense where she has drawn national praise as she has had 83 chances this season with 77 putouts, six assists and ZERO errors.

Earlier this week, SEC Network analyst Kayla Braud–who herself was a 1^st Team All-American outfielder at Alabama in 2013–had very high praise for Ciara when she said:

“I gotta shout out: Ciara Briggs covers a lot of ground in centerfield so you talk about outfielders for LSU, I can tell you right now, she is mechanically the best outfielder in the SEC, maybe in the country. The way she plays centerfield is how every single little softball player should look and say, ‘OK, that’s what I need to do in the outfield.'”

You can watch the 23-second clip here:

We’ve covered Ciara for years and got to know and appreciate the young athlete as well as her parents, Ken and Roseann Briggs, who themselves were coaches in the So Cal A’s organization before starting their own BSC Bengals program. “Mom and Dad” were quite involved in having a positive influence in Ciara’s development and you could always feel the love between parents and daughter.

The talented outfielder was a PGF All-American and a two-time Extra Inning Softball High School All-American (Outfielder) during her playing career; here’s what we wrote about her in 2019:

Sr. Ciara Briggs, Orange Lutheran (Orange) CA
Ciara repeats as a 1^st Team Extra Inning Softball All-American after she was named as the Orange County Register’s Player of the Year. She hit .545, scored 41 runs and played much of the season with separations to both shoulders. She has signed with LSU.

Ciara was also a Top 5-ranked player in our 2019 Extra Elite 100 rankings when they were released in October of 2018.

Here’s her write-up:

5—Ciara Briggs, OF, So Cal Athletics – Richardson (LSU)
Ciara has played for Bruce Richardson’s So Cal A’s program for four years–one at 14U and three at 18U–and she has continued to get better each year as a 5-tool player who is a multi-dimensional player that one coach said “I would definitely pay to watch play.” She has a great combination of speed and power on both sides of the ball and she is fearless in laying out for a ball headed over the fence or in front of her for a single. Ciara sees the ball well off the bat and takes great angles to, more often than not, make the sensational player. Offensively, she has great instincts to take the extra base and, says long-time coach Doug Myers: “The bottom line is Ciara wins you games.” Her high school coach, Jenny Miklos at Orange Lutheran (Orange, California) said: She is the most competitive girl I have ever coached and is constantly pushing herself to improve which in turn pushes her teammates to work harder as well.” Invited to the USA Jr. National Team tryout this winter, Ciara earned 1st Team All-American honors by Extra Inning Softball and MaxPreps as well as All-State by CalHiSports after she led the Lancers to a 26-5 record by hitting .490 with a .570 on-base percentage as a lefty slapper who also drove in 30 runs and scored 45 herself. As a top-notch centerfielder, she didn’t make an error in 31 games. Says Bruce Richardson, “Ciara is one of the best players I’ve ever coached and I think she has the best instincts of anyone in her class.”

One of my favorite memories EVER in softball involved Ciara on the fields in Huntington Beach, Calif. in 2018, coming up to four years already.

I’ve shot thousands of video interviews, but I can’t think of too many more that I’ve loved as much as the clip with Ciara posted below.

It really is touching and heart-felt as she expresses her sincere appreciation for getting to realize her childhood dream of playing college softball and also her love for her parents who helped her realize that goal.

Check it out below and you’ll see what I mean!

— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball

*****

Video: An Emotional Ciara Briggs Realizes Her LSU Signing is “Just Weeks Away”

Originally published October 9, 2018

As we gear up for our extensive 2019 Extra Elite 100 coverage, we publish one of our favorite interviews in recent memory!

If this doesn’t get you “in the feels” at the 2:24 mark, then you need to check your pulse!

If you love seeing athletes appreciate realizing their dreams, then you’ll want to check out our video clip with one of the top players in the country, outfielder Ciara Briggs who plays for the So Cal Athletics – Richardson team and will sign with LSU in November.

We caught up with Ciara at the PGF Shootout over the weekend right after she make one of her signature standout defensive plays, this one being a horizontal diving catch to make an out.

Below you’ll see Ciara talk about her skills and then, suddenly and very touchingly, become overcome with emotion as she realizes that her dream of signing with LSU is just weeks away.

And she comments on having her parents, Ken and Roseann Briggs (who are standing just right off-camera) helping as assistants on the always competitive 18U So Cal A’s club team which has never finished lower than 7th at PGF Nationals… we’ll have an interview with the parents soon!

Til then, enjoy a close-up of this future collegiate star…