RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
The When
February 25-27, Youngsville, Louisiana
The What
A tournament that includes five schools from the state of Louisiana and five out-of-state teams, the Mardi Gras Mambo has a decidedly Bayou-state flair. Hosted by Southeastern Louisiana, each of the five in-state teams will each play all five of the out-of-state opponents, but none of the in-state rivals will face off as part of the event. Outside of softball, visiting teams are sure to get a full dose of Louisiana flair, including participating in a Mardi Gras parade as part of the festivities.
The Who
- Alabama
- Eastern Illinois
- Lipscomb
- Portland State
- St. Thomas
- Louisiana-Lafayette
- Louisiana Tech
- Nicholls
- Northwestern State
- Southeastern Louisiana
A Blurb
The format of the tournament gives almost a “Louisiana vs. Everyone” feel with the way the game schedule is set up. Alabama playing in the tournament brings some nice star power to Youngsville, and some of the teams from Louisiana will have an opportunity to show that they belong in the conversation of the state’s best.
A Hidden Gem
Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois –Â Burton is the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and was ranked in our Extra Elite 100 College Player Rankings in January, so calling her “hidden” might be a misnomer. To begin the 2022 season, though, Burton hasn’t made much noise for her team, with nine hits in 30 at-bats and two home runs to her credit, along with six walks. Burton still carries a big bat and she’s a mainstay in the Panther lineup; she could be set for a breakout weekend in Louisiana if she’s ready to hit her stride.
A Breakout Star
Ragin Cajuns pitcher Meghan Schorman –Â The former Kentucky transfer has a 0.00 ERA in three appearances as a Cajun, also notching 17 strikeouts in eleven innings of work thus-far through the season. She has settled nicely into her new home in Lafayette.
A Team to Watch
Portland State –Â The Vikings won the Big Sky championship last season, went 4-1 on opening week to begin the 2022 campaign, and pulled off a 7-1 win over PAC-12 foe Cal to begin week 2 of the regular season. The Vikings were a low seed in the Big Sky tournament last year before storming their way to the title, and a solid early-season showing would go a long way to setting them up well prior to conference play. They also returned a good chunk of talent from last season’s title team.
A Storyline
The weekend’s marquee matchup – noted below – is the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Ragin Cajuns. It’s the first major test of the year for Gerry Glasco’s squad, and one of a handful of top-level opponents the Cajuns will play this year. For Alabama, they’ll face a quality opponent on hostile turf; expect the Cajun faithful to travel en masse to Youngsville.
Marquee Matchups
Alabama vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Sunday, 2/27 @ 11 am CT
Players to Watch
Lexi Kilfoyl, Alabama – Everyone knows Montana Fouts is the leader of the Alabama pitching staff, but Kilfoyl has looked solid with her arm this season, and even has a home run to her credit at the plate! In the circle, Kilfoyl owns a 0.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 12.2 innings of work. She should get some solid innings in the Bayou State this weekend.
Maggie Darr, Northwestern State – Through 24 innings of work to start the year, Darr owns a 0.58 ERA and 32 strikeouts. She has given up just two earned runs and ten hits through the still-young season and opponents are hitting just .123 against her. Pitching has been a strength for the Demons this season, and Darr has shown out early in the year.
Brooke Ellestad, St. Thomas – Ellestad, a freshman, leads the Tommies with a .412 batting average after the first week of play. She also leads the team with six runs scored and with a .444 on-base percentage. The Tommies are still a squad in their Division 1 infancy, but Ellestad looked solid in her D1 debut.
Heather Zumo, Southeastern Louisiana – Veteran hurler Zumo is still the leader of the Lion pitching staff; her inning count through this point in the season nearly doubles that of her next-closest teammate. She boasts a 2.45 ERA on the year, with an undefeated 3-0 record to her credit and 18 strikeouts in 22 innings of work. She’s a solid force in the circle, and she’ll be part of any success the Lions have at their Mambo.
Maci Cunconan, Lipscomb – The Lipscomb upperclassman is batting .370 on the year, but most impressive has been her speed on the basepaths, as she boasts a nation’s-best four triples through the first two weeks of the season. Cunconan also boasts six runs scored, two doubles, and eight RBIs on the year, as well as a team-best .741 slugging percentage.
Audrey Pickett, Louisiana Tech – Pickett leads the Lady Techsters with a 1.28 ERA in 38 innings of work, notching 24 strikeouts and a respectable .224 opponent’s batting average on the year. Her record is 3-2, but she has been really solid for the Lady Techsters thus-far this season.