BATON ROUGE — The third-ranked LSU softball team placed a national best six players on the All-Region softball team, as the Tigers had a South Region-best three players tabbed as first team selections.
Senior LaDonia Hughes, sophomore Lauren Castle and sophomore Lauren Delahoussaye were named to the All-South Region first teams. Senior Kristin Schmidt, sophomore Stephanie Hill and freshman Leslie Klein were honored as second team selections.
Hughes was named to the first team in the outfield. The Farmville, Va., native was also named to the first-team All-Southeastern Conference. Hughes ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in batting average, runs scored, hits, triples and stolen bases. This season she ranks fifth in single-season stolen bases in LSU history, while also ranking in the top 10 in single-season batting average. The Tiger record holder for consecutive games played without an error, Hughes leads the team with 24 multiple-hit games, fourth-most in LSU history.
A first-team selection at shortstop, Delahoussaye ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in runs scored, home runs, total bases and sacrifice fly. The team leader in double plays turned this season, the second-team All-SEC selection has recorded 16 multiple-hit games and 11 multiple-RBI games. Against nationally ranked Alabama, the Lafayette native hit two home runs and recorded six RBIs while being intentionally walked twice.
Castle was named to the first team as the designated player. A second-team All-SEC selection, the Lafayette native leads the Tigers in batting average this season and currently ranks in the top 5 in single-season batting average in LSU history. In addition, she has recorded 22 multiple-hit games, which is seventh in single-season history. Against nationally ranked South Carolina during the season series, she hit a walk-off single that knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
A member of the second-team, Schmidt was a first-team All-SEC selection and the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player. The pitcher from Houston was a Top 25 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She became the 24th player in NCAA history to record 1,000 career strikeouts and the 35th player in NCAA history to record 100 career victories. Having reached both milestones, she is one of just 14 players in NCAA history to do so. Last season, Schmidt was named to the All-South first team on her way to earning All-America honors.
Klein was named to the second team in the outfield after being a first-team All-SEC selection and an All-SEC Freshman team selection. The SEC All-Tournament team honoree ranks in the top 30 in the NCAA in RBIs per game this season and broke the LSU single-season home run record with her 13th round tripper of the year. In addition, she tied the school record with a 15-game hitting streak and tied the SEC single-game record with seven RBIs against Alcorn State.
A second-team selection at first base, Hill ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, RBIs, home runs, total bases and double plays turned. The Harahan, La., native tied the LSU single-season home run record with her 13th of the year against Georgia in the SEC Tournament championship game. Against Nicholls State she tied the SEC single-game record with seven RBIs. Earlier in the year, she broke the school record with a 15-game hitting streak and has recorded 13 multiple-RBI games this year, fifth most in LSU history.
The Tigers tied Florida State with the most players named to All-Region teams as the Seminoles had six players named to the All-Southeast Region.
LSU led the South Region with three players named to the first team and were one behind the nation’s best four first-team selections by Florida State and Arizona.
All-South Region First Team
P Brooke Mitchell UL-Lafayette
P Monica Abbott Tennessee
C Sara Dean Auburn
1B Jackie McClain Alabama
2B Cortney Mitchell Middle Tennessee
3B Jessica Rogers Texas-San Antonio
SS Lauren Delahoussaye LSU
OF Iyhia McMichael Mississippi State
OF LaDonia Hughes LSU
OF Kirsten Zaleski Texas State
UT Holly Tankersley UL-Lafayette
DP Lauren Castle LSU
All-South Region Second Team
P Kristin Schmidt LSU
P Kristen Keyes Auburn
P Lori Bayless Tennessee Tech
P Cheyenne Daries Centenary
P Dione Meier Nicholls State
P Sarah Pauly Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
P Lacey Swarthout Chattanooga
C Jennifer Waterman Mississippi State
1B Stephanie Hill LSU
2B Christy Brownlee Texas-San Antonio
3B Kristen Glowacz Houston
3B Melissa Ramirez Chattanooga
SS Dominique Acceturo Alabama
SS Diana Barreras Eastern Kentucky
OF Auriel Jenkins Southern Miss
OF Leslie Klein LSU
OF Ashley Courtney Alabama
UT Kate Jaspers Mississippi State
DP Megan Jezierski Jacksonville State