BATON ROUGE – LSU softball seniors Allie Walljasper and Carley Hoover were selected in the 2018 National Pro Fastpitch Draft held Monday night. Walljasper was picked second overall to the Beijing Shougang Eagles, the first player in the Eagles organization, while Carley Hoover was picked in the second round as the ninth overall pick to the Cleveland Comets.
The two All-Americans continue LSU’s legacy of placing players in the professional ranks which includes Tigers Sahvanna Jaquish, Bailey Landry, A.J. Andrews, Bianka Bell, Rachele Fico and Brittany Mack Oakes.
“Both players are very deserving and have had great careers here at LSU,” said head coach Beth Torina. “They are talented enough to play at the next level and it’s a great opportunity for the both of them.
“We are very honored that our players were chosen. They work very hard for these opportunities, and to be a part of the NPF, that has such a rich tradition of excellent softball, is a big honor for them.”
Congratulations to @walljasperlsu on being the 2nd overall pick in the @profastpitch 2018 Draft, going to the @ShougangEagles! #NPFDraft2018 pic.twitter.com/7HwAiB2PHE
— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) April 24, 2018
Walljasper, a Manteca, California native, is a two-time All-American for the Tigers. She owns a career earned run average of 1.57, which is ranked seventh among current DI players. She also ranks 11th with 20 career shutouts and her current season ERA of 1.05 is 17th among the nation.
This season she is 13-4 with 108 strikeouts in 133.0 innings of work. She owns five shutouts and one combined shutout in 11 complete games. She currently holds her opponents to a .175 batting average.
Earlier this year, Walljasper threw a LSU and SEC record of 19 innings to claim a victory over Ole Miss. She threw to an LSU record of 68 batters and did not allow an earned run. That performance earned her SEC Pitcher of the Week, the first weekly honor in her career.
“I am super blessed for this opportunity and very excited to go and play for the Eagles,” said Walljasper. “I am excited to meet new people and see what is in store. It’s a pretty big deal since I am from a small town in California. I am beyond excited about Carley getting drafted as well. She is a great competitor and human being and deserves it all.”
Congratulations to @carleyhoov on being the 9th overall pick in the 2018 @profastpitch Draft, going to the @CLE_Comets! #NPFDraft2018 pic.twitter.com/V0xKlUU1Hc
— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) April 24, 2018
Hoover, the Clemson, South Carolina native, was named an All-American in 2015. She is 70-28 in her career at LSU with a career ERA of 1.66. In 654.2 career innings, she has struck out 732 batters, which is fifth on the all-time list in program history. She has held her opponents to a .195 batting average in her career.
This season, Hoover is 15-5 on the year with a 1.16 ERA. In 132.1 innings of work, Hoover has struck out 164 batters. She owns seven shutouts this year and 20 for her career, including a recent shutout of No. 9 Texas A&M, just the second time the Aggies have been shutout this season.
“I am very excited about being drafted,” said Hoover. “I’ve always wanted to be a professional athlete and I thank the Comets for choosing me. I was also really happy to see Allie (Walljasper) selected as the second overall pick. I know she is going to have a great summer and it’s really cool to have two drafted from LSU. I hope we cross paths over the summer.”
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2002, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in diamond sports beyond their collegiate success.
LSU hosts South Alabama Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge. The Tigers will be on the road for their final SEC road series, traveling to Florida.
For all of the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball along with @lsusoftball and @BethTorina on Twitter and @lsusb on Instagram.
2018 National Pro Fastpitch Draft
Pick, Player, Pos., School, Team
Round 1
1, Paige Lowary, LHP, Oklahoma, Chicago Bandits
2, Allie Walljasper, RHP, LSU, Beijing Shougang Eagles
3, Qwen Svekis, C, Oregon, Cleveland Comets
4, Randi Rupp, RHP, Texas State, Chicago Bandits
5, Kylee Hanson, RHP, Florida State, Cleveland Comets
6, Paige Parker, LHP, Oklahoma, USSSA Pride
Round 2
7, Jessie Warren, INF, Florida State, USSSA Pride
8, Emily Watson, RHP, Tulsa, Beijing Shougang Eagles
9, Carley Hoover, RHP, LSU, Cleveland Coments
10, Aleshia Ocasio, UT, Florida, Chicago Bandits
11, Vanessa Shippy, UT, Oklahoma State, Cleveland Comets
12, Nicole Pendley, OF, Oklahoma, USSSA Pride
Round 3
13, Kaylee Carlson, RHP, Auburn, Aussie Spirit
14, Brittany Gray, RHP, Georgia, Beijing Shougang Eagles
15, Jessie Scroggins, OF, Baylor, Chicago Bandits
16, Alexis Osorio, RHP, Alabama, Cleveland Comets
17, Nicole DeWitt, UT, Florida, USSSA Pride
Round 4
18, Kaitlin Lee, RHP, Ole Miss, Aussie Spirit
19, Victoria Draper, OF, Auburn, Beijing Shougang Eagles
20, Devin Brown, RHP, South Alabama, Cleveland Comets
21, DJ Sanders, OF, Oregon, Chicago Bandits
22, Jenna Lilley, INF, Oregon, Cleveland Comets
23, Courtni Emanuel, OF, Georgia, USSSA Pride