BATON ROUGE, La. – For the second consecutive season, LSU claimed the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Hitter of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards, while three Tigers earned recognition on the 2026 All-Louisiana College Softball Team.
Jalia Lassiter was named the 2026 LSWA Hitter of the Year, and Kylee Edwards earned 2026 LSWA Newcomer of the Year honors. Both were selected to the All-Louisiana First Team, while Sierra Daniel received All-Louisiana Honorable Mention recognition for the second time in as many years. LSU and UL Lafayette are the only programs in state history to win both the Hitter of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards in back-to-back seasons.
Lassiter, the 2025 LSWA Newcomer of the Year, becomes the sixth player in program history to earn LSWA Hitter of the Year honors. A four-time NFCA All-Region selection, she was named to the 2026 NFCA Gulf All-Region First Team and earned 2026 All-SEC Second Team accolades.
The senior posted the best offensive season of her career, batting .346 with 65 hits, 61 runs scored, and 26 extra-base hits, including 15 doubles, nine home runs, and two triples. Lassiter became the seventh player in LSU history to record a 60-hit, 60-run season and just the seventh Tiger to accomplish the feat multiple times. Her 61 runs scored rank No. 4 in LSU single-season history.
Defensively, Lassiter started all 59 games in center field and recorded 83 putouts with two assists. Over her two-year LSU career, she started all 117 games and finished with a perfect fielding percentage, totaling 140 putouts and four assists without committing an error.
Edwards becomes the ninth player in program history to earn LSWA Newcomer of the Year honors. The shortstop added to an impressive postseason résumé after earning 2026 NFCA Gulf All-Region Third Team and 2026 All-SEC First Team recognition.
In her debut season at LSU, Edwards set career highs with a .341 batting average, .609 slugging percentage, .430 on-base percentage, and a 1.039 OPS. She totaled 61 hits, 43 runs, 10 home runs, and five triples.
On April 3 at Missouri, Edwards became the first player in LSU history to hit for the cycle. She also became just the fifth player in SEC history to accomplish the feat and only the second to do so against a conference opponent.
In SEC play, Edwards led LSU with a .408 batting average, 31 hits, eight home runs and 23 RBI, with each total ranking among the conference’s top 10. She also paced the Tigers overall with 18 multi-hit games, 13 multi-RBI games and five go-ahead or game-tying home runs. Edwards struck out just 11 times in 179 at-bats during the season.
Defensively, Edwards started all 59 games at shortstop and led the LSU infield with 103 assists. She added 79 putouts, posted a .963 fielding percentage and helped turn 12 double plays.
Daniel earned NFCA Gulf All-Region honors for the second consecutive season after being selected to the 2026 third team. She batted .333 with 60 hits, 45 runs scored and 31 RBI while tallying 11 doubles, four home runs and four triples. Three of her home runs were go-ahead or game-tying blasts.
Daniel also continued to provide steady defense for the Tigers, recording a .985 fielding percentage with 96 assists, 96 putouts and just three errors. She helped turn 15 double plays during the 2026 season.
2026 All-Louisiana Collegiate Softball Team
Major Awards
Hitter of the Year: Jalia Lassiter, LSU
Pitcher of the Year: Hallie Burns, Southeastern Louisiana
Newcomer of the Year: Kylee Edwards, LSU
Freshman of the Year: Haley Hart, UL Lafayette
Coach of the Year: Rick Fremin, Southeastern Louisiana
First Team:
Pitcher: Cera Blanchard, Gr., Southeastern Louisiana
Pitcher: Hallie Burns, So., Southeastern Louisiana
Pitcher: Ashanti McDade, Sr., ULM
Pitcher: Aaliyah Zabala, So., Southern
Catcher: Cydnee Schneider, Sr., Southeastern Louisiana
First Base: Brilee Ford, Jr., Southeastern Louisiana
Second Base: Shelby Morris, So., Southeastern Louisiana
Third Base: Brooke Otto, Jr., UL Lafayette
Shortstop: Kylee Edwards, Jr., LSU
Outfield: Laila Clark, So., Southern
Outfield: Kaetlyn Dunbar, Jr., LSU-Alexandria
Outfield: Jalia Lassiter, Sr., LSU
Designated Player: Kayleigh Lugowski, Sr., Nicholls
Utility: Brynn Daniel, So., Northwestern State
Second Team:
Pitcher: Lainee Bailey, Sr., LSU-Alexandria
Pitcher: Mattison Buster, Jr., Northwestern State
Pitcher: Clélia Costes, Fr., Bossier Parish
Pitcher: Molly Yoo, Sr., Nicholls
Catcher: Kennedy Marceaux, So., UL Lafayette
First Base: Abigail Mitchell, So., Southern
Second Base: Haley Hart, Fr., UL Lafayette
Third Base: Jessica Battiste, Jr., Dillard
Shortstop: Kassidy Chance, So., McNeese
Outfield: Nyjah Fontenot, Jr., McNeese
Outfield: Elena Heng, So., Louisiana Tech
Outfield: Ka’Lyn Watson, Gr., Southeastern Louisiana
Designated Player: Maddie Taylor, So., McNeese
Utility: Gracie Flores, So., Louisiana Tech
Honorable Mention
Pitcher: Mary-Elizabeth Landry, Dillard; Skylar Waggoner, ULM.
Second Base: Morgan Brown, ULM; Sierra Daniel, LSU; Claire Sisco, Nicholls.
Third Base: Maria Detillier, Southeastern Louisiana; Jada Muñoz, McNeese.
Shortstop: Mia Liscano, UL Lafayette.
Outfield: Meagan Brown, ULM; Rylee Cloud, McNeese; Madison Moak, Nicholls; Payton Prince, LSU-Eunice.
Utility: Mylie Elsensohn, LSU-Eunice; Sophia Romero, LSU-Alexandria.