HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team placed a school-record seven student-athletes on the 2019 All-Southland Conference Softball Teams, which were released by the league office on Tuesday in conjunction with the opening day of the league tournament in Natchitoches.
 
Representing the Lady Lions on the first team were junior third baseman Mima Doucet and sophomore outfielder Madisen Blackford. Sophomore catcher Ella Manzer and junior pitcher Alley McDonald earned second team honors, while senior second baseman Jaquelyn Ramon, senior first baseman Rebecca Skains and freshman shortstop Lindsey Rizzo were honorable mention selections.
 
Southeastern had previously placed six players on the All-Southland teams in 2001, 2002, 2015 and 2018. The 2019 squad joins the 2002 team as the only Lady Lion rosters with multiple first-team selections.
 
Blackford joins current SLU assistant coach Katie Lacour (2014, 2015, 2016) and Heather Dye (2002) as the only first team All-Southland outfielders in program history. The Des Moines, Iowa native heads into the postseason ranked among the Southland Conference leaders with seven home runs, 34 RBI, 11 doubles, a .623 slugging percentage and 19 stolen bases.
 
Her .820 slugging percentage in conference play is tops in the Southland. All but one of her home runs came versus league competition, during which she hit .361 during the regular season.
 
Doucet has been a key addition to the Southeastern lineup in her first season out of LSU Eunice. The Lafayette, Louisiana native joins Heather Sherrill (2008) and SLU Athletics Hall of Famer Sarah Gascon as the only first team All-Southland third basemen in program history.
 
Doucet has hit .310 this season, including .338 versus Southland opponents. She leads the Southland with 127 assists, while also ranking in the Southland top 10 with 27 stolen bases and nine sacrifice hits. She stole 16 bases during conference games.
Manzer continued the improvement she made throughout her freshman season to become SLU's most consistent hitter in her sophomore campaign. The Alexandria, Louisiana native is currently batting .367 both overall and in conference play.
 
She ranks among the league leaders in batting average, hits (58), doubles (13) and RBI (31). Manzer was twice named Southland Hitter of the Week this season on the way to becoming the first All-Southland Conference catcher for the Lady Lions since Meghan Gomez earned honorable mention honors in 2010.
 
McDonald had a breakout season as a junior, establishing herself as the staff ace. The Whitehouse, Tennessee product is 13-6 overall with a 2.09 earned run average and has done her best work against Southland foes. In league games, she has an 11-2 record with a 1.58 ERA.
 
McDonald's selection marks the second straight year a SLU pitcher has received All-Southland notice. Former Lady Lion Rachel Hayes earned third team honors in 2018.
 
Skains leads the Southland Conference with a single-season school record 19 doubles and a team-high 46 RBI on the way to earning her first All-Southland nod. The second-year starter out of Calhoun, Louisiana native also ranks among the league leaders with 59 hits.
Skains also has committed just two errors at first base for a .996 fielding percentage.
 
Ramon leads the Southland with a single-season league record 58 stolen bases and 48 runs scored to go with a .348 batting average, 26 walks and a .448 on-base percentage. The Channelview, Texas native holds the conference career record with 179 stolen bases – the 10^th-highest total in Division I history.
 
She enters the Southland Conference tournament tied with Lacour for the school's career record with 148 runs scored. Ramon was named honorable mention All-Southland Conference for the second straight season, this year as a second baseman after playing shortstop her first three seasons.
 
Ramon made the switch to second base thanks to the emergence of Rizzo, who rounds out the SLU All-Southland contingent. The sure-handed Watson, Louisiana native made just two errors in conference play at shortstop.
 
Rizzo also hit .341 during the regular season and .338 in conference play, while finishing among the Southland regular season leaders with 26 stolen bases. She is the first Lady Lion freshman to earn all-conference notice since Kinsey Nichols and Sydney Booker were third-team choices in 2015.
 
After helping Sam Houston State to the Southland Conference regular season championship, senior pitcher Lindsey McLeod was named Player and Pitcher of the Year. Her coach, Garrett Valis, earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Bearkats to the league crown in his first season.
 
Stephen F. Austin senior first baseman Margarita Corona was tabbed Hitter of the Year. SFA freshman pitcher Kassidy Wilbur earned Freshman of the Year accolades, while Lamar junior designated player Jade Lewis was tabbed Newcomer of the Year.
 
The All-Southland Conference teams and individual award winners were selected by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. Coaches and SID's were not allowed to vote for their own institution's nominees.
 
2019 All-Southland Conference Softball Teams and Individual Award Winners
 
Individual Award Winners
Player of the Year: Lindsey McLeod, Sam Houston State
Hitter of the Year: Margarita Corona, Stephen F. Austin
Pitcher of the Year: Lindsey McLeod, Sam Houston State
Freshman of the Year: Kassidy Wilbur, Stephen F. Austin
Newcomer of the Year: Jade Lewis, Lamar
Coach of the Year: Garrett Valis, Sam Houston State
 
First Team
Pos. – Name – School – Class – Hometown
1B – Margarita Corona – Stephen F. Austin – Sr. – Tuscon, Ariz.
2B – Libby Morris – Central Arkansas – Sr. – Grove, Okla.
3B – Mima Doucet – Southeastern Louisiana – Jr. – Lafayette, La.
SS – Tiffany Thompson – Sam Houston State – Jr. – Montgomery, Texas
C – Kali Clement – Nicholls – Sr. – Thibodaux, La.
UT – E.C. Delafield – Northwestern State – So. – Stonewall, La.
DP – Jade Lewis – Lamar – Jr. – Mont Belvieu, Texas
OF – Madisen Blackford – Southeastern Louisiana – So. – Des Moines, Iowa
OF – Justyce McClain – McNeese – Sr. – Phoenix, Ariz.
OF – Megan McDonald – Sam Houston State – Jr. – Georgetown, Texas
P – Lindsey McLeod – Sam Houston State – Sr. – Austin, Texas
P – Megan Landry – Nicholls – Sr. – Pierre Part, La.
 
Second Team
Pos. – Name – School – Class – Hometown
1B – Kaylyn Shepherd – Central Arkansas – Jr. – Mechanicsville, Va.
2B – Cayla Jones – Northwestern State – So. – Missouri City, Texas
3B – Cylla Hill – Central Arkansas – Jr. – Henryetta, Okla.
SS – Amanda Gianelloni – Nicholls – Sr. – Napoleonville, La.
C – Ella Manzer – Southeastern Louisiana – So. – Alexandria, La.
UT – Morgan Felts – Central Arkansas – Sr. – Conway, Ark.
DP – Taylar Fuselier – Sam Houston State – Jr. – Magnolia, Texas
OF – Kasey Frederick – Nicholls – Sr. – Bridge City, Texas
OF – Kayla Crutchmer – Central Arkansas – Jr. – Tulsa, Okla.
OF – Shannon Klaus – Lamar – Jr. – Cedar Creek, Texas
P – Alley McDonald – Southeastern Louisiana – Jr. – Whitehouse, Tenn.
P – Kassidy Wilbur – Stephen F. Austin – Fr. – Bridge City, Texas
P – Alexsandra Flores – McNeese – Jr. – Lufkin, Texas
 
Third Team
Pos. – Name – School – Class – Hometown
1B – Samantha Dares – Nicholls – Jr. – Metairie, La.
2B – Bryana Novegil – Stephen F. Austin – So. – Houston, Texas
2B – Brooke Malia – Sam Houston State – So. – Houston, Texas
3B – Caitlin Garcia – Nicholls – So. – Spring, Texas
SS – Cory McCrary – McNeese – Jr. – McCarley, Miss.
C – Aubree Turbeville – McNeese – Sr. – Mesquite, Texas
UT – Sammi Thomas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – Fr. – Buford, Ga.
DP – Samantha Bradley – Abilene Christian – So. – Azle, Texas
OF – Kaylee Lopez – McNeese – Fr. – Indian Bayou, La.
OF – Elise Vincent – Northwestern State – Jr. – Maurice, La.
OF – Linsey Tomlinson – Abilene Christian – Jr. – Huffman, Texas
P – Ashley Kriesel – Stephen F. Austin – Jr. – Houston, Texas
 
Honorable Mention: C: Shaina Amir, Lamar. 1B: Rebecca Skains, Southeastern Louisiana. 2B: Jaquelyn Ramon, Southeastern Louisiana. 3B: Kyndal Kutac, Sam Houston State. SS: Lindsey Rizzo, Southeastern Louisiana; Demi Janak, Houston Baptist. OF: Blair Clayton, Abilene Christian; Sheridan Fisher, Sam Houston State; Toni Perrin, McNeese. P: Saleen Flores, McNeese; Rio Sanchez, Central Arkansas.
 
NOTE: Ties in voting necessitated additional pitcher on 2^nd team and additional second baseman on 3^rd team.
 
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT TICKETS
Tickets are on sale for the Southland Conference Softball Tournament, which will be played May 7-10 at Northwestern State's Lady Demon Diamond. Available options include an all-tournament pass ($20 for adults, $10 kids) and single-game tickets ($10 adults, $5 kids). With valid ID, students from Southland institutions will receive free admission. Tickets can be purchased at nsudemons.com. Click "packages" for all-tournament passes. In addition, fans can call the ticket office at 318-357-4268 or buy tickets at the gate via cash or card.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Softball, follow @SLUlionsoftball on Twitter and Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
HOME RUN CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the softball program are encouraged to join the Home Run Club. Lady Lion softball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Home Run Club and S Club (softball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern softball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events (softball, baseball, football and basketball), effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.