HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana softball program added to its 2020 roster on Monday, as SLU head coach Rick Fremin announced that Kelci Bodin and Aeriyl Mass will continue their academic and athletic endeavors as members of the Lady Lions.
 
Mass (Lake Charles, Louisiana), who spent the past two seasons at UL Lafayette, and Bodin (New Iberia, Louisiana), a transfer from LSU Eunice, will both have two years of eligibility remaining. The addition of Mass and Bodin gives Southeastern a total of nine newcomers in the incoming 2020 class, as Fremin and his staff signed seven last November.
 
With postseason experience at the Division I and NJCAA levels, respectively, Mass and Bodin can provide veteran presence for SLU from day one. Both players also have speed to burn on the base paths, as they join a Lady Lion program that has led Division I in total stolen bases in every year of Fremin's four-year tenure in Hammond.
 
"We went in to the offseason with the goal of solidifying our outfield defense and the addition of Aeriyl and Kelci helps us in that area," Fremin commented. "We're losing a good deal of stolen base production from the 2019 team and we expect Aeriyl and Kelci to both fit our system well and be big contributors on the bases."
 
Mass played in 82 games with 37 starts in her two seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, she led the team with three triples and was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 for her key catch in NCAA Regional play versus Houston. She stole 11 bases as a sophomore, when she was used primarily as a pinch runner.
 
Mass prepped at Barbe High School in Lake Charles, where she was a standout on the diamond and on the basketball court. As an outfielder for the Buccaneers' softball team and a point guard on the BHS basketball squad, Mass was a multi-time all-district and all-state performer in both sports, earning District 3-5A MVP honors in basketball as a senior.
 
"Aeriyl comes to us with a wealth of experience, having played for a top-level program in UL Lafayette," Fremin commented. "She understands our expectations for her offensively, but where we expect her to have the biggest impact is defensively. Aeriyl can really run it down in the outfield and we're excited about what she brings to the table."
 
Bodin helped LSU Eunice to its sixth national championship in the past nine years, earning National Tournament MVP honors and hitting a grand slam in the national championship game. Her sophomore campaign saw her earn NJCAA Division II All-American honors, as she finished with 11 home runs, 44 RBI, 50 runs and a .325 batting average to go with a team-best .658 slugging percentage.
 
Bodin, one of three 2019 LSU-E players - along with November signees Heather Zumo and Madison Monson - who will be on the SLU roster next season, was a perfect 25-for-25 on stolen bases in her sophomore campaign. She prepped at Loreauville High School, where she was All-State, District 6-2A MVP and Teche Area Player of the Year as a senior to cap a prep career that saw her hit .534 with 158 hits, 80 doubles, 36 triples, 86 RBIs, 169 runs scored and 17 home runs.
 
"Kelci played infield and outfield at LSU Eunice, so she's versatile enough to give us innings in both the outfield and at second base," Fremin said. "Her versatility and her ability on the base paths make her a great addition for our program."
 
The Lady Lions will open up the 2020 campaign hosting the Lion Classic at North Oak Park on February 7-9.
 
Southeastern Louisiana Softball – 2020 Signing Class
Anna Mills Avant, UT, Water Valley, Miss. (Water Valley HS)
Kelci Bodin, IF/OF, New Iberia, La. (LSU Eunice/Loreauville HS)
MC Comeaux, P, Port Allen, La. (Brusly HS)
Cameron Goodman, OF, Marrero, La. (John Curtis HS)
Audrey Greely, OF, Geismar, La. (Parkview Baptist HS)
Aeriyl Mass, OF, Lake Charles, La. (UL Lafayette/Barbe HS)
Madison Monson, UT, Denham Springs, La. (LSU Eunice/Walker HS)
Anna Westberry, P, Mineola, Texas (Mineola HS)
Heather Zumo, P, Baton Rouge, La. (LSU Eunice/Central HS)
 
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 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.