The 2017 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns softball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the 2017 NCAA Division I softball season. The Ragin' Cajuns play their home games at Lamson Park. This would also be the last season that a Lotief would be the head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns. This came after the university fired Lotief, both Malveauxs, Director of Operations Kelsey Vincent, and one manager, Sara Corbello on November 1, 2017 due to allegations of physically and verbal abuse to his players and for laying a finger on the university's strength coach. The Ragin' Cajuns softball players strongly disagreed with his firing. Several even transferred schools with most making a pack that "if they couldn't play with Lotief, they wouldn't play at all." However, most of the team remained and competed in 2018. Nearly a year later, Lotief filed a lawsuit against the university claiming that they fired him over retaliation from Lotief claiming that the university violated NCAA Title IX laws which state that women's sports must be treated the same as their male counterpart. In the lawsuit, Lotief called University President Joseph E. Savoie, Athletic Director Bryan Maggard, and Assistant Athletic Director Dr. Jessica Leger as the defendants.
Preseason
Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll The Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll was released on January 30, 2017. Louisiana-Lafayette was picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Conference with 100 votes and 10 first place votes, every first place vote available.
Coaches poll 1 Louisiana-Lafayette 100 (10) 2 Texas State 87 3 South Alabama 80 4 Georgia State 68 5 Georgia Southern 55 6 Troy 44 7 UT Arlington 41 8 Coastal Carolina 32 9 Louisiana-Monroe 30 10 Appalachian State 13
Preseason All-Sun Belt team Ivie Drake (GSU, JR, Catcher) Mandy Blackwell (GSU, SR, 1st Base) Haley Hayden (ULL, SR, 2nd Base) Kaleigh Todd (USA, JR, 2nd Base) Sandra Mendoza (UTA, JR, 2nd Base) DJ Sanders (ULL, JR, Shortstop) Corrina Liscano (TXST, SR, 3rd Base) Taty Forbes (CCU, SO, Outfield) Aleah Craighton (ULL, JR, Outfield) Rochelle Roberts (ULM, SR, Outfield) Megan Litumbe (GSU, R-JR, Designated Player) Dixie Raley (GASO, SO, Pitcher) Alex Stewart (ULL, SR, Pitcher) Devin Brown (USA, JR, Pitcher) Randi Rupp (TXST, JR, Pitcher)
Preseason Player of the Year Aleah Craighton (ULL, JR, Outfield)'
Roster 2017 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns roster Pitchers 5 Kirsten Pruett - Freshman 9 Summer Ellyson - Redshirt Freshman 10 Alison Deville - Sophomore 11 Kylee Jo Trahan - Junior 12 Makenzie Carpenter - Freshman 16 Alyssa Denham - Freshman 18 Alex Stewart - Senior 22 Samantha Bradley - Freshman 24 Macey Smith - Senior 32 Victoria Brown - Senior
Catchers 19 Lexie Comeaux - Sophomore 23 Brittany Nollkamper - Sophomore 26 Allie Medlin - Sophomore 33 Shae Schreckengost - Freshman 34 Miranda Grotenhuis - Sophomore
Designated Players 99 Daniella Chavez - Junior Infielders 4 Kassidy Zeringue - Senior 7 Alaina Guarino - Redshirt Freshman 31 Corin Voinche - Senior 35 Haley Hayden - Senior 37 DJ Sanders - Junior 39 Kara Gremillion - Sophomore 44 Kourtney Gremillion - Freshman
Outfielders 1 Chelsea Lotief - Redshirt Freshman 2 Jaime Landry - Sophomore 3 Taylor Terrio - Senior 6 Shannon Theriot - Redshirt Freshman 8 Aleah Craighton - Junior 15 Aeriyl Mass - Freshman 20 Kendall Smith - Senior 27 Sarah Arceneaux - Senior 29 Beth Ashley - Redshirt Freshman 30 Kelly Martinez - Junior 42 Abby Sterling - Sophomore
Coaching staff 2017 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns coaching staffMichael Lotief – Head coach – 17th year Chris Malveaux – Assistant head coach – 5th year Kate Malveaux – Assistant head coach & video director – 1st year Kelsey Vincent – Director of operations (pre-firing) – 1st year Denee Simon – Director of operations (post-firing) – 1st year Shellie Landry – Manager
Schedule and results Legend Louisiana-Lafayette win Louisiana-Lafayette loss Postponement/CancellationBoldLouisiana team member