NEW ORLEANS – After leading the Nicholls State University softball team to a Southland Conference regular season title, head coach
Angel Santiago was named Louisiana Sports Writers Association Softball Coach of the Year for the second time in three years, the organization announced Sunday.
Santiago was voted as the top coach in Louisiana by LSWA media members and sports information directors, edging Louisiana-Lafayette's Gerry Glasco by a single vote. Other candidates included LSU's Beth Torina and McNeese's James Landreneaux, who led their respective squads to the NCAA regionals, and Southeastern Louisiana's Rick Fremin, who guided the Lady Lions to their best season in program history.
Santiago led Nicholls to a 40-15 overall record, which was the program's most wins since 1998, and as a result, five Colonels were named All-Louisiana. Senior catcher
Moriah Strother and junior utility player
Kali Clement landed on first team, while juniors
Megan Landry (pitcher),
Amanda Gianelloni (shortstop) and
Kasey Frederick (outfield) were voted second team. Freshmen
Jewel Lara (third base) and
Kelsey Miller (outfield) received honorable mention.
In his seventh season, Santiago is just the sixth person to win multiple LSWA Coach of the Year awards, joining former Nicholls coach Cathy Compton (1992, '95). Under Santiago, the Colonels had back-to-back top 3 finishes in the Southland before winning the regular season title by 3.0 games this year for the program's first title since 1996. With only one senior in the starting lineup, the Colonels were the first team to lead the Southland in batting average (.311) and ERA (2.27) since 2002, ranking 20th and 34th in the NCAA in the respective categories.
Strother, the lone senior starter, became a mainstay at catcher in April and went on to hit nine home runs. For the season, she hit .383 with 27 RBIs and a .900 slugging percentage, earning All-Southland First Team and Southland All-Tournament. Eight of her RBIs came on two swings as she belted two grand slams on the year.
Clement joined the Colonels after playing at Spring Hill College, starting at catcher, third base, and designated player. She ranked in the top 15 of the conference in batting (.321), slugging (.528), runs (37), and homers (8) as she picked up Southland Newcomer of the Year and All-Southland Second Team. Paired with Strother, the duo gave Nicholls two first-team all-state selections for the first time in a decade.
Frederick was one of the state's top sluggers, garnering All-Louisiana Second Team after receiving honorable mention in 2017. She posted a .377 batting average with 42 RBIs while racking up seven home runs and 16 doubles for a .617 slugging percentage. Frederick led the team with 17 multi-hit games, including two with four hits, and 14 multi-RBI efforts.
Gianelloni started all 55 games at shortstop and had another outstanding year at the plate, batting .349 with 34 RBIs, 12 doubles, and five homers. She recorded a 12-game hitting streak en route to being named All-Southland First Team for the second time in her career. An outstanding defender, Gianelloni recorded just seven errors at short with a team-high 94 assists. This marks the second first-team all-state honor for Gianelloni, who was an honorable mention recipient last season.
Landry was the top pitcher on the Colonel staff, finishing her Southland Pitcher of the Year campaign with a 22-7 overall record and a 1.94 ERA. An NFCA All-Region Third-Team selection, Landry tossed two shutouts, including a no-hitter against NCAA Tournament qualifier Albany. Nationally, she ranked 31st in the NCAA in wins and was 74th in ERA.
Lara put together a phenomenal rookie season at third base, earning All-Southland First Team and Freshman of the Year. She hit .344 with 24 RBIs and ranked seventh in the conference with 13 doubles. Lara came up big in the clutch for the Colonels, recording walk-off hits in wins over Villanova, Stephen F. Austin, and Northwestern State.
Another freshman, Miller, played at centerfield and hit at the leadoff spot for Nicholls and earned All-Southland Second Team. Along with a .315 batting average, she totaled 13 multi-hit games and had a 19-game on-base streak, helped by an 11-game hitting streak. Miller hit three triples and recorded the team's lone inside-the-park home run.
With five players on first or second team, Nicholls tied LSU for the most honorees in the state. LSU's Allie Walljasper received Pitcher of the Year, while McNeese's Erika Piancastelli earned Hitter of the Year. Louisiana-Lafayette's Allisa Dalton was voted Newcomer, with Clement receiving the second most votes, and Northwestern State's Cayla Jones was named Freshman. Lara finished runner-up for the state honor after edging Jones for the Southland's award.
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2018 All-Louisiana Collegiate Softball Awards
Hitter of the Year: Erika Piancastelli, McNeese
Pitcher of the Year: Allie Walljasper, LSU
Newcomer of the Year: Alissa Dalton, Louisiana-Lafayette
Freshman of the Year: Cayla Jones, Northwestern State
Coach of the Year: Angel Santiago, Nicholls
First Team
P - Summer Ellyson, Louisiana-Lafayette
P - Allie Walljasper, LSU
C -
Moriah Strother, Nicholls
1B - Morgan Catron, McNeese
2B - Cayla Jones, Northwestern State
3B - Erika Piancastelli, McNeese
SS - Alissa Dalton
, Louisiana-Lafayette
OF - Anna Dunn, Centenary
OF - Justyce McClain, McNeese
OF - Morgan Turkoly, Louisiana Tech
DP - Sloane Stewartson, Louisiana Tech
UT -
Kali Clement, Nicholls
Second Team
P - Carley Hoover, LSU
P -
Megan Landry, Nicholls
C - Kiara Suttles, Southern
1B - Amanda Doyle, LSU
2B - Alexis Hagan, LSU-Alexandria
3B - Mahalia Gibson, Southeastern Louisiana
SS -
Amanda Gianelloni, Nicholls
OF - Aliyah Andrews, LSU
OF -
Kasey Frederick, Nicholls
OF - Emily Griggs, LSU
OF - Kimber Gruehl, LSU-Alexandria
DP - Alexandria Saldivar, McNeese
UT - Kimmie Atienza, Louisiana Tech
Honorable Mention
P - Preslee Gallaway, Louisiana Tech
C - Lauren Rachal, LSU-Alexandria; Marilyn Rizzato, Louisiana Tech
1B - Mattie Stine, Louisiana College
3B - Kara Gremillion, Louisiana-Lafayette;
Jewel Lara, Nicholls
OF: Maddie Edmonston, Southeastern La.;
Kelsey Miller, Nicholls; Kinsey Nichols, Southeastern La.
DP: Jazmine Dukes, Southern
