BATON ROUGE – The Southeastern Louisiana softball team had three representatives on the 2007 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Softball Teams, which were released by the LSWA on Saturday.

Southeastern junior second baseman Arica Rodriguez was tabbed as the state’s Newcomer of the Year. Sophomore third baseman Heather Sherrill was a second team All-Louisiana selection, while junior pitcher Rachel Ray was named to the squad as an honorable mention pick.

Rodriguez is the fourth player in school history to be selected Louisiana’s top newcomer. Previous Lady Lion winners were Summer Delaneuville (2004), Voncia Bookman (1992) and Patti Pender (1990).

The three players honored by the LSWA were key to Southeastern’s dramatic turnaround in 2007. After an injury-riddled 10-36 season in 2006, the Lady Lions put together one of the nation’s top turnarounds. Southeastern tied a school record for victories with a 31-27 finish this season.

With all three All-Louisiana players return, along with All-SLC candidates Brooke Lockhart, Allyson McCubbins and Kaley Christy, the Lady Lions have a strong nucleus returning for the 2008 campaign. The return of injured outfielder Jill Machleit and the addition of several talented newcomers spell a bright future for the program under head coach Pete Langlois.

Rodriguez winning Newcomer of the Year honors kept LSU from sweeping all individual honors for 2007. Leslie Klein was named Hitter of the Year, while outfield teammate Jazz Jackson was the state’s top freshman. Dani Hofer was the Pitcher of the Year and Yvette Girorard was named Coach of the Year. Southeastern was the first Louisiana team to beat LSU since 2001 with a 1-0 win on April 25 that snapped LSU’s 55-game winning streak versus in-state foes.

Sherrill, a native of Alexandria, teamed with Rodriguez to give Southeastern one of the top infields in the state and in the SLC. A third team All-SLC selection, Sherrill led the team with a .355 batting average and 59 hits. Sherrill also led the Southland Conference with a school record-tying 17 doubles to go with five home runs and 31 runs batted in.

Sherrill was not the only Lady Lion to put her mark on the school record books, nor was Rodriguez the lone Southeastern player to come back strong from injury. Ray, a Payson, Ariz. native, bounced back from a back injury that caused her to miss the 2006 campaign to have the best season ever by a Lady Lion pitcher.

Ray set single-season school records for victories and shutouts. The only first team All-SLC pitcher in school history, Ray finished with a 21-10 record, a 2.02 earned run average and eight shutouts. In 215 innings, she struck out 154 batters and walked only 38.

With all three All-Louisiana players return, along with All-SLC candidates Brooke Lockhart, Allyson McCubbins and Kaley Christy, the Lady Lions have a strong nucleus returning for the 2008 campaign. The return of injured outfielder Jill Machleit and the addition of several talented newcomers spell a bright future for the program under head coach Pete Langlois.

Rodriguez winning Newcomer of the Year honors kept LSU from sweeping all individual honors for 2007. Leslie Klein was named Hitter of the Year, while outfield teammate Jazz Jackson was the state’s top freshman. Dani Hofer was the Pitcher of the Year and Yvette Girorard was named Coach of the Year. Southeastern was the first Louisiana team to beat LSU since 2001 with a 1-0 win on April 25 that snapped LSU’s 55-game winning streak versus in-state foes.

The LSWA All-Louisiana softball team was selected by the state’s sports information directors and select members of the Louisiana media.