Softball | 11/11/2015 3:00:00 PM

Samantha Bradley – 5-8 – Utility – R/R – Azle, Texas/Azle HS

Heaven Burton – 5-9 – Outfielder – L/R – Round Rock, Texas/Cedar Ridge HS

Makenzie Carpenter – 5-10 – Pitcher – Burnet, Texas/Burnet HS

Alyssa Denham – 6-2 – Pitcher – R/R – Alvin, Texas/Pearland HS

Kourtney Gremillion – 5-7 – First Base – L/L – Gonzales, La./St. Amant HS

Aeriyl Mass – 5-1 – Outfielder – Lake Charles, La./Barbe HS

Kirsten Pruett – 5-9 – Pitcher – Bastrop, Texas/Cedar Creek HS

Shae Noel Schreckengost – 5-10 – Catcher – Pineville, La./Buckeye HS

#GeauxCajuns

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns head softball coachannounced Wednesday the signing of eight student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent to join the program beginning with the 2016-17 academic year.The group of newly signed Ragin' Cajuns includes Louisiana natives(Gonzales, La./St. Amant HS),(Lake Charles, La./Barbe HS) and(Pineville, La./Buckeye HS) and Texas natives(Azle, Texas/Azle HS),(Round Rock, Texas/Cedar Ridge HS),(Burnet, Texas/Burnet HS),(Alvin, Texas/Pearland HS) and(Bastrop, Texas/Cedar Creek HS).With the signings, the Ragin' Cajuns add three pitchers (Carpenter, Denham and Pruett), one catcher (Schreckengost), one first baseman (Gremillion), two outfielders (Burton and Mass) and a utility player (Bradley)."I am very impressed with this group, both athletically and academically," Lotief said. "They are a great group who are motivated to pursue excellence and who want to compete at the highest level and excel in the classroom."There was a lot of emphasis on pitching with this class," Lotief added. "I think it is going to be a great opportunity for them to learn the system from the three seniors who will be graduating next year and to compete and support each other as they grow and develop into a staff. Pitching, more and more, in softball will evolve into the effectiveness of the group rather than just relying on a single person."We are also very fortunate to add more speed and some power. This is a solid recruiting class which when added to the young kids already on our roster will form the nucleus and building blocks for this program's future."A four-year letterwinner for head coach Tracy Tadlock at Azle High School, Samantha Bradley is the reigning District 5-5A Pitcher of the Year and Fort Worth Star Telegram Player of the Year. As a junior last spring, she hit .443, posted 60 RBI and set a school record with 13 home runs. In the circle, Bradley recorded a 17-2 record, 101 strikeouts, 1.04 ERA and held opponents to a .186 batting average. Her efforts garnered her team MVP honors and second team recognition on the 2015 FloSoftball All-America team.Bradley was a second team all-district selection as a freshman in 2013 and first team pick as a sophomore in 2014 and has received academic all-district honors throughout her high school career. She's helped Azle claim a district title and regional finals appearance the past two seasons (2014-15).Bradley has seen time in the pitching circle, first base and outfield for the Hornets. During the summer, she has played travel ball with Texas Rapid Fire Gold (current), Texas Glory Allen Gold and Firecrackers Rosales.She is the daughter of Andy and Tabitha Bradley."I am so blessed to have the opportunity to play with the Ragin' Cajuns softball family," Bradley said. "I never thought that I would have the chance to play with such an amazing and dedicated program. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store!"A slapper and base-stealing threat – she has been clocked running from home plate to first base in 2.5 seconds – Heaven Burton is a two-sport athlete at Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock, Texas, competing in softball and volleyball. As a freshman in 2013, she hit .624 and collected 24 stolen bases at Fort Bend Bush High School. She posted a .532 average and 12 stolen bases and was named District 17-5A Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore at Hutto High School in 2014.Burton, who has played in center field throughout high school, was a first team all-district choice in 2013 and 2014 and second team honoree in 2015. She helped lead Cedar Ridge to a district championship and 21-5 record last spring. Burton has played travel ball for Diamond Sports Hotshots (current) and Impact Gold Sessum.Burton has also excelled on the volleyball court at outside hitter, middle blocker and defensive specialist. She will leave Cedar Ridge as one of the Top 5 blockers in school history.An academic all-district selection in volleyball and softball, she is the daughter of Charles and Nicole Burton. Her father was a linebacker at Syracuse, who also played in NFL Europe, and is currently the head football coach at Del Valle High School."Playing softball for UL is a lifelong dream of mine and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to play for such an amazing university," Burton said. "From my first visit to campus I knew that I wanted to be a part of this winning tradition and join a great sisterhood with terrific coaches. The campus is beautiful and the school's family environment is one of the main reasons why I chose to attend UL. I am excited for this new chapter in my life as a Ragin' Cajun and I cannot wait to call Lafayette my home."The team MVP at Burnet High School the past two years, Makenzie Carpenter has starred in the pitching circle for the Bulldogs of coach Corey Bledsoe. She is coming off her best season, finishing 21-5 with a 0.32 ERA as a junior in 2015. As a result, she received first team all-district honors, was named the District 25-4A Pitcher of the Year and was an All-Centex selection. Carpenter led Burnet to the first playoff win in school history, a 3-2 win over Gonzales on April 30.As a sophomore in 2014, Carpenter posted a 19-9 record and 1.67 ERA. In 2013, she tossed a perfect game with 19 strikeouts against Wimberley in the first appearance of her high school career. She has increased her strikeouts each season, going from 232 as a freshman to 246 as a sophomore and 312 in her junior campaign.Carpenter is a three-time, all-district performer in softball, adding second team honors in 2013 and 2014 to her first team selection last season. She played summer ball for Texas Blaze 18 Gold in 2015.Also an outside hitter in volleyball, she is the daughter of Brian and Amanda Carter."I am so excited to be joining the UL family," Carpenter said. "And I look forward to being a part of the winning tradition."Alyssa Denham has posted 37 victories and 321 strikeouts the past two seasons competing for Laneigh Clark at Pearland High School. As a junior in 2015, she was named the District 22-6A MVP and received first team all-state honors from the Texas Girls Coaches Association after posting a 21-2 record with 181 strikeouts over 132 innings pitched. She tossed a no-hitter against Dobie High School on March 27. In 2014, she was named Newcomer of the Year and received first team all-district honors following a 16-win, 140-strikeout campaign.Denham spent her freshman year on Pearland's girls basketball squad for coach Donna Vacek. Playing a post position and at shooting guard, she totaled 161 points, 87 rebounds and 22 blocks, helping lead the Oilers to a 29-7 record and playoff appearance.During the summer, Denham played travel ball for Houston Power, Katy Cruisers, Impact Gold and Aces Express Gold.She is the daughter of Steven and Kathy Denham. Her three sisters, Stephenie (2001-03), Jessica (2003-06) and Tiffany (2009-12), all played softball at McNeese State. She will be the first pitcher from Pearland HS to compete for the Ragin' Cajuns since Melissa Coronado (1999-2002)."It is a true blessing to have the opportunity to attend such an amazing college," Denham said. "It is a dream come true."Kourtney Gremillion will be reunited with her older sister, Kara, when she joins the Ragin' Cajuns in fall 2016. The siblings were high school teammates at St. Amant High School in Gonzales from 2013-15 (Kara is presently a freshman for the Ragin' Cajuns). Kourtney hit .540 with 10 home runs last spring as a junior, helping lead the Gators to a third straight district title, an undefeated regular season and Class 5A semifinals appearance. She was named first-team all-district, first-team All-Metro and also landed on the All-State first team.Gremillion, who has pitched and played first base for St. Amant, also received first team all-district accolades as a sophomore in 2014. She played summer ball for Louisiana Red Stick 007's and Louisiana Blast.Like her sister, she is a multi-sport athlete also excelling in volleyball. She earned all-district honors in 2013 (second team) and 2014 (first team) and helped lead the Gators to four district championships and playoff appearances.Gremillion will be the fourth member of her family to play for the Ragin' Cajuns softball program. In addition to her sister, Kara, her aunts Stacie Gremillion (1984-87) and Sandy Percle (1983-86) both donned the Ragin' Cajuns uniform.The daughter of Ken and Claudia Gremillion, she played summer ball for her mother with the Louisiana Red Stick 007's and with fellow Ragin' Cajuns singees Aeriyl Mass and Shae Noel Schreckengost on Louisiana Blast."I have always dreamed of playing softball at the collegiate level," Gremillion said. "I am even more excited now that it will be for UL, a program that has had so much success and history. I can't wait to be a Ragin' Cajun!"Aeriyl Mass of Barbe High School in Lake Charles is the second speedster in the Ragin' Cajuns 2016-17 recruiting class, having been clocked running from home plate to first base in 2.6 seconds. Mass has hit .400-plus and received first team all-district honors each of the past two seasons. A starter outfielder for the Buccaneers four years running for coach Sarah Portie, she was named to the All-Southwest Louisiana Big School softball team in 2014 and 2015.Mass is also the starting point guard for Barbe's girls basketball team coached by Kelly Durio. She received honorable mention all-district honors in 2014 and 2015.In the 2015 summer ball season, she competed for the Louisiana Blast along with current Ragin' Cajuns signees Kourtney Gremillion and Shae Noel Schreckengost.Voted most athletic at Barbe in the 2013-14 academic year, she is the daughter of Austin and Rene' Nagle."I'm happy to be a part of this team and I'm excited to take on this new adventure as a Ragin' Cajun," Mass said. "I appreciate this opportunity and I am prepared to work hard and help this team be the best that it can be."The career record holder for wins (51), strikeouts (669) and innings pitched (475) in Cedar Creek High School history, Kirsten Pruett is another heralded pitcher in the Ragin' Cajuns 2016-17 recruiting class. Pruett finished 14-2 with a 1.37 ERA as a junior in 2015, helping guide the Eagles to an undefeated record in District 26-5A and become the first team in any of the school's sport to advance past the first round of the playoffs. She was named district MVP and an All-Centex pitcher for her efforts.As a sophomore in 2014, Pruett tossed two no-hitters and four one-hitters, which landed her a spot on the Texas Sports Writers All-State Team. She finished with 298 strikeouts, a 1.91 ERA and .173 opponents' batting average resulting in District 17-4A Defensive Player of the Year and first team all-district honors.She has been named Cedar Creek's team MVP twice (2014, 2015) and a finalist for the Bastrop County Outstanding Female Athlete the past two years. Pruett played summer ball for Texas Blaze.She is the daughter Tim and Jill Pruett."I have loved this game my whole life," Pruett said. "I am so excited for the opportunity to be a part of the Ragin' Cajuns softball family and to be able to continue playing at the next level. It will be a privilege to play with this amazing team and coaching staff."A three-time, all-district catcher with first team honors the past two seasons, Shae Noel Schreckengost from Buckeye High School in Deville, La., will join the Ragin' Cajuns in fall 2016. She has increased her power and production since her freshman season, hitting nine home runs with 34 RBI as a sophomore in 2014 and eight home runs with 31 RBI as a junior in 2015. She received honorable mention all-state honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and was named first team All-CENLA designated player in 2014 and 2015.Schreckengost has helped lead the Panthers softball team to four district titles (2012-15) and a 2012 state championship. In the 2015 summer ball season, she competed for the Louisiana Blast along with current Ragin' Cajuns signees Aeriyl Mass and Kourtney Gremillion.Schreckengost also competes in co-ed soccer at Buckeye. She was named honorable mention all-district in 2014 and 2015 and also received the Iron Man Award. The last two seasons she was the Panthers' goalkeeper, recording 80-plus saves each season.A member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, FFA vice president and science club president, she is the daughter of Jon and Dionne Schreckengost."Becoming a part of this prestigious softball team is something I've dreamed about from a young age," Schreckengost said. "I am extremely humbled and honored to be selected as a part of such a wonderful team, surrounded by a great support staff of family, coaches and community. This program is the best in the nation and there is no place I would rather be."