Denham opts to leave UL softball program as well

 LAFAYETTE — The Louisiana-Lafayette softball team will be without another star player for the 2018 season.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Alyssa Denham announced on Saturday evening, via her Twitter account, that she was leaving the Ragin’ Cajuns to transfer to the University of Arizona, a program that has won eight NCAA national titles and has reached the Women’s College World Series 22 times. 

The Alvin, Texas native went 15-2 last season with a 2.27 ERA in 28 games (20 starts) in 129.2 innings of work as a true freshman. That level of play by Denham was good enough for her to earn first team All-Sun Belt, Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and LSWA Freshman of the Year honors.

In the typed statement that she posted on her account, Denham wrote the following:

“Many people say, ‘life often throws curveballs,’ but I never fully understood what that phrase meant because I honestly haven’t ever experienced something negative happen so sudden. Softball gives me the opportunity to be myself (“play free”). I know that when I step between the white chalk lines I can have my most competitive personality.”

Denham further wrote about her gratitude towards her former coach Michael Lotief, who was fired by the university in early November.

“Coach Mike Lotief gave me the opportunity to play the sport I love at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. My personality was very different than what it is now. I was shy, quiet and timid. Coach Mike saw potential in me and I am forever grateful that he taught me to be a strong independent woman.

“Coach Mike guided me through last year … and he is the reason for the success that occurred,” Denham added, in part. “He was the rock, glue and heartbeat our team. He was THE reason why we were a top program. I will forever support and stand by the man that believed in me when no one else did.”

Lotief was terminated by the university for allegedly subjecting “student-athletes and co-workers to violent, vulgar language and verbal and physical assault, creating a hostile learning and working environment,” the university claimed following a lengthy investigation.

Longtime SEC assistant coach Gerry Glasco has been hired to replace Lotief. Glasco sets his coaching staff on Nov. 27 with Ellen Renfroe Reed and Joe Guthrie as assistants, Courtnay Foster as a volunteer assistant and Jon Reed as director of operations.

Glasco and his staff must now deal with the loss of the second star player in a week’s time. 

Senior All-American shortstop D.J. Sanders, who led the NCAA in home runs (29), RBI (82) and slugging percentage (1.013), announced her transfer to the University of Oregon, also of the Pac-12, on Nov. 26. 

That means that the Cajuns will be without their top returning hitter and top returning pitcher from last year’s NCAA Regional team. 

Fellow star pitcher Alex Stewart, who went 27-5 with a 1.81 ERA in 2017, graduated.

Louisiana-Lafayette will open the 2018 season at Lamson Park on Feb. 8 against Samford for the annual Mardi Gras Classic.