The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball program entered 2025 amid upheaval. Longtime head coach Gerry Glasco stunned Cajun Nation by bolting to Texas Tech in the summer of 2024 – and he didn’t leave Lafayette empty-handed. In his wake came a mass exodus of key players, as several stars packed their bags to follow Glasco to Lubbock. This included none other than Mihyia Davis, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year, and ace pitcher Chloe Riassetto, both Texas natives who transferred to Texas Tech . In total, five Ragin’ Cajuns standouts ended up donning Red Raider uniforms alongside their departed coach . (Yes, Glasco essentially took half the team with him on the way out – a move that left more than a few eyes rolling in Lafayette.)

Into this chaos stepped Alyson Habetz, a beloved Louisiana alumna and first-time head coach. Habetz, a Crowley, La. native with 25 years of coaching experience at Alabama, was hired in late June 2024 as the program’s fifth head coach . She brought championship pedigree from her Crimson Tide days – she helped guide Alabama to numerous Women’s College World Series appearances and even a national title . But in Lafayette, Habetz faced a daunting task: rebuild an elite program almost from scratch. With seven players gone via the transfer portal (including two all-conference talents and a future Oklahoma Sooner), the roster had more holes than a Cajun softball glove after extra innings. Yet Habetz embraced the challenge. In a matter of weeks, she scrambled to assemble a competitive squad, hitting the transfer portal hard and leaning on the few veterans who remained loyal. She snagged reinforcements like pitcher Sage Hoover (a former Southland Freshman of the Year) and fellow hurler Tyra Clary, and welcomed a batch of talented freshmen led by infielder Emily Smith . By the time fall practice rolled around, Habetz had pieced together a roster that mixed remaining leadership with new faces – an impressive feat given the summer’s turmoil. The stage was set for a season that would test the Cajuns’ resilience from day one.

A Brutal Early-Season Gauntlet

If the offseason wasn’t challenging enough, the early 2025 schedule did Habetz no favors. In fact, one could imagine Coach Glasco smirking as the Ragin’ Cajuns opened against a murderers’ row of opponents he helped line up. The season’s first three weekends at Lamson Park featured a parade of powerhouse visitors: national runner-up Texas, SEC foe Ole Miss, the Houston Cougars, and in-state Goliath LSU all came to town . Facing that slate with a patched-together lineup was trial by fire for Louisiana. The Cajuns took their lumps in some of those marquee matchups – for instance, Texas, ranked No. 1 at the time, dealt Louisiana a mercy-rule loss to christen the season . But the young team also showed flashes of its potential. Habetz’s squad battled hard in each game, and the home crowd at Yvette Girouard Field witnessed the Cajuns go toe-to-toe with nationally ranked opponents.

After the opening homestand, the road beckoned with no let-up in competition. Louisiana hit the highway to play in tournaments at Auburn and Alabama, plus a midweek stop at Mississippi State . By early March the Cajuns had already faced a who’s who of college softball royalty. The results were mixed – understandable for a team still building chemistry – but there was one signature upset that turned heads. In Tuscaloosa on March 8, Louisiana shocked the home crowd by toppling No. 21 Alabama, 4-3, handing the Crimson Tide a rare home defeat . (Keep in mind, the Cajuns had been 1-6 against SEC teams up to that point, so knocking off the perennial SEC power was no small feat.) The win over Alabama proved that despite the offseason losses, this team could still throw a punch. It was a galvanizing moment for the players who had weathered so much adversity – a reminder that on any given day, the Cajuns could stand tall against top-tier competition. As Habetz wryly noted later on, “we’re used to hard” – and the first month of the season was nothing if not hard. Yet through the brutal early gauntlet, Louisiana’s squad was learning, growing, and quietly building an identity of toughness.

New Faces Step Up for the Cajuns

The roster that Louisiana fielded in 2025 barely resembled the juggernaut lineups of years past, but new heroes emerged to carry the torch. Coach Habetz’s emphasis on team culture and opportunity paid off as several players seized the moment. Freshman infielder Emily Smith, one of Habetz’s prize recruits, immediately lived up to her billing. Smith became a linchpin of the offense and infield, displaying a maturity beyond her years. Come season’s end, she earned recognition as the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year – a bright spot that Cajun fans desperately needed. On the pitching side, a previously unknown name became a household one in Lafayette: Mallory Wheeler. Thrust into a major role as a freshman pitcher, Wheeler quickly evolved into the staff ace. She racked up double-digit wins and kept the Cajuns competitive even against powerhouse lineups. In a mid-season conference series, Wheeler etched her name in program lore by throwing a no-hitter, the first seven-inning no-no by a Louisiana pitcher in over two years . The sight of the rookie right-hander jumping for joy in the circle said it all – a new generation was stepping up.

The veterans who remained with the program also made sure the Cajuns’ proud tradition carried on. Maddie Hayden and Kayla Falterman, two senior outfielders who resisted the transfer temptations, provided steady leadership and timely hitting. Fellow senior Sam Roe, the starting catcher, became the heartbeat of the team – and she had a knack for the dramatic, delivering clutch hits (including a memorable walk-off winner) when it mattered most. All three seniors earned All-Sun Belt honors for their efforts , underlining how vital their experience was to keeping Louisiana softball competitive. It wasn’t the usual cast of All-American sluggers and ace hurlers that Cajun fans were used to, but this patchwork crew had plenty of grit. As the season progressed, the chemistry and confidence within the squad grew visibly. Habetz’s unwavering belief in her players – new and old – created an atmosphere where everyone had something to prove. And prove it they did.

Late-Season Surge and a Fight to the Finish

After navigating the season’s early minefield and riding out some inevitable growing pains, Louisiana found its stride once conference play hit full swing. By mid-April, the Ragin’ Cajuns were rounding into form, showing marked improvement in all phases. The pitching stabilized as Wheeler and fellow newcomers settled in, and the offense – once inconsistent – started to click with a balanced attack. The turning point came during a string of Sun Belt series in late April where the Cajuns simply refused to lose. Once languishing in the middle of the pack, Louisiana caught fire down the stretch, reeling off nine wins in its final ten conference games . That late-season surge catapulted the Cajuns up the Sun Belt standings, all the way to a No. 3 seed in the conference tournament . It was a finish few outside the program saw coming just a month earlier. Suddenly, the team that had been counted out in preseason was looking like a contender again.

The momentum was palpable. “Louisiana enters the tournament on a hot streak,” one local report noted, “having won nine of its last 10 conference games to earn the No. 3 seed” . Coach Habetz credited the surge to her squad’s growing self-belief. “Winning helps that, right?” she quipped, referring to the positive feedback loop of success breeding confidence . By the time the Sun Belt Championship opened in early May, the Cajuns were, in Habetz’s words, “ready for that” – ready for the pressure, the spotlight, and the must-win games . In their first tournament matchup, the Cajuns delivered a thrilling walk-off victory in extra innings (courtesy of, who else, veteran catcher Sam Roe) to advance to the semifinals. Though Louisiana’s run ultimately ended in the semifinal round at the hands of Coastal Carolina’s upset bid, the fight this team showed was undeniable. They fell just short of an NCAA regional bid – a stark contrast to the program’s 25-year postseason streak – but there was no question that the 2025 squad overachieved by sheer will.

Future Looks Bright Under Coach Habetz

In a season that began with so many question marks, the 2025 Ragin’ Cajuns provided plenty of answers. First and foremost, Alyson Habetz proved she was the right coach at the right time for Louisiana. Her debut campaign saw the program maintain a winning record (29-25) and remain firmly in the mix atop the Sun Belt, even after losing a chunk of its roster. Habetz managed to replenish the talent pipeline in a matter of months – from snagging impact transfers to signing a nationally ranked freshman class – and then molded those pieces into a cohesive, competitive team. The Cajuns still played with the fearless swagger that the Lamson Park faithful expect, diving for every ball and never backing down from a challenge. If anything, the adversity they faced forged an even tougher identity. As one might say in Cajun country, this team’s gumbo had to simmer a while, but by season’s end it was rich and satisfying.

Most importantly, Habetz has the program trending upward. With a full offseason to recruit and develop players (and hopefully far less transfer drama), the foundation built in 2025 is poised to yield even greater success. The standout freshman Emily Smith will be a sophomore star next year, and other young contributors now know what it takes to win at this level. Add in Habetz’s renowned coaching acumen and deep love for her alma mater, and it’s easy to see why optimism abounds in Lafayette. The sting of Glasco’s abrupt exit has given way to excitement about the new era. In the words of Athletic Director Dr. Bryan Maggard, Louisiana softball remains “one of the premier softball programs in the country” – and under Coach Alyson Habetz’s leadership, the future looks undeniably bright. The Ragin’ Cajuns have weathered the storm of 2025, and come out stronger for it. Now, with their house in order and a chip on their shoulder, watch out: Louisiana is ready to rage on in 2026 and beyond.