McNeese State University

McNeese State University Athletics
4205 Ryan Street Lake Charles, LA 70609

Division 1 Louisiana South

Public Medium National competitor

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Coaches

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James Landreneau

James Landreneau, who has guided McNeese to back-to-back Southland Conference Tournament Titles and NCAA Regionals, enters his third season as head coach o the Cowgirls.

Landreneau continued the winning tradition in 2018 and posted his second consecutive 40-win season with a 41-21 overall record along with winning the Southland Conference Tournament and earned the NCAA automatic bid for the second straight year under his leadership. The Cowgirls finished the regular season in a three-way tie for second place with an 18-9 conference record.

In 2018, McNeese broke into a major poll (USA Today/NFCA Top 25) for the first time in school history following the first week of the season that saw the Cowgirls go 4-0 with wins over Virginia and preseason No. 20 Tulsa. The Cowgirls ranked 24th in the USA Today/NFCA poll and 23rd in the FPN (Fastpitch News) Poll.

McNeese also picked up a 6-1 win at Florida State, the 2018 National Champions who was ranked 9th at the time and opened the NCAA Regional Tournament at Texas A&M with an 11-10 win over No. 18 Baylor.

As a team, the Cowgirls broke five school records and Erika Piancastelli completed her stellar career by breaking a combine 20 records (McNeese and SLC) including 13 career records.

The Cowgirls offense continued to produce in 2018, leading the Southland Conference in 13 offensive categories (wins-41, slugging percent-.463, on base percent-.407, runs scored-361, RBI-319, home runs-59, total bases-734, total plate appearances-1,967, at bats-1,585, walks-283, sacrifice flies-27, innings pitched-413.1, and putouts-1,237). McNeese was second in the league with a .291 batting average, 461 hits, and 283 stolen bases while ranking third in doubles with 76.

In 2017, Landreneau guided McNeese to a school record 24 conference wins, tied the school record with 43 (43-18) wins, the 2017 Southland Conference regular season title, the SLC Tournament title and an NCAA Regional appearance as well as being named the league’s Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach.

Landreneau, a key component on the McNeese Cowgirls’ softball coaching staff the previous four years, continued the Cowgirl success in 2017.

The Cowgirls broke a combined nine records (8 McNeese, 1 SLC) and tied six school records and led the SLC in 15 statistical categories including 11 offensive categories in 2017. The Cowgirls broke the McNeese single season RBI (320), runs scored (361) and walks (216) records while leading the SLC with a .296 batting average, .460 slugging percent, .399 on base percent, 368 runs scored, 471 hits, 325 RBI, 85 doubles, 52 homeruns and 229 walks. His pitching staff ranked third in the league with a 2.58 ERA and fourth in strikeouts with 229.

Under Landreneau’s leadership, he coached the 2017 & 2018 SLC Player and Hitter of the Year (Erika Piancastelli) along with the 2017 Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year (Rachel Smith).

In two years as head coach, Landreneau has had 10 players named to the All-SLC team, three players named to the All-Region team, and six named to the All-Louisiana team. Piancastelli also earned the SLC softball Student-Athlete of the Year and was named to the CoSIDA District 6 All-Academic Team. In 2018, Piancastelli was named Louisiana’s Hitter of the Year.

After starting the 2017 season with a 5-9 record, Landreneau guided the Cowgirls to a 38-9 record the rest of the way including a 12-game winning streak and won 13 of their last 15 games.

In his previous four years at McNeese, the Cowgirls compiled a 157-66 overall record and an 83-20 mark in Southland Conference play and has been a part of three conference championships (2013, 2014, 2016) while coaching three league player of the year recipients.

In 2016, Landreneau coached an offense that was led by two-time NFCA All-America catcher and Southland Conference Player and Hitter of the Year Erika Piancastelli as the Cowgirls won the league regular season and tournament championships while playing in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regionals where they beat former national champion Arizona State in the opening round.

The Cowgirls, who won a school record 43 games, led the league in hitting (.305), slugging (.460), on-base percentage (.409), runs scored (350), hits (466), runs batted in (292), doubles (88), total bases (702) and hit by pitches (81).

In addition to the record number of victories, the Cowgirls also set school records in runs scored, RBI, batters hit, walks (201) and on-base percentage.

In 2015, Landreneau’s offense broke or tied four single season records while Piancastelli became the first player in Southland Conference history to be voted as the league’s Player, Hitter and Freshman of the Year in the same season.

McNeese posted a .968 fielding percentage that season to rank 36th in the nation. The Cowgirls finished the season ranked fourth in the league with 61 doubles that year as they finished with a 38-15 overall record and a conference championship mark of 19-5.

In 2014, the Cowgirls repeated as conference champions with a 20-6 league record and 40-17 mark overall.

McNeese has led the league in stolen bases the last three years and has ranked in the top 10 in the nation the last two seasons. In 2014, the Cowgirls topped the conference and ranked 19th in the nation with 86 doubles and led the league with a .435 slugging percentage while setting single-season school records in runs scored and on-base percentage while tying records in triples and hit-by-pitches.

Landreneau coached and developed Alanna DiVittorio who broke a combined nine McNeese and Southland Conference records her senior season and was named the league’s player and hitter of the year for 2014.

DiVittorio also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors that season to become just the second softball player in school history to earn the prestigious award.

The native of Mamou, La. resides in Lake Charles with his two children, Aubrey and Jaxon.

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Dani Price

Former Cowgirl Dani Price is in her second year as assistant coach who helped lead the Cowgirls to the 2018 Southland Conference Tournament Title and the NCAA automatic bid.

Price returned to her alma mater in 2018 following a four-year stint (2015-17) on the Baylor staff.

During her time in Waco, the Bears appeared in four NCAA Regional Tournaments, and the 2014 and 2017 College World Series.

Price spent the 2014 season as a student manager before being promoted to volunteer assistant, where she spent the last three years working primarily with outfielders in addition to other coaching duties.

Price was instrumental in coaching outfielder Jessie Scroggins to the All-Big 12 Defensive team as a freshman in 2015, and returns a trio of all-region outfielders, Scroggins, Lindsey Cargill, and Kyla Walker, for the 2017 season.

A 2013 graduate of McNeese State, Price collected eight home runs and 89 RBI over four seasons as a player. She earned a spot on the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll four times, was a 2010 All-Southland Conference honorable mention selection and was named to the 2010 Southland Conference All-Academic Team.

Price continues to be ranked in several career categories at McNeese including games played (T-3rd), and games started (4th). She also ranks fifth in at bats, sixth in walks and 10th in RBI.

She earned her Masters of Divinity degree with a concentration in Sports Ministry in August of 2018.

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Robbie Tate

Former Caldwell Parish High School head softball coach Robbie Tate joined the Cowgirl staff in June.

Tate, a native of Ville Platte, Louisiana, spent the last two years at Caldwell Parish High where he produced a 47-12 overall record and led Lady Spartans to the LHSAA 3A state title in 2018 and the runners-up in 2019. Tate was named district coach of the year in 2018 and 2019 as well as LSCA Coach of the Year in 2018.

While at Caldwell Parish High his teams broke numerous records including homeruns (49) for the second straight year, on base percent (.481), fielding percent (.920) and opponent batting average (.173) in 2019.

In 2018, his team broke the school record for wins (29) after posting a 29-6 overall record, homeruns (28) before that record was shattered again in 2019. They also broke the runs scored, batting average, stolen base, strikeouts, and ERA records.

Prior to his stint at Caldwell Parish High, Tate spent two years (2016, 2017) as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at LSU-Alexandria where he helped the program to a school record 52 wins, 13 shutouts, 311 strikeouts and a 1.69 ERA in 2017.

Tate helped guide LSU-A to the NAIA World Series semifinals and NAIA Regional Championship in 2017 as well as the Red River Athletic Conference regular season title and two Red River Athletic Conference Tournament titles.

While at LSU-A, he coached All-American Marci West and had several players named to the World Series All-Tournament team as well as Pitchers of the Week.

Tate has also been successful with travel teams in the past and won the 2013 USFA World Series, and 2014 NCAA World Series Triple Crown and the 2014 SEAA World Series with the Louisiana 007’s. The 007’s were also the 2012 USFA World Series runners-up as well as the 2016 PGF National Qualifier Premier Champions and most recently the 2018 PGF Southeastern National Champions.