Legendary UL Softball Pitcher Inducted to GNO Sports Hall of Fame

Ashley Brignac went from never hearing of potato salad in gumbo to Ragin' Cajuns legend, and now she's getting to add another Hall of Fame nod to her resume.

Brignac is being inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame. A native of New Orleans and alumnus of John Curtis, she was the top ranked pitching prospect in the nation coming out of high school. Her ridiculous high school stats include a record of 122-4, four state championships, and a 71% strikeout rate. In 2007, as a high school senior, she was selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year.

A Louisiana girl through and through, when she graduated, she decided to bring her talent to Lafayette.

Playing from 2008-2012, Brignac posted some incredibly impressive numbers in her career with the vermillion and white. In her freshman season, she went 31-7, throwing 13 shutouts, three no-hitters and a perfect game. Her performance helped carry the Cajuns to the Women's College World Series where they landed at 5th place nationally.

She ended up winning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year that season, an accolade she would collect twice more in her career.

Brignac accounted for 94 of the 201 victories UL recorded during her time at the university despite missing the entire 2010 season with a torn labrum. After returning from the injury in 2011, she went 32-6, with an ERA of 1.42, and throwing 26 complete games.

In 2021 she was inducted into the Louisiana Athletic Hall of Fame right here in Lafayette.

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Some of her other accolades include being named the 2008 Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 2011 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year, and NCAA Today's Top Ten among many others.

Hearing some of the stories about Brignac, it makes total sense how she became the legend she is remembered as today.

She learned how to pitch by using balled up socks and trying to hit the corners of her room where the walls met the ceiling.

Her high school coach at John Curtis used to warn fielders that they would get, at best, one fielding chance on nights she started.

She ate lunch with her high school coach every day for a year.

She would wear out catchers with her consistent, powerful pitching, forcing the coach to rotate them out in the middle of games.

Just an absolutely incredible athlete and one who deserves to be celebrated.

Brignac, now married with two children, owns an orthopedic clinic which, ironically enough, specializes in shoulder injuries.

Congratulations Ashley!

Geaux Cajuns.