Two Acadiana Products Set To Appear In WCWS

Cwo players from the Acadiana area will get the chance to do something this week that many softball players can only dream of; participate in  the Women's College World Series.

Alabama's Bailey Hemphill, who prepped at St. Thomas More, and Oklahoma St.'s Kiley Naomi, who attended North Vermilion High School, will lead their respective teams into action on Thursday in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma St. will face Florida at 6 pm, while Alabama will take on Oklahoma at 8:30 pm.

A junior utility player for Alabama, Hemphill was named a First Team All-SEC selection, after hitting .376, to go along with 25 home runs and 78 runs batted in, all of which led the Crimson Tide.

A starter in all 65 games for Alabama this season, Hemphill has struck out only 16 times in 178 at-bats, while walking 56 times.

A 2017 selection to the SEC All-Freshman Team, Hemphill, a Lafayette native was tabbed a second-team All-SEC and a second-team All-South Region pick last year.

A two-time (2015 & 2016) NFCA High School First-Team All-American at St. Thomas More, Hemphill was named Miss Louisiana Softball in her senior season.

During her time in the prep ranks, STM won back-to-back state titles in 2013 and 2014.

A freshman, Naomi had a great first year in college softball, hitting .269 as the Cowgirls' starting shortstop, to go along with six homers, 18 RBI's, and 19 stolen bases.

A native of Maurice, Naomi earned All-District, All-Parish and All-State honorable mention honors as a sophomore, All-District and All-Parish honors again as a junior, while being tabbed a first-team All-State performer by the Louisiana Softball Coaches Association and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, and All-District and All-Parish as a senior, while being chosen a first-team All-State honoree by the LSWA and LSCA in 2018.

Naomi helped guide North Vermilion to Class 3A state title in 2017.

We congratulate the two, and wish them both the best of luck as they compete for a WCWS title.