WHAT HE SAID…
June 11, 2015BREAKING: Boustany’s trade protection act makes House cut
June 12, 2015
One of the best budding softball players in the American Athletic Conference is a Houma native.
She said she’s proud of the accomplishment, but hungry for more in the future.
Former Ellender standout and current University of Memphis freshman Kyler Trosclair hasn’t needed much time to make an impact in major conference collegiate softball, winning the AAC’s Rookie of the Year recently for the 2015 season – an honor given to the conference’s best freshman player.
An outfielder to start the year, Trosclair converted to shortstop midseason to fill a hole in the diamond. No matter where the former Lady Patriot played, she was a spark plug. Trosclair hit .306 with 55 total bases and nine RBI as a freshman – among the top in most offensive statistics for her team.
Trosclair was the team’s leadoff hitter, owning a .440 average when batting first in any inning. She also batted .444 with two outs for the Lady Tigers, who are rebuilding their program and trying to reach national prominence.
Trosclair is one of the building blocks in that process, and she said she’s pleased, but eager to keep working to perfect her craft for the future.
“It definitely feels great that I was able to come in as a freshman and make a difference on my team, but I am not totally satisfied with my performance this year,” Trosclair said. “I believe there is plenty of room for improvement and there is a lot that I need to get better on for next year.”
Anyone familiar with local prep softball probably isn’t at all surprised that Trosclair is making a splash at Memphis.
While at Ellender, Trosclair lettered for four-straight seasons and was a dominant force for the Lady Patriots – one of the top players in the state of Louisiana.
Trosclair earned All-State honors for three-straight seasons and was a four-time All-District player. During her senior year, Trosclair was almost invincible, batting .600, while leading the Lady Patriots to the Class 4A State Quarterfinals.
Trosclair hit .567 combined over her entire four-year career and only struck out twice, while recording 108 career stolen bases.
“We knew once we got her that she was a player who could do special things,” Memphis head
softball coach Natalie Poole told The Times in a phone interview. “We’re pleased with how she’s played, but we’re not surprised, because this is what we knew we were getting.”
Trosclair never doubted her ability, as well, though she did say that there’s a huge difference between the prep and college level of play.
The former Lady Patriot said prep pitchers can be coaxed to make a mistake by being patient in an at-bat and finding a good pitch to hit.
In college, it’s much different, and everyone on the diamond is at another level.
“There is a huge difference in pitching and hitting in college, compared to in high school,” Trosclair said. “In college, the pitchers have more movement to their pitches, and the defense is a lot better. It’s a lot harder to get on base at this level.”
So with her award-winning freshman season now to her credit, Trosclair said she’s now focused on bigger goals – both for herself and the Lady Tigers’ program.
Trosclair intends to be busy in the offseason doing everything possible to work on her game to raise her stats next spring in all areas – especially in the run-producing areas.
“I am working on getting faster and stronger along with improving my power hitting,” Trosclair said. “My goal this year is to improve my hitting with runners in scoring position.”
Away from individual goals, Trosclair said she’s also focused on team-wide goals and helping turn Memphis into a winner.
The Lady Tigers finished 2015 with just a 19-34 record and a 6-12 mark in A AC games. But with a roster slam-packed with youth, many expect Memphis ot be a team that makes a major turnaround next year.
Trosclair is among those who believe better days are ahead, but she said it’ll take a shift in mindset and chemistry for it all to click.
“It’s very exciting as we are all growing together,” Trosclair said. “When I made the decision to come here, I wanted to help be a part of building this program, and it’s exciting that we are doing that.”
But no matter how successful things may eventually get in Memphis, Trosclair said her heart is always back home. The former Ellender standout said she receives countless text messages, phone calls and social media posts from folks back home wishing her well in her collegiate endeavors.
She’s a few hundred miles away from home, yes. But Trosclair said she’ll always draw power and inspiration from Houma.
“I really appreciate all of the support everyone has had for me, and it makes me work harder and push myself harder knowing that I have so many people behind me cheering me on,” she said. “It’s a great feeling.”
CROWDUS ALSO
A MEMPHIS CONTRIBUTOR
Trosclair isn’t the only Houma native and local graduate making a big splash in the AAC.
Former Houma Christian softball star Lindsay Crowdus is doing her thing, as well.
Crowdus had a strong sophomore season for Memphis, building on the decorated freshman campaign she had in 2014.
As a freshman, Crowdus was an instant-impact player, leading the Lady Tigers with a .349 batting average, which included 59 hits, 28 runs scored and 79 total bases.
As a sophomore, the Houma native was just as good again, hitting .309 with 20 runs batted in and six triples.
‘I am not totally satisfied with my performance this year. I believe there is plenty of room for improvement and there is a lot that I need to get better on for next year.’
Kyler Trosclair
Memphis softball standout, Houma native
Houma native and University of Memphis standout infielder Kyler Trosclair gets set to field a ground ball during a game this season. Trosclair was named the American Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Year award, an honor given to the league’s top new player. An Ellender graduate, Trosclair said she expects to have better success next season. She said she’ll work hard in the offseason to get herself bigger, faster and stronger.
Memphis freshman Kyler Trosclair swings the bat during a game this season. The Ellender graduate won the American Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Year Award for the 2015 season. She hit .306 for the season.
