Lee, McCall named top NJCAA staff

Lady Bengal head coach Andy Lee and assistant coach Haley McCall led LSU Eunice to back-to-back NJCAA Division II National Championships.
With that accomplishment, LSU Eunice has been selected as this year’s NFCA NJCAA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year.
Lee and McCall led the Bengals to an impressive 64-3 overall record while picking up the program’s third junior college national crown in the past four years.
LSU Eunice won nearly 96 percent of its games this season, including going a perfect 29-0 at home, 12-1 on the road and 23-2 at neutral sites.
“It was special to win this title with Haley as my assistant,” Lee said of McCall. “We have that special bond because she won here as a player and she knows what it takes to compete - she loves the game.”
“It is a fun story to tell,” McCall said. “I won it as a player and then came back and won it as coach.
“I feel very blessed to be a part of an already successful program and earn even more success.”
LSU-Eunice and Phoenix College (eight titles) are the only NJCAA Division II programs to win multiple national championships.
“It was a magical year,” Lee said of their accomplishments. “It was a great season to repeat as champions.”
LSU Eunice led NJCAA Division II in both overall and first team NFCA All-Americans with five total selections: Pitcher Raven Cole, infielder Brooklyn Clark, outfielders Emily Nolan and Codi Covington and utility player Destin Vicknair.
“This group was a talented team that knew how to compete and perform under pressure,” Lee said.
“They were gamers,” McCall said. “They just could get it done.”
LSU Eunice opened the NJCAA Division II tournament in Clinton, Miss. with a 11-3 win over Delaware Tech, followed by victories over Scottsdale (12-2) and Desmoines Area Community College (4-3).
Jones County grabbed a 9-7 win over the Lady Bengals, forcing them to earn a must-win repeat over Des Moines (1-0).
The Lady Bengals then earned a 5-1 win over Jones County to force a decisive winner-take-all final.
In the championship game, LSUE trailed 6-0 but regrouped for an 8-6 win.
McCall said she told the team the game was not over as long as there were outs still left on the board.
“All we needed was one spark and Taylor Boulet hit a ground ball up the middle and that started it.
“They hadn’t been behind much all season,” McCall said. “So we didn’t really know what to expect from them but they rallied for five runs in an inning and then eight runs in an inning in the two games against Jones to win a national championship.”
McCall attended LSU Eunice from 2009-2011, playing for head coach Andy Lee on the program’s first national championship team as a sophomore in 2011, where she was also named MVP of the National Championship in addition to earning NJCAA All-American First Team honors and being named All-Region 23.
During her sophomore season in 2011, she etched her name into the top five of several Lady Bengal offensive records, including fifth all-time in Hits (87) and Doubles (21), second all-time in Runs (69) and is tied for second all-time in Triples (5). McCall also finished with 73 RBI in 2011, then a record-high. That record was passed by Kelsey Hollier (81 RBIs, 2013) and her 73 are second-most in history.
“As a coach I was proud of them,” McCall said of the championship. “It was awesome to watch 20 girls work so hard to make the same dream come true that I had as a player.
“Being a former player helps me as a coach because I know exactly what they are going through,” McCall said. “I am proud of what I have done and it is great to share that with my players - hopefully I can help them achieve their own accomplishments.”
Andy Lee is entering his seventh season as head coach of the Lady Bengals softball team and 10th year as a Head Coach in the NJCAA.
In six seasons at LSU Eunice, he has compiled a 324-56 record, and led the Lady Bengals to five National Tournaments, three National Championships and National Runner-Up finish.
Lee was named Coach of the Year in 2011 after LSUE defeated Owens Community College 10-0 in the championship game played in Normal, Illinois.