Living her dream on the softball field

Haley McCall left her mark as a Lady Bengal All-American and now as an assistant coach, she is helping LSU Eunice make a run to repeat as NJCAA Division II softball champions.
“I am very excited to be a part of the program again,” she said. “It is great to see what they did after I left and I want them to keep winning.”
McCall played for head coach Andy Lee on the program’s first national championship team as a sophomore in 2011, when 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, 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 RBI in 2013).
“It it fun to be out there with girls who have so much potential,” McCall said. “ They are some of the most talented athletes I have ever been around.”
LSU Eunice has remained the No. 1 team in the country in NJCAA Division II softball polls and rolled off 28 consecutive wins marking a new program-best for most consecutive victories in a season, breaking the previous record of 26 straight wins set by the 2013 team.
The Lady Bengals are 48-2 and McCall is excited about what can happen as the season progresses toward the Region 23 tournament and hopefully a return trip to the national tournament.
“We helped build a winning tradition here at LSUE,” McCall said of the 2010-2011 teams that went 47-9 and 58-10.
“It feels good to know you were a part of school history. I want to see them keep winning.”
McCall said she was concerned that coaching in college just after graduation would hinder her ability to grab the respect of the team.
“They are just a little bit younger than me,” McCall said, “but I give them respect just as much as they give me so that helps.”
Head softball coach Andy Lee is thrilled to have a former star player on his coaching staff.
“She came from a little 1-A school in Grand Chenier (South Cameron) and she came to some prospect camps,” Lee reflected. “She was a last minute signee.
“She was a little raw at first but you could see her energy, passion and love for the game.
“She was super talented,” the coach continued. “She was fast, strong and had a great arm.
“She had two great years here and a sophomore was a first team All-American,” Lee said. “She led by her work ethic and her passion for the game.”
“She has pride in this program and she will do what it takes to help it grow,” Lee said. “She brings a great attitude to the field. She has been a winner her whole life and she knows what it takes to be a champion.”
At ULM, McCall started a total of 104 games over her two years. She finished with the fourth-highest batting average (.247) on the team as a senior in 2013, and tied for second on the team with 38 hits while finishing a total of 10 extra-base hits, including six doubles and two homers and 16 RBI as a senior.
As a junior, McCall led the team with 14 doubles and 146 at-bats, and was also in the top five in RBI (20), triples (1), total bases (53), stolen bases (12), stolen base percentage (.923), and games played.
“It was fun to play at that level,” McCall said of her time as a Lady Warhawk. “It was a great opportunity and I enjoyed every minute of it.
A four-time All-District selection and three-time All-State player in high school, McCall earned District MVP honors in 2008 and helped lead South Cameron High School to a State Championship in 2006.
“I have played under five or six different coaches,” she said. “They all have help mold me into who I am.
“I owe a lot to Coach Lee because he helped make my dreams come true,” McCall said of her college softball career. “I feel very lucky to have played at both the JUCO level and the Division I level. It doesn’t get any better than that.”