LAKE CHARLES—McNeese assistant coach Alyssa Denham and two-time All-American Erika Piancastelli will represent McNeese this summer at the inaugural two-week standalone season of AUX Softball competition, June 13-25 in San Diego, California on the campus of San Diego State. The Season 3 championship season of Athletes Unlimited will be held July 29-Aug. 28 at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois.
 
Games can be seen on several ESPN platforms. Click HERE for game times and channel.
 
Denham, who helped lead the Cowgirls to its first NCAA Tournament Regional Final, the Southland Conference regular season and Southland Conference Tournament titles as the Cowgirls' pitching coach, is in her second season with Athletes Unlimited.
 
Under Denham's guidance, McNeese had a conference low 1.25 ERA with seven shutouts in league games. The pitching staff also allowed a league low 20 earned runs. Overall, the Cowgirls tied for a conference best 12 shutouts along with a 3.01 ERA and 230 strikeouts.
 
Sophomore Ashley Vallejo was named the SLC "Pitcher of the Year" and third team All-Region while sophomore Whitney Tate was named to the SLC All-Tournament team.
 
Piancastelli, who signed a two-year contract with Athletes Unlimited back in December, has been with the AU since its inception. This season, she will only play in the Season 3 Championship Series in Rosemont, Illinois due to her professional obligations in Japan. Piancastelli, a member of the 2020 Italian Olympic Team, was four-time Southland Conference "Player and Hitter of the Year" and hold almost every hitting record at McNeese.