MONROE, La. — ULM Softball head coach Molly Fichtner was named the 2025 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, with four Warhawks named all-conference in the postseason, the Sun Belt Conference announced on Tuesday (May 6). Morgan Brown, Meagan Brown and Brooklin Lippert were named to the All-Sun Belt First Team, with Layla Thompson named to the Second Team.
 
Fichtner's honor is the first Coach of the Year award that ULM has received since joining the Sun Belt in 2007. Rosemary Holloway-Hill received the honor from the Southland Conference in 1997, the only other conference coach of the year in program history.


Pegged to finished seventh in this year's Sun Belt Preseason Poll, Fichtner claims Coach of the Year after leading her team to the winningest season in over 25 years with a 34-21 record. She also led her team to ULM's best-ever finish in the Sun Belt and the most Sun Belt wins with 14. Holding a 22-3 record at home, Fichtner guided the team through sweeps of Troy and Georgia Southern. The 2025 Warhawks have broken over 15 single season records under Coach Fichtner, including batting average, hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, total bases and slugging percentage, also setting an attendance record at the ULM Softball Complex. 
 
With four players named All-Sun Belt, ULM claims the most all-conference honors since joining the Sun Belt. The Warhawks hold the most players named all-conference in 2025 with Coastal Carolina and the Ragin' Cajuns, each with four. As Brown, Brown and Lippert are named to the First Team, ULM also claims the most players awarded to an all-conference first team since 1992 with three. This is each player's first All-Sun Belt selection.
 
"I couldn't be more elated for these young ladies to get this recognition," said head coach Molly Fichtner. "The Sun Belt is such a competitive conference, so it is an honor for each one of them. I'm very proud of their accomplishments, and more importantly, I am proud to work alongside each of them every day as we compete to be the best we can for our university and community."

 
Morgan Brown has been a spark for the ULM offense, hitting .385 (69-for-173) and claiming 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 58 RBIs. In her first full season at ULM, she was named to Softball America's May Position Power Rankings as the nation's ninth-ranking second baseman, previously ranked in March and April and named to the NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 list. The power hitter notably hit two three-run homers in two innings at App State, tying her career high with six RBIs. Brown currently leads the Sun Belt in at bats, second in doubles, RBIs and hits and is ranked nationally in doubles (28th), total bases (31st), RBIs (31st) and hits (41st).

 
Meagan Brown has been a force to be reckoned with in the conference, named to the All-Sun Belt Preseason team. Brown is currently hitting .393 (68-for-173) and tallying 50 runs scored, 17 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 60 RBIs. With a hot bat in the second spot in the lineup, the sophomore hit a two-RBI triple vs. Troy to find the lead and eventual win. Against Georgia Southern, the Katy, Texas, native drove home four RBIs, including a three-RBI double to tie the score. Brown leads the Sun Belt in sacrifice flies, doubles and RBIs, third in hits and fifth in runs. She is also ranked nationally in sacrifice flies (8th), doubles (15th), RBIs (23rd) and hits (45th).

 
Brooklin Lippert has opened the hitting for the Warhawks all season long as the lead-off hitter, hitting .427 (73-of-171) and posting nine RBIs, a double and two triples. Lippert has also stolen a whopping 31 bases in the regular season, sitting at 10^th in the single-season record book. In conference play, the sophomore hits .447 (34-for-76), second in the Sun Belt. Lippert opened conference play by tallying her first career triple against Georgia State, an error allowing her to cross home, picking up two RBIs. At South Alabama, Lippert tallied a team season-high of four hits, a lead-off triple opening the game. The sophomore currently holds an 18-game hitting streak, tying the school record and holding the longest active hitting streak in the Sun Belt. The Loganville, Ga., native leads the Sun Belt in hits and stolen bases and ranks nationally in hits (16th), stolen bases (17th) and batting average (50th).

 
Layla Thompson rounded out the all-conference selections as a pick for the second team as a designated player. The senior hit .317 (26-of-82), scoring 18 runs and recording four doubles, three home runs and 15 RBIs. She scored the winning run in the walk-off against Troy as a pinch hitter. Thompson went on to hit a double and a home run at Southern Miss to pick up a career-high four RBIs. To close out the regular season, the Gonzales, La., native hit a two-run homer against Texas State. 
 
Seeded fourth in the Sun Belt Championships, ULM will take on fifth-seeded Georgia Southern on Thursday (May 8) at 7 p.m. in Troy, Ala.
 
The full list of All-Sun Belt awards are below:
 
Player of the Year
Aiyana Coleman, Texas State

Pitcher of the Year 
Nicolette Picone, Coastal Carolina

Newcomer of the Year 
Aiyana Coleman, Texas State

Freshman of the Year
Emily Smith, Ragin' Cajuns
 
Coach of the Year
Molly Fichtner, ULM
 
All-Sun Belt Conference First Team
P – Madison Azua, Texas State
P – Maddie Johnson, Georgia Southern
P – Nicolette Picone, Coastal Carolina
C – Megan Kelnar, Texas State
1B – Aiyana Coleman, Texas State
2B – Morgan Brown, ULM
2B – Makayla McClain, App State
3B – Olivia Branstetter, South Alabama
SS – Grace Barrett, App State
OF – Meagan Brown, ULM
OF – Hannah Christian, Southern Miss
OF – Diamond Leslie, Marshall
OF – Brooklin Lippert, ULM
OF – Taylor McKinney, Troy
DP – Payton List, James Madison
 
All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team
P – Alana Barnard, Georgia Southern
P – Alyssa Faircloth, Troy
P – Sophie Moshos, App State
C – Maddie Jennings, Coastal Carolina
1B – Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina
1B – Emily Smith, Ragin' Cajuns
1B – Gabby Stagner, South Alabama
2B – Keirstin Roose, Coastal Carolina
3B – Sam Roe, Ragin' Cajuns
SS – Haleigh Adkins, Marshall
SS – Delanie Thames, Georgia Southern
OF – Kayla Falterman, Ragin' Cajuns
OF – Maddie Hayden, Ragin' Cajuns
OF – McKinnon Howard, Troy
DP – Layla Thompson, ULM