Yale softball’s Ricciardone, Mull keep
BY DARREN COOPER Contributing writer
It’sprobably safe tosay that Yale isthe only Ivy Leaguesoftball team that knows how to peel crawfish.
Butthat’swhat happens when head coach Laura Ricciardone and startingoutfielder SJMull each hail from Slidell. In fact,grew uponly a few streets apart in Eden Isles.
“Weplayed at Southern Missmy sophomore year andflew into New Orleansand we had acrawfish boil atmyhouse,” remembered Mull, nowafifth-year senior How did her Bulldog teammates do with the mudbugs?
“They were alittle scared,” Mull said laughing.
Ricciardone was thepioneer,a powerpitcher unlike many to ever hail from thenorthshore. Growing upwith two older brothers, she jumped in and played every sport shecould.Softball was the one that stuck.
“My dad was our coach growing upand Igot intopitching and I loved it,” Ricciardonesaid. “I loved thedemand and the craft of it. I think my dad threw outhis arm by thetimeIwas 15 working with me.”
By thetime she was 15, Ricciardonewas setting recordsat PopeJohnPaulII. She was athreetime St. Tammany Parish Pitcher of the Year,and led the Jaguars to astate title in 2008. She still holds the school record for most career
strikeouts and was the first player in school history to have ajersey retired. “It feels like it was such along
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Curt. SJ
Jared Miquez
PHOTOSBYBOBBY GILBOY
race. ä More photos. PAGE4A
2021 rejected the proposed Camellia Bay casino and resort, which would haveincluded a$35 million sports andrecreationcenterpaid
for by the developer as an incentivetoget theproject approved. The city is nowinvolvedin upgrading its youth sports facilities with an eye toward improving recreation for local residentsand drawing big youth tournaments.
Officials said the cityhas
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there. My two brothersdid the same thing. Iknew there was more to see than just my little corner of Slidell and Iwas really luckytohave the opportunity to do that.” Ricciardone went to Harvard and was an All-Ivy League selection twiceand part of two Ivy League championship teams (2011, 2012). After graduation, she started coaching first at Boston University, then at South Florida.
“She (Laura Ricciardone) wasthe one who called me and said Yale wasgoing to makeanoffer It wasreally cool to see someone who had played Ivy League softball out of Slidell.”
SJ MULL, Northshore High and Yale softball player
“Mymom was the first in her family to go to college and she ingrained in us what was important, which was taking care of business in the classroom. It was nonnegotiable,” said Ricciardone. “You don’tjust strive to be great on the sports field. Youstrive to be great in everything.” Ricciardone joined the Yale softball staff in 2019, and one of the first players she recruited was Mull.
“She was the one who called me and said Yale was going to
not yet decided exactly how the ballpark will be redeveloped, but one option is to enter into apublic/privatepartnership withacompany that would make improvements to the park, and also run it The land acquisition is being promoted as thefirst major step in getting theplan to
bolster the city’s recreation assets.
“Wewant to make this areally first-class park,” Cromer said.
Thecityalsowants to make other upgrades to recreational sports facilities as part of amultiphase plan. The goal is to improve and expand fa-
cilities to enhance the city’s chances of cashing in on the traveling youth sport industry
Other Louisiana cities such as Youngsville, Broussard, Crowley and Ruston have been successful in luring youth sports tournaments by upgrading facilities, city of-
ficials have said. The group is anonprofit organization made up of volunteers who run baseball and softball programs from the 24-acre site the city is poised to purchase. The land contains multiple ball fields, parking area and concession stands.
make an offer,”said Mull. “It was really cool to seesomeone who had played Ivy League softball out of Slidell.” Mull had playedsoftball all her life and wasa star at Northshore High School, earning AllDistricthonorsthree times and leading them to apairofdistrict titles
Ricciardone was elevated to Yale head softballcoach in May of 2022. Thispast season,she guided the Bulldogs to ashare of the Ivy League title(along with Princeton and Harvard).
“Wetook astep in the right direction,” saidRicciardone. “We are trying to winchampionships as often as we can and make it
to the postseason. Last year,we took agreat step. Yale softball doesn’treally have atradition of winning, so we’re trying to build that and foster that each year.I think we’re making tremendous progress, but from along-term perspective, we’re just starting to scratch the surface.”
It’sobvious both Mull and
Ricciardone have astrong connection. Ricciardone talks about Mull’scontributions throughout the Yale athletics community whether it’s chatting with the athletic director,or doing stats for Bulldog basketball games or soccer games.
“You won’t find someone at Yale athletics who doesn’tknow SJ or feel a connection to SJ,” Ricciardone said. “She has become a beloved figure on campus.”
“You won’t find someone at Yale athletics who doesn’t know SJ or feel aconnection toSJ. She has become a beloved figure on campus.”
LAURA RICCIARDONE, Pope John Paul II softball playerand Yale softball coach
Mull is on track to graduate with an economics degree in the spring, but hasn’tdecided her next step.
“I should probably figure that out,” Mull said with alaugh. They both have been busy at offseason workouts to get ready for next year.And they haven’t lost their Louisiana connection. Ricciardone, in particular, fondly remembers the people at Pope John Paul II who helped on her journey
“I think Ihave what is the best job in the world,” Ricciardone said. “We’re both lucky to have this incredible opportunity to grow up in Slidell and then go explore the big world. Iconsider myself lucky to be raised the way Iwas.”
PROVIDED PHOTO BY POPE JOHN PAUL II HIGH SCHOOL Ricciardone, backrow,second from left, helped lead the Pope John Paul II softball team to aClass 2A state championship in 2008.
PROVIDED PHOTO Laura Ricciardone
PROVIDED PHOTOBYYALE
Yale softball coach Laura Ricciardone offers instruction to aplayer.
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Yale softball coach Laura Ricciardone pictured coaching against Harvard,her almamater,inarecent Ivy League game.
ARCHIVE PHOTO BY JOHN MCCUSKER
Laura Ricciardone was named Most Outstanding Playeronthe Times-Picayune’sAll MetroSoftball Team following her senior season at Pope John Paul II in 2010.
