Team Italy's Erika Piancastelli voted three-time McNeese State University Athlete of the Year
Team Italy softball slugger Erika Piancastelli was presented the 2016-17 Desmond Jones Athlete of the Year Award at Cowboy Stadium during halftime of a sold-out state rivalry football game between home team McNeese State University and Northwestern State in Lake Charles, Louisiana on November 11, 2017. The Desmond Jones Athlete of the Year Award is given to athletes who excel on the field and is presented by the family of the late Desmond Jones, a McNeese Sports Hall of Fame member. 
Entering her final season with the Cowgirls softball squad, Erika Piancastelli, is the first three-time winner of the award after her record-breaking year this past spring.
In 2017 Piancastelli broke three career records---including the McNeese State and Southland Conference walks record (166) as well as the McNeese State career RBI record (152). She shattered the school’s career home run record as a sophomore and currently tops the career home runs chart with 53 homers, giving her four total career records at McNeese State. Piancastelli helped the 2017 McNeese State Cowgirls reach the NCAA softball regional for the first time with her 13 home runs, 49 RBI, 63 walks (ranked second nationally), .681 slugging percentage and .554 on base percentage. She relished at the plate with a .380 batting average and 60 hits while posing a threat on the bases with 26 steals. With three years of collegiate play under her belt, Erika enjoys a .413 career batting average at McNeese State.
Erika Piancastelli is a six-year Team Italy veteran (catcher/third base) and is the most decorated player in McNeese State’s 39-year softball history. She became the first softball player in Southland Conference history to be named the league's player and hitter of the year for the third consecutive season after she led the Cowgirls to their second straight conference regular season and tournament championships while qualifying for their second straight NCAA Tournament. 
In addition, Piancastelli was named to the NFCA All-Region team for the third straight year, and for the second consecutive season, garnered the league's Softball Student-Athlete of the Year Award. She was also named to the All-Louisiana team for the third year in a row.
The Piancastelli family moved to the United States from Italy when Erika was five years old. She was born with a love for softball in her DNA. Her mother, Loredana Auletta, played for Team Italy in the 2000 Olympics and her father, Pier Andrea Piancastelli, played in his hometown of Modena in the Italian Baseball League. Like her mother did nearly two decades ago, Erika hopes to represent Italy in the 2020 Olympics. She proudly said, “Playing for the Italian national team has been a dream come true for me since I was a little girl. Being on this team and wearing this jersey puts the biggest smile on my face and really makes me love the game more and more. I feel I have grown as a player and as a person by being on this team and by getting the opportunity to be a part of this journey. I hope every little girl out there gets the opportunity to experience this feeling and this love for the game that I am experiencing right now, because I promise you there's nothing like it…” Forza #Italia
by Roberto Angotti
