Former McNeese Softball player Jil Poullard transfers to Oklahoma State

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Jil Poullard is a Sam Houston High School graduate, and she had been a member of the McNeese Softball team from 2020 until February of this year when it was announced that she and McNeese had agreed to part ways. Then on Sunday Poullard announced she will remain a Cowgirl, but she is trading in her McNeese royal blue, and sunflower gold for Oklahoma State black and orange.

Poullard was a member of the Cowgirls since the 2020 season, playing in just 16 games, of which she started two games in 2020 before COVID-19 ended the season.

Since then, she had been a staple in the Cowgirls’ lineup, over the past three seasons (2021-2023), Poullard played in 124 of McNeese’s 137 games and started in 117 of those 137, including eight starts and nine games played in 2023.

Over her 140 games and 119 career starts with the Cowgirls, Poullard tallied 109 hits, 13 home runs, 73 RBIs, 48 stolen bases, and 35 extra-base hits with a batting average of .320.

In 2023, Poullard held an average of .333 with three extra-base hits, and two home runs which were instrumental in McNeese’s back-to-back wins over nationally ranked opponents Washington and North Texas, who were ranked 12 and 22 respectively.

When discussing the news in February, Cowgirls’ head coach James Landreneau said “Jil and I had a meeting on Friday and kind of agreed to disagree on a few things, and from there she notified the team and administration that she is no longer going to be a member of the team. We understand that, and we wish her nothing but the best in her endeavors in the future, and we appreciate her, her time at McNeese, and what she’s done for us, I think she’s scheduled to graduate in May, and we wish her nothing but the best.”

Poullard then took to Facebook to discuss the decision where she said “I would like to start by saying thank you to my friends, my family, my fans, and anyone else who has stood by me and supported me throughout my softball career at McNeese. With that being said, due to many inappropriate, unethical, & unacceptable situations that I have experienced in my time here, I made the decision to leave McNeese State University’s Softball program. Throughout my time here, I & many others, have experienced mental abuse & mistreatment. I was constantly & consistently forced to defend my character, singled out, made an example of, discriminated against, and disrespected by the head coach. It has taken me years to work up the courage to speak out against this abuse. I have brought these concerning matters to the administration and hope for change. I have entered the transfer portal and will be continuing my softball career elsewhere in hopes of finding a program that encompasses a healthy environment to grow for its student-athletes. My heart is heavy leaving the place that I’d hoped to be my forever home, but it is also lifted for the new experiences to come! Love, J. Poullard #21.″

When announcing her decision on Sunday Poullard said “Are you ready? #thecowgirlway …First & foremost, I want to thank everyone who has supported me this far in my journey. Your love, support, & good intention has helped develop me into the person & player that I am today. Although change is painful & challenging, there’s not one thing that I would do differently. So, thank you family, thank you, friends, thank you teammates, & thank you, McNeese, for all of the lessons. I could not be more ready for this next chapter. Let’s ride #OSU.”

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