Reigning PAC-12 Pitcher of the Year Megan Kleist will not pitch during the 2019 season.
In December, Kleist had announced her transfer to Louisiana-Lafayette from Oregon, where she spent the three seasons of her career and earned a pair of all-American honors.
On Tuesday, Kleist announced on her Twitter account that she will sit out the 2019 season while completing her degree at Oregon. As noted in her post, sources also confirmed to JWOS that Kleist is still expected to play for the ULL Ragin’ Cajuns, but during the 2020 season as a graduate transfer.
Kleist posted a 59-18 overall record during her first three seasons with Oregon and posted a 1.67 individual ERA. She collected 475 strikeouts and posted a near-7/1 strikeout/walk ratio.
In her post on Twitter, Kleist said, “Over the last few weeks, with the support of Coach Glasco, I have carefully considered the future of my athletic and academic careers. Together we believe it is in my best interest to finish my undergraduate degree here at the University of Oregon. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I will join the UL softball program for the 2020 season. As I transition from Oregon to Louisiana, I will also be able to begin the path to completing a masters degree at UL. This plan of action allows me to finish my education In an uninterrupted fashion and not lose sight of my academics – something everyone always mentions during recruitment. I am thankful for the opportunity to work with UL’s quality staff, and I can easily see that they value the best interests of their players, looking beyond life as only a softball player, and supporting all of my goals. To me, that’s all a girl could ever ask for. Thank you to the University of Louisiana for your cooperation in such a short period of time. I will be forever grateful for the ability to live out my dreams, on the field and in the classroom. See y’all in 2020. Much love, Kleisty”
