Beth Torina

Beth Torina heads into her 15th season at the helm of the LSU softball program in 2026 after she returned the Tigers to national prominence with two 50-win seasons, eight 40-win seasons, and four trips to the Women’s College World Series in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017 to her credit in Baton Rouge.

Since taking the reins of the program, Torina has led the Tigers to the pinnacle of the sport more than any other LSU head coach while becoming the program’s all-time wins leader, averaging 41 wins per season in Baton Rouge. Torina is the only head coach to lead the Tigers to Oklahoma City in consecutive seasons in program history. LSU had a streak of 123 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top 25 from 2014 to 2022. Additionally, from 2015 to 2017, only two schools earned three straight berths in the Women’s College World Series: LSU and UCLA. Under Torina, the Tigers have played a Top 10 strength of schedule every year.

LSU was the No. 10 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament for its 19th consecutive tournament appearance and 26th overall trip to the Big Dance. The Bayou Bengals were 42-16 on the season, marking its third consecutive 40-win season, and strung together 18 Top-25 victories. Torina claimed her 700th career victory as a head coach with a 9-1 win over Louisiana Tech on April 9, 2025.

The 2025 season featured an explosive offense that set seven single-season marks, ranking in the top five of the program’s single-season record book, including a program record on-base percentage of .438. LSU’s .332 batting average ranked No. 3, and the club’s .484 slugging percentage ranked No. 5 in the single-season record book. In the circle, the Tigers registered a 2.74 ERA with 322 strikeouts in 363.1 innings and totaled 14 shutouts, including the program’s sixth perfect game in the season opener against Charlotte (Feb. 7, 2025). The pitching staff allowed 287 hits, marking the sixth-lowest total in a season, and the defense committed 47 errors, the sixth-fewest in a season, while also allowing a program season low of 13 stolen bases.

First baseman Tori Edwards had a standout season, during which she was named an NFCA All-American and the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year. Catcher Maci Bergeron also earned her first NFCA All-American accolade. Bergeron and Edwards were joined by pitcher Sydney Berzon and infielder Danieca Coffey on the NFCA Gulf All-Region First Team. Infielder Sierra Daniel and pitcher Jayden Heavener graced the NFCA Gulf All-Region Second Team, and outfielder Jalia Lassiter was placed on the NFCA Gulf All-Region Third Team. Edwards was the only All-SEC First Team honoree, while Bergeron, Berzon and Coffey were listed on the All-SEC Second Team.

The Tigers earned the No. 9 overall seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament for its 18th consecutive tournament appearance and 25th overall appearance. LSU went 44-17 on the year for its seventh 40-plus win season and second in as many years. The Bayou Bengals advanced to its 10th NCAA Super Regional after winning the Baton Rouge Regional to get out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. On April 20, 2024, LSU shut out Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., 1-0, giving Torina her 527th win at the helm of the program to make her the program’s all-time leader in wins.

Coach Torina fielded another well-rounded club that offensively batted .290 behind 464 hits and recorded 18 games with 10 or more hits, including a season-high 16 twice. In the circle, LSU’s staff had a 2.30 ERA with 374 strikeouts, tallied 15 shutouts, including one no-hitter, and held opposing batters to a .216 batting average. Defensively, the Tigers set a program record with a .976 fielding percentage and turned 28 double plays for the second most in a single season in program history.

Sophomore pitcher Sydney Berzon claimed her second NFCA All-American distinction to become the fifth LSU hurler to be named an NFCA All-American in consecutive seasons. Berzon, along with outfielder Ali Newland, was named to the NFCA South All-Region First Team, the All-SEC First Team, and the SEC All-Defensive Team. Newland also became the second LSU Tiger to be named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and made the SEC Community Service team for a third consecutive season. Outfielder Ciara Briggs was placed on the 2024 NFCA South All-Region Second Team, and the All-SEC First Team, utility pitcher Kelley Lynch was listed on the 2024 NFCA South All-Region Third Team and All-SEC Second Team, infielder Raeleen Gutierrez made the 2024 NFCA South All-Region Third Team and SEC All-Defensive Team, and shortstop Taylor Pleasants was placed on the 2024 NFCA South All-Region Third Team.

In 2023, LSU earned the No. 10 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament to mark its 17th consecutive tournament appearance and 24th appearance overall. The Tigers boasted a 42-17 record for the program’s sixth 40-plus win season over a nine-year span. LSU led the SEC with 489 hits with a .312 batting average which ranked No. 3 in the SEC. The Tigers’ batting average and .393 on-base percentage both ranked No. 5 in the program’s single season record book.

In the circle, the Tigers pitching staff had a 2.09 ERA which sat No. 3 in the conference, and the Tiger’s defense was elite, featuring a .975 fielding percentage that ranks No. 2 in the record book, and had the fewest errors in program history at 41.

Outfielder Ciara Briggs became the first athlete in college softball to be honored as a Gold Glove Award winner in back-to-back seasons and was named to the NFCA South All-Region First Team, All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team. Sydney Berzon was honored as a NFCA All-American, becoming the first All-American freshman pitcher since 2015, while also earning a spot on the NFCA South All-Region First Team and All-SEC Second Team.

In addition to Berzon and Briggs, Danica Coffey, Ali Newland and Taylor Pleasants were tabbed to the NFCA South All-Region First Team for a program record, while Georgia Clark and Ali Kilponen earned NFCA South All-Region Second Team distinctions. LSU also set a program record with seven All-SEC postseason award winners, including Kilponen and Newland receiving All-SEC First Team honors, Berzon, Briggs, Pleasants and McKenzie Redoutey earning All-SEC Second Team honors, and Briggs, Raeleen Gutierrez, Pleasants and Redoutey being placed on the SEC All-Defensive Team. LSU’s four SEC All-Defensive Team winners matches a program record (2010).

The 2022 season saw the Tigers reach their 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance behind a 34-23 overall record. LSU finished the season with ranking No. 2 in the programs single season record book with 65 home runs and No. 5 in doubles (94), slugging percentage (.495) and walks (230). LSU ranked No. 13 in the NCAA in doubles and No. 39 in homers. The pitching staff only allowed one triple which is tied for the fifth fewest triples allowed in a season in LSU history. Outfielder Ciara Briggs became the first LSU softball student-athlete to win a Gold Glove Award at the collegiate level and was tabbed to the NFCA South All-Region First Team, the SEC All-Defensive team, and was an All-SEC Second Team selection. Joining Briggs on the NFCA All-Region team was Taylor Pleasants (first-team), Shelbi Sunseri (first-team), Ali Kilponen (second-team), Danieca Coffey (second-team) and Georgia Clark (third-team). Kilponen (first-team), Clark (second-team), Coffey (second-team) and Pleasants (second-team) were also honored as All-SEC selections.

In the 2021 season, the Tigers powered their way to their 15th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. LSU won the Baton Regional for the fifth consecutive time before falling to Florida State in the NCAA Super Regionals held in Baton Rouge. The Tigers finished the year ranked in the Top 15 nationally and logged an overall 35-22 record. LSU totaled 64 home runs which averaged out to 1.12 homers per game and was led in that category by NFCA All-American and SEC Newcomer of the Year Taylor Pleasants who belted 13 home runs in addition to a team-high 49 RBI to go along with a .316 batting average. Pleasants joined Aliyah Andrews as an All-American honoree. Andrews led the team with a .365 batting average, 70 hits, 46 runs and 27 stolen bases (No. 29 in the NCAA). Andrews capped her career with 145 career stolen bases, ranking No. 2 in program history behind Dee Douglas (155, 1998-2001). Outfielder Ciara Briggs joined Pleasants on the All-SEC Newcomer Team, while Shelbi Sunseri accompanied Andrews on the All-SEC Defensive Team to round out the 2021 SEC postseason awards.

In a shortened 2020 season, the top ten Tigers finished 21-3 and led the nation in ERA (0.95). Shelby Wickersham, who earned CoSIDA Academic All-America, led the Tigers with the second-best ERA in the nation at 0.40. The Tigers were undefeated at home, going 18-0 and Torina recorded her 500th career win – a 12-0 no-hitter against Sam Houston State on Feb. 21. A day later, Maribeth Gorsuch threw the first seven-inning perfect game in program history. Gorsuch faced the minimum 21 batters and threw 21 first-pitch strikes. She struck out a career-high 16 including eight straight from the second through fourth innings.

The Tigers finished 2019 in the Top 10 for the fifth-straight season, finishing with a 43-19 overall mark. They made their 21st appearance in the NCAA Tournament, winning the Baton Rouge Region for the fourth straight year. Amanda Sanchez and Shelbi Sunseri both picked up NFCA All-American honors. Sanchez transferred in and made a significant impact in her final season, recording a .354 batting average with nine home runs, 16 doubles, a .627 slugging percentage and 54 RBI. The Tigers broke the single-season home run record, tallying 74 on the season. Shelbi Sunseri and Shemiah Sanchez both led the way in the home run category as they each finished the year with 17 apiece. In the first weekend of the season, the Tigers recorded a total of 73 runs in six games, marking it the most runs scored in the first six games in program history and the most scored in any six-game stretch. On the year, the Tigers picked up five SEC weekly honors and one national weekly honor. Amanda Sanchez picked up SEC and NFCA weekly honors in the same week after hitting .700 against No. 16 South Carolina. The Tigers finished the year with a .303 batting average which was 43 points higher than 2018. Along with both Sanchez’s earning All-SEC honors, Shelby Wickersham and Savannah Stewart were both named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

The 2018 season saw the second most home wins in school history with a total of 35 in Tiger Park. The Tigers made their 20th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, winning the Baton Rouge Regional for the third straight season. A pair of Tiger greats in Allie Walljasper and Carley Hoover earned NFCA All-American honors. Walljasper, who threw the longest game in SEC history (19 innings), became the third player and second pitcher in program history to earn three All-American honors in her career. Over the last four seasons, the Tigers have been one of only two pitching staffs in the nation to rank in the top 15 of national ERA and one of only three programs in the nation to earn at least five All-American pitching honors over the four seasons.

The 2017 season was another one for the books as the Tigers went to their third-consecutive Women’s College World Series. The Tigers hosted their fourth regional under Torina before taking on Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional. The Tigers toppled a national seed for the third time in program history on the road in the Super Regional Round.

With the second toughest strength of schedule in the nation in 2017, Torina led the Tigers to their 11th appearance in the SEC Championships and the second-straight under Torina. The season marked the sixth-straight year at least two pitchers have recorded 10 wins, every year since Torina’s arrival in Baton Rouge. It was the fourth season that the pitching staff had an ERA below 2.00.

The Tigers earned many honors along the way. It was the second time in program history that teammates earned First Team All-American honors in Sahvanna Jaquish and Bailey Landry. Jaquish became the first four-time All-American in program history. The Tigers have earned at least one All-American honor for a program-record of nine-straight years.

The 2016 season saw the Tigers return one of the most experienced teams in the country at virtually every position as LSU, beginning and ending the season as the third ranked team in the nation, finished the year with a 52-18 overall record, winning 50 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2006 and 2007.

After earning another regional hosting bid, LSU swept through the Baton Rouge regional earning wins against LIU Brooklyn, McNeese State and Arizona State. The Tigers then went on the road to James Madison, and in dramatic fashion became the 15th team in the super regional era, and fifth team on the road, to drop the first game and go on to win the next two to advance to Oklahoma City. The 2016 WCWS appearance marked the first time in program history that the team earned back-to-back berths at the WCWS. The Tigers played the nation’s sixth toughest schedule in 2016 en route to winning 31 games at home.

In the SEC, the Tigers earned series wins over WCWS participants Alabama and Georgia, while closing the conference slate with a pair of sweeps over South Carolina and Arkansas, winning eight of their final nine league games to finish 13-11. It set up the Tigers for a run in the 2016 SEC Softball Tournament, where the team got a walk-off win against Texas A&M in the opener, before earning wins over Kentucky and Tennessee to reach the final.

Bianka Bell and Carley Hoover were both named All-SEC. Bell earned first team honors for the second-straight season, while Hoover landed on the second team. LSU had the most representatives on the NFCA All-South Region Team of any other university in the region, getting Bell, Hoover, Sahvanna Jaquish, Sandra Simmons, Kellsi Kloss, Bailey Landry and Allie Walljasper.

Jaquish and Bell were both of LSU’s NFCA All-American selections. Jaquish became the third LSU player to be named a three-time All-American, while Bell earned the nod for the second consecutive year.

The 2015 season, one of the greatest seasons in program history, culminated with LSU hosting a Super Regional at Tiger Park for the first time. LSU capped the 2015 season with back-to-back victories over Arizona, which sent the Tigers to the Women’s College World Series for the second time under Torina.

The season started off with a 25-game winning streak, which is the best start to a season in the program’s history and the longest winning streak in program history. The streak was also the best start to a season in LSU athletics history and second best streak in among any sport at LSU.

The Tigers ascended to its first ever No. 1 ranking during the year, holding the top spot for three weeks en route to the first 50-win season for the group since 2007. During the 2015 season, the Tigers won 21 games against ranked opponents and 38 games at home, both program records.

The team set season records in team batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, RBI and total bases in 2015. The pitching staff set a program record for saves and allowed the fewest doubles in program history.

After originally being picked fourth in the preseason, LSU finished that way by the end as it hosted the 2015 SEC Tournament for the first time since the new Tiger Park opened. The Tigers finished the SEC slate with a 15-9 record against league competition, the third time under Torina that an LSU team has won at least 15 league games in a season.

The season awards came in like a tidal wave for the Tigers as a record five LSU players were named NFCA All-Americans with Bianka Bell earning first team honors, Bailey Landry and Sahvanna Jaquish earning second team honors and freshmen Carley Hoover and Allie Walljasper being third team selections.

Bell was one of four first team All-SEC selections along with Hoover, Jaquish and Kellsi Kloss. Landry and A.J. Andrews were second team picks. Hoover and Emily Griggs were named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, while Sandra Simmons landed on the SEC All-Defensive Team.

For the first time since becoming the head coach at LSU, Torina was named the LSWA Louisiana Coach of the Year, while Bell was named the Louisiana Hitter of the Year and Hoover earned the Louisiana Pitcher of the Year.

Torina’s third year at the helm proved to be defining in many ways, as the 2014 squad incorporated an influx of youthful talent into an already experienced squad which led to 38 wins and a trip to the NCAA Tucson Regional final, LSU’s eighth consecutive trip to the postseason.The Tigers played the second toughest schedule in the country, with 19 wins against teams ranked in the top 25 of the RPI.

The Tigers finished the SEC slate in the tie for sixth place after going 13-11 in the now division-less conference, earning a win in the SEC tournament for the first time since the 2010 season before being sent to Arizona to grab wins against the Wildcats, Louisville and Boston.

Sahvanna Jaquish earned NFCA All-American honors for her outstanding freshman campaign, becoming the fifth player in program history named to the second team list. Jaquish belted a single-season program record 17 home runs and collected a team-best 55 RBI. It was the fifth consecutive year an LSU player was honored as an All-American.

Along with being named to the NFCA All-South Region first team along with Bianka Bell, Jaquish was one of four players to earn All-SEC honors as she was first team, while A.J. Andrews was placed on the second team. Baylee Corbello and Bailey Landry were also selected to the SEC All-Freshman team.

LSU raced out to a 14-1 start in 2013 which was the program’s best start to a season since 2007. Playing one of the nation’s toughest schedules, the Tigers claimed 12 victories over Top 25 opponents and spent a majority of the season ranked inside the nation’s Top 15. It was the LSU’s highest win total over ranked opponents dating back to the 2006 season.

LSU returned to the top of the SEC’s Western Division and clinched the program’s ninth division crown with a three-game sweep over Alabama that featured three one-run victories. The final two games of the series were played in-front of the two-largest crowds in Tiger Park history.

A.J. Andrews and Rachele Fico earned NFCA All-American accolades. The last time LSU had two players garner Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American status during the same season was 2007.

Fico took home NFCA All-American First-Team honors for the second straight season. She joined Ashlee Ducote and Britni Sneed as the only two NFCA All-American First-Team selections in program history. Fico was a USA Softball Top 25 Player of the Year finalist, a Top 10 finalist for the Senior Class Award and picked up the NFCA’s National Player of the Week award on April 30 after two wins during LSU’s sweep of Alabama.

Fico’s 24 wins in the circle was the highest total for a LSU pitcher since Dani Hofer tallied 24 wins in 2007. She twirled 10 shutouts to rank tied for 10th nationally. The right-hander racked up 232 strikeouts and matched the SEC’s single-game record held by Tennessee’s Monica Abbott with 22 Ks against Mississippi State.

LSU had five players secure All-SEC accolades with Andrews (First Team), Jacee Blades (Second Team), Bianka Bell (Second Team, Freshmen Team), Fico (Second Team, Team) and Kellsi Kloss (Freshmen Team). Bell became the second player in LSU history to collect the SEC’s Freshman of the Year award.

Andrews registered a .353 batting average on 71 hits, the program’s highest totals since Kirsten Shortridge’s All-American campaign in 2010. Bell connected for 12 home runs, tied for third-most in program history for a single season.

The 2012 WCWS berth was the program’s third overall appearance on college softball’s biggest stage and program’s first since 2004. The Tigers are only one of three teams since the current regional/super regional format that was adopted in 2005 to knock off a pair of seeded teams in No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 9 Missouri on the road to Oklahoma City.

In 2012, Torina guided the LSU pitching staff to a stifling 1.58 staff ERA which tied for second-lowest in the SEC. The 1-2 punch of Rachele Fico and Brittany Mack amassed 36 of LSU’s 40 victories during 2012 in the circle.

Fico garnered 20 victories, a stout 1.12 ERA, racked up 221 strikeouts, limited opponents to a .183 batting average and tossed 13 shutouts over 230.1 innings. Her 1.12 ERA and 13 shutouts were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the NCAA rankings.

Mack created and championed the “Geaux Play” program where new or gently used sports equipment was donated at home games to benefit the Miracle League Association at Cypress Mounds. She was named a Lowe’s Senior Class Award Top 30 Finalist and the SEC’s Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year, the first time a LSU softball player has received that award.

Fico and Mack finished their careers as two of LSU’s most decorated hurlers. The duo combined for 134 victories and 1,399 strikeouts during their careers. They are two of the six pitchers in program history to account for 600-plus Ks.

Both Mack (2012) and Fico (2013) went onto become the first overall draft picks in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League during consecutive years. Mack played her first season with the USSSA Florida Pride under Torina before the pair was reunited with the Akron Racers in 2013.

Torina spent three seasons with the Pride as an assistant coach (2010) followed by a two-year run as head coach (2011-12). During her tenure, the organization captured the 2012 Ringer Cup trophy awarded to the league’s regular season champion and won the 2010 NPF championship. The Pride roster featured multiple Olympians which includes ESPN softball analyst Jessica Mendoza along with Caitlin Lowe and Natasha Watley.

Before joining the LSU program in June 2011, Torina took Florida International of the Sun Belt Conference to new heights. The two-time SBC Coach of the Year led the Golden Panthers to a 129-111 record in four seasons and directed FIU to its first NCAA Tournament victory in 2010.

The 2010 campaign saw the Golden Panthers sweep the SBC postseason awards as Kasey Barrett was the league’s Pitcher of the Year, Ashley McClain was tabbed Player of the Year and Brie Rojas garnered Freshman of the Year status.

Individually, Torina coached 10 players to 14 All-SBC selections sparked by Jessy Alfonso and McClain, who have picked up All-SBC First-Team honors during each of the last two seasons. McClain also has collected 2010 and 2011 NFCA All-South Region First-Team accolades.

Torina spent five seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Houston from 2003-07. The Cougars claimed the 2007 Conference USA regular season and tournament titles. One of her most prized recruits, Angel Shamblin, went on to become a two-time C-USA Pitcher of the Year, an NFCA All-South Region selection and a 2008 NFCA All-American. In addition to Shamblin, Torina saw seven UH hurlers receive All-Conference USA accolades during her tenure.

Torina began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Stetson University from 2000-02, leaving her mark on the Hatters’ softball program after helping lead the 2001 squad to a share of the regular season Atlantic Sun Conference championship. Torina’s pitchers set a quartet of school records, including wins (45), shutouts (20), strikeouts (385) and strikeouts per seven innings (6.70).

Torina earned her B.S. in health sciences and occupational therapy from Florida in 2000. During her playing career with the Gators, she was a member of the 1998 Southeastern Conference regular season championship team as the squad’s top pitcher. She posted 60 career wins, which currently ranks tied for fourth in the UF record book. In the classroom, Torina was a GTE Academic All-America and a finalist for the 2000 H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Torina has established an active community service function within the softball program as the Tigers regularly visit hospitals and schools in the Baton Rouge area. She is personally involved in several philanthropic causes highlighted by the program’s annual “Strikeout Ovarian Cancer” event where LSU wears teal jerseys to celebrate survivors and support the cause of spreading ovarian cancer awareness. Torina’s mother, Betty Dieter, is an ovarian cancer survivor, and Torina was awarded the NFCA 2024 Humanitarian Award for her tireless work raising awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research.

In 2013, the inaugural “Geaux Teal Ovarian Cancer Walk” was added to the Teal weekend’s slate of events. In its initial year, the walk began at Tiger Park and rose close to $15,000 for ovarian cancer research. The organization has raised over $350,000 since its inaugural year. Torina serves on the committee of women from Baton Rouge to New Orleans with connections to ovarian cancer, either as a survivor or having lost a family member to the deadly disease. The organization has set records in both number of attendees and funds raised in each of their first eight years. 1,080 attendees celebrated loved ones at the 2019 event. The organization promoted “Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month” and received a proclamation from Governor Bobby Jindal during September 2013. The organization held their first virtual event in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Torina and her husband, Nick, were married in January 2010. The couple has three daughters Taryn, Tatum and Tenley. They currently reside in Baton Rouge.

The Beth Torina File

Softball History

Years, School (Notes)
1997-2000, University of Florida pitcher (1998 SEC Championship Team)
2000-02, Stetson University Assistant Coach (2001 Atlantic Sun Regular Season Champions)
2003-07, University of Houston Assistant Coach (Two NCAA Regionals, 2007 Conference USA Champions)
2008-11, Florida International University Head Coach (2010 NCAA Regionals)
2012-Present, LSU Head Coach (13 NCAA Regional berths, Eight NCAA Super Regional berths, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Women’s College World Series berths)

Coaching W/L Records

Career Totals: 707-364 (18 Years)

Head Coach – LSU

Year – Record
2025 – 42-16
2024 – 44-17
2023 – 42-17
2022 – 34-23
2021 – 35-22
2020 – 21-3
2019 – 43-19
2018 – 45-17
2017 – 48-22
2016 – 52-18
2015 – 52-14
2014 – 38-24
2013 – 42-16
2012 – 40-25
LSU Totals: 578-253  (14 Years)

Head Coach – FIU
Year Record
2011 – 31-27
2010 – 38-21
2009 – 31-29
2008 – 29-34
FIU Totals: 129-111 (4 Years)