COLUMBUS, Ga. – The fifth-ranked LSU softball team will take part in the prestigious Natonal Fastpitch Coaches Association Lead-Off Classic Friday through Sunday.
The tournament consists of 24 teams where the Tigers will face No. 14 Michigan, No. 19 Hawaii and Boston College in pool play and then move to the gold, silver or bronze bracket based on the outcome.
The Tigers will face Boston College at 1:30 and Michigan at 4:00 on Friday and Hawaii at 11:30 on Saturday.
LSU is 13-2 going into the tournament and may see No. 1 Washington or Texas if bracket play goes that way. The Tigers saw both teams at the Texas Invitational. LSU split with Washington, beating them 4-2, but then losing to them 4-1, and defeated Texas 6-2 in eight innings with a grand slam by Ashlee Ducote.
This past weekend, the Tigers won the championship of the Purple and Gold Challenge held at Tiger Park, going 4-1 on the weekend. LSU defeated No. 10 Southern Miss 4-3 when Southeastern Conference Player of the Week Ashley Lewis hit her first home run of the season to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. She then picked up the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the eighth to win the game.
The Tigers also beat Baylor 10-0 in five innings and 8-4 in the semi-final game and defeated Alabama A&M 8-0 in five innings. The only loss was to Southern Miss, 4-1.
LSU will begin the regular season at home on March 15 with a double-header against Southeastern Louisiana and Sam Houston State.