BATON ROUGE — Coming off a sweep of four top 10 opponents on their way to the NFCA Leadoff Classic championship last weekend, the fifth-ranked LSU softball team prepares to open Southeastern Conference play against Mississippi State on Wednesday with a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. at Tiger Park.
After their 6-0 effort last week, the Tigers (18-3) moved up eight spots, from No. 13 to No. 5, in the ESPN/USA Softball poll released on Tuesday. The ranking is the highest for LSU in the ESPN/USA Softball poll since it was established last season. LSU has now won 13 consecutive games and 15 of their last 16. Mississippi State enters the series on a three-game win streak and stands at 16-6 on the year.
The three-game series against the Bulldogs will kick off live radio coverage by the LSU Sports Network. In Baton Rouge, the games will be broadcast on Jam’n 107.3 FM. The games can also be heard on the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
“We are very excited to start SEC play at home,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We face an always tough Mississippi State team, which always swings the bat well. They bring in the 2003 SEC Player of the Year in Iyhia McMichael, so it should be a tremendous series to watch. We hope to have a good crowd at Tiger Park to kick off what will be a grueling conference season.”
The series will match up the last two national players of the week in LSU’s Kristin Schmidt and MSU’s McMichael. Schmidt, the reigning player of the week, recorded a 4-0 record last week, including wins over No. 3 California, No. 4 Washington, No. 10 Florida State and Florida Atlantic, while being named the NFCA Leadoff Classic’s Most Valuable Player. McMichael, who won the award two weeks ago, hit .737 with a 1.737 slugging percentage in six games.
This weeks pairing will also feature the leagues two most powerful offensive teams. The Tigers lead the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, hits, runs scored, RBIs and home runs. The Bulldogs are close behind, leading the league in triples and ranking second in batting average, slugging percentage, hits and RBIs.
LSU holds a commanding lead in the series, 22-3, including an 8-1 record at Tiger Park. Last season, the Tigers took 2-of-3 from the Bulldogs in Starkville, winning the first two games before falling in the finale.
The Mississippi State series will conclude with a single game on Thursday at 4 p.m. The Tigers will then travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the Lady Vols in a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon (CST). The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at noon (CST).
Tennessee features freshman pitcher Monica Abbott, who was also tabbed as the national player of the week this season. Boasting a 17-1 record, she leads the SEC in wins and strikeouts this season.