BATON ROUGE — After a pair of Southeastern Conference road series to open league play, the 19th-ranked LSU softball team returns home to open conference action at Tiger Park this weekend against No. 10 Alabama in a three-game series beginning with a single game on Friday at 6 p.m.
The first game of the series will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Network in Baton Rouge on Country Legends 107.3 FM and on the internet on LSUsports.net. The doubleheader on Saturday, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., will be simulcast on The X – 104.5 and 104.9 FM in Baton Rouge, while the first game will also be televised on Cox Sports Television in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37.
The Tigers (17-8, 1-5 SEC) are looking to rebound from a disappointing conference start on the road. The Crimson Tide (33-7, 6-3 SEC) are coming off a mid-week series win over nationally ranked Auburn. Despite the slow start, LSU is only three and a half games behind Alabama and Auburn in first place for the SEC Western Division lead, since every team in the West has at least three losses.
Having played the Crimson Tide more than any opponent in school history, the Tigers have posted a 24-15 all-time record against Alabama, including an 11-3 record at home. LSU was 4-0 against the Crimson Tide last season, as the Tigers swept the series in Tuscaloosa and won a second round game in the SEC Tournament, also in Tuscaloosa.
“Whenever you talk about the Tigers and the Crimson Tide, it is always a battle on the softball field,” said head coach Yvette Girouard. “It has been a great series since the SEC started softball nine years ago. We had an outstanding series against them last year, but it is a new season. We need to take this opportunity to get back on the positive track.”
While the Tigers have a team with nine freshmen, including three to five starters, and no seniors, the Crimson Tide come in with 10 upperclassmen, including seven seniors. LSU returned eight players from the Women’s College World Series team in 2004, while Alabama returned 13 players from a squad that advanced to the NCAA Regional finals last season.
“Alabama brings in a senior laden team,” said Girouard. “(Head coach) Pat (Murphy) expects great things from his team and we will have our hands full all weekend.”
Junior Lauren Castle leads the Tigers with a .419 batting average, while freshman Quilan Duhon boasts a .413 batting average and a team best seven home runs. Freshman Vanessa Soto leads LSU with 12 doubles and 29 RBIs, while hitting at a .381 clip, and junior Camille Harris hits at .397 on the season with 11 stolen bases.
As a team, the Tigers are hitting at a .336 clip on the year, second best in the SEC. LSU has recorded 52 doubles, five triples and 23 home runs for a league-leading .533 slugging percentage. In addition, the Tigers are 42-of-47 in stolen base attempts and boast a .973 fielding percentage.
In the circle, sophomore Emily Turner leads the way with an 8-4 record and a 1.94 earned run average. The Chula Vista, Calif., native has posted 84 strikeouts and a pair of shutouts while opponents hit just .177 against her. With a 2.00 team ERA, LSU has recorded seven complete-game shutouts and is averaging almost seven strikeouts a game.
Ashley Courtney leads the Crimson Tide with a .378 batting average, eight doubles, five triples and 23 RBIs. As a team, Alabama is batting .287 on the season with 45 doubles, 13 triples and 29 home runs.
Stephanie VanBrakle is the ace of the Crimson Tide staff, coming in with a 14-4 record and a 1.51 earned run average with 150 strikeouts. Crissy Owens has made 21 appearances, mostly in relief, and has posted a 7-1 record with a 1.07 ERA. As a team, Alabama has a 1.71 ERA with 318 strikeouts in 266 innings of work.