GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The LSU softball team remains on the road this weekend as the Tigers take on 16th-ranked Florida in a three-game Southeastern Conference series at the Florida Softball Field beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon (CT).
The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT). All three games can be heard on the LSU Sports Network in Baton Rouge on Country Legends 107.3 FM and on the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
Both teams are coming off of three-game series sweeps at the hands of Auburn on the road. LSU (27-18, 9-15 SEC) dropped three games in Auburn last weekend, while the Gators (36-16, 15-9 SEC) fell in their three-game series during the week.
The Tigers are currently tied for seventh place in the league standings, two games ahead of Ole Miss in ninth place, while Florida is in fifth place in the conference standings. The top eight teams in the league standings advance to the SEC Tournament in Gainesville in two weeks.
Stephanie Hill leads LSU at the plate this season with a .382 batting average, one of six Tigers hitting over .300 this season. The junior first baseman has recorded a career-best 12 doubles with five home runs and 26 RBIs. Junior Lauren Castle is hitting .377 on the season with 14 doubles, two triples and a home run with 24 RBIs, while junior Camille Harris is at .366 on the year with seven doubles, two triples and seven home runs.
As a team, LSU ranks third in the SEC with a .314 team average. The Tigers have recorded 83 doubles, the third most doubles per game in the NCAA this season, with seven triples and 30 home runs for a .471 slugging percentage. In addition, LSU has stolen 65 bases and recorded a .962 fielding percentage.
In their last 15 games, the Tigers are 10-5, including a series sweep of Ole Miss two weeks ago. Lauren Delahoussaye leads the team with a .405 batting average over that span with three doubles and eight RBIs. Hill is just behind Delahoussaye with a .390 average with six doubles and seven RBIs, while Leslie Klein is hitting .386 over the last 15 games with five doubles and 10 RBIs.
In the circle, sophomore Emily Turner leads LSU with a 14-12 record. The Chula Vista, Calif., native, has recorded a 2.67 earned run average with four complete-game shutouts and 156 strikeouts. Freshman Megan Jolly has been making her way back from a rib injury earlier in the season and is 2-0 in her last five appearances with an 0.60 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 23.1 innings. The Tigers have posted a 2.78 team ERA this season with 10 shutouts and 268 strikeouts.
Lindsey Cameron leads Florida with a .396 batting average, including a team-best 11 home runs and 39 RBIs, with nine doubles and 12 stolen bases. Four Gators are batting over .300 for the season as Florida has posted a .267 team average this season. The Gators have recorded 60 doubles, six triples and 37 home runs for a .405 slugging percentage.
Mandy Schuerman and Stacey Stevens lead Florida in the circle. Schuerman is 10-5 on the year with a 1.83 ERA, while Stevens is 21-10 this season with a 2.25 ERA with five complete-game shutouts and 187 strikeouts. The Gators have a team 2.13 ERA with 13 shutouts and 329 strikeouts this season.
LSU is 16-7 all-time against Florida, including a 5-3 record in Gainesville. The Tigers took 2-of-3 from the Gators in Baton Rouge last season. Head coach Yvette Girouard is 12-4 all-time against Florida, including an 11-4 record at LSU.
GAME FACTS: LSU (27-18, 9-15 SEC) vs. Florida (36-16, 15-9 SEC)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 30 at Noon (CT) (DH) and Sunday, May 1 at 11 a.m. (CT)
STADIUM: Florida Softball Field; Gainesville, Fla.
RADIO: LSU Sports Network (Country Legends 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge)
TELEVISION: None
INTERNET: Radio broadcast and live stats at www.LSUsports.net
SERIES RECORD: LSU leads 16-7