BATON ROUGE — Seniors Lauren Castle and Stephanie Hill have been selected as the team captains for the 2006 LSU softball team, it was announced by head coach Yvette Girouard on Monday.
Hill is a three-year letterwinner for the Tigers after walking on to the squad in 2003, while Castle is a two-year letterwinner after transferring to LSU from UL-Lafayette after her freshman season. Both were valuable member of the Tigers’ 2004 Women’s College World Series team and have been a part of an SEC Championship and SEC Tournament championship.
“Lauren and Stephanie are excellent choices to be the leaders of this years LSU softball team,” said Girouard, who was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame earlier this month. “Both women possess a burning desire and a passion to play and represent the purple and gold.”
The pair have been key to the dominant LSU offense over the last two seasons, which broke Tiger single-season records for hits, runs scored, home runs and RBIs in 2004. A year ago, Castle and Hill tied for the team lead with identical .367 batting averages, as each posted a team-best 19 multiple-hit games.
While also leading the team in hits in 2005 and posting a team-best .367 batting average in 2004, Castle was named an Easton second-team All-American in 2005 after earning third-team honors in 2004. A two-time NFCA first-team All-South Region selection, the designated player from Lafayette ranks fifth in career multiple-hit games in LSU history. Last season, she broke the LSU single-game record for hits with a 5-for-5 performance against Mississippi State.
In two seasons as a Tiger, she has a .367 career batting average with 146 hits, 22 doubles, three triples and five home runs. In addition, she has scored 81 times, knocked in 63 runs and recorded 30 walks.
Despite recording only five at-bats as a freshman, Hill is now ranked seventh in career home runs and eighth in career RBIs in LSU history. The first baseman from Harahan earned third-team Easton All-America honors in 2005 after earning NFCA second-team All-South Region honors in 2004. An outstanding student, Hill is a two-time first-team academic all-district selection and in 2005 earned first-team Academic All-America honors while double majoring in political science and finance.
For her career, she has a .339 batting average with 129 hits, 66 runs scored, 18 doubles and 20 home runs while knocking in 87 runs. In addition, she has recorded 35 walks with a .983 fielding percentage, which ranks sixth in LSU history.
“These players are about what is good in college athletics: dedicated student athletes who represent the team, their institution and their families with grace, dignity and fierce competitiveness,” said Girouard.
LSU will begin the 2006 season with the Purple and Gold Challenge from Feb. 10-12 at Tiger Park. The Tigers will begin play against Stephen F. Austin at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 10. LSU will also take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Northwestern State and South Dakota State in the three-day tournament.