NORMAN, Okla. — The 19th-ranked LSU softball team takes to the road again this weekend for the Norman Residence Inn Invitational to face No. 10 Oklahoma and Troy in the two-day tournament.
The Tigers (17-3) begin play on Saturday at noon against the Lady Trojans before facing the nationally ranked Sooners at 2:15 p.m. Live video for the Oklahoma game on Saturday will be available in the Geaux Zone powered by USAgencies on LSUsports.net. LSU will conclude tournament play on Sunday against Troy at 10 a.m. and against Oklahoma at 12:15 p.m.
“Another difficult task for us on the road,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We open up with a Troy team that pulled off an upset of Michigan a few nights ago, so they certainly have our attention. We also get perennial softball power Oklahoma on their on field. They will be a formidable opponent for us. We are just trying to play well and assure ourselves of hitting on all cylinders before we open up SEC play next week.”
Off to their second best start in school history, the Tigers boast a .359 team batting average, with 44 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs. Seven of LSU’s nine starters are hitting over .400 on the season, including three with averages over .400.
In the circle, LSU has been equally as impressive. In 20 games, the Tigers have allowed only 15 runs, with 10 earned, for a 0.57 earned run average. In addition to the 13 complete-game shutouts, LSU is allowing opponents to hit just .140 against them.
Freshman Dani Hofer has a 5-2 record with a 0.92 ERA, while sophomores Megan Jolly and Tiffany Garcia have spotless 0.00 ERAs.
The 10th-ranked Sooners enter the tournament with a 13-4-1 record, after falling to Oklahoma City on Thursday, 6-5. Oklahoma is led by Kristin Vessely at the plate with a .509 batting average, while Nicole Denes is 5-1 with a 3.41 ERA in the circle. The 2000 national champion, LSU is 4-2 all-time against the Sooners, winning four of its last five meetings.
Troy is 11-4 on the season after defeating defending national champion Michigan earlier in the week. The Lady Trojans have won five straight and six of their last seven. Troy is led by Stacey Dwyer with a .333 average and Angela Lopez with a 5-1 record and 2.48 ERA. In their only previous meeting, the Tigers defeated the Lady Trojans, 6-1, in 1997.
This will be the first time LSU has participated in the Norman Residence Inn Invitational, but the second time the Tigers have participated at an Oklahoma tournament. LSU went 3-2 in the 2000 OU/Worth Invitational in Norman, Okla. The Tigers defeated Wichita State, 13-5, No. 3 Oklahoma, 3-0, and UTSA, 3-2 in 11 innings. LSU’s two losses were to No. 12 Southern Miss, 2-1, and Colorado State, 4-2.