OXFORD, Miss. — Winners of five straight, the 13th-ranked LSU softball returns to the road to open Southeastern Conference play this weekend at Ole Miss, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. The second game of the doubleheader can be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network in Baton Rouge on The X – 104.5/104.9 and in the GeauxZone powered by USAgencies. The first game of the series will not be available due to conflicts with LSU men’s basketball and baseball.
“We are extremely excited about starting the conference schedule,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I think we are prepared and ready for the battle that is coming up over the next couple of months.”
The Tigers (21-3, 0-0 SEC) have matched the best start in school history, tying the 1998 and 2004 teams, and stand atop the SEC Western Division. The Rebels (7-14, 0-0 SEC) have won five of their last nine games after snapping a nine-game losing streak.
“We have a worthy opponent in Ole Miss,” said Girouard. “They have been on the road for several weeks and I’m sure they will be happy to be at home again in their newly remodeled stadium.”
Last weekend, LSU went into Norman, Okla., and swept the Norman Residence Inn Invitational. The Tigers defeated then No. 10-ranked Oklahoma twice and Troy, which had defeated defending national champion Michigan earlier in the week, twice. LSU’s three losses on the season have come to teams with a combined ranking of No. 17.
Sophomore Vanessa Soto leads LSU with a .483 batting average. The SEC Player of the Week also boasts a team-best nine doubles with three home runs and a team-leading 26 RBIs. Senior Stephanie Hill and junior Leslie Klein are behind Soto with .415 and .414 averages respectively. Hill has recorded eight doubles and three home runs with 14 RBIs, while Klein has six doubles, two triples and two home runs with 20 RBIs.
As a team, the Tigers lead the SEC with a .355 batting average for the season. LSU also leads the league with 48 doubles, 167 runs scored and 150 RBIs.
Freshman Lisa Conchos leads Ole Miss with a .371 batting average, while sophomore Lauren Rowe has the team’s only home runs of the season, boasting three and a team-best 13 RBIs. As a team the Rebels are hitting .239 on the season with only 30 extra base hits.
In the circle, sophomore Megan Jolly is 4-0 on the year with a spotless 0.00 earned run average, followed by sophomore Tiffany Garcia with a 5-0 record and a 0.24 ERA. Junior Emily Turner is 6-1 on the season with a 0.69 ERA, while freshman Dani Hofer is 6-2 with a 1.36 ERA and a team-best 70 strikeouts. As a team, LSU has an 0.75 ERA on the season with an SEC-best 15 shutouts, while holding opponents to a meager .146 batting average.
Senior Dana Brill leads Ole Miss in the circle with a 3-4 record and a 1.44 earned run average. Junior Mary Jane Callahan is 3-8 on the season with a 2.00 ERA. As a team the Rebels have recorded a 1.98 ERA with three shutouts and 114 strikeouts.
Last season the Tigers swept the three game series against Ole Miss, defeating the Rebels by two runs in all three games, 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2. LSU is 29-2 all-time against Ole Miss, including a 13-1 record in Oxford. The Tigers have won their last 22 consecutive meetings against the Rebels, dating back to a 2-1 loss on April 2, 1999 in Baton Rouge. Head coach Yvette Girouard is 19-0 all-time against Ole Miss, including a 15-0 record at LSU.
GAME FACTS:
No. 13 LSU (21-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. Ole Miss (7-14, 0-0 SEC)
DATE/TIME:
Saturday, March 11 at 3 p.m. (DH) and Sunday, March 12 at 1 p.m.
STADIUM:
Ole Miss Softball Complex
RADIO:
Saturday
Game 1 – LSU Sports Radio Network (The X – 104.5/104.9 FM in Baton Rouge) if the LSU men’s basketball team is not playing in the SEC Tournament;
Game 2 – LSU Sports Radio Network (The X – 104.5/104.9 FM in Baton Rouge).
Sunday
Game 3 – LSU Sports Network (The X – 104.5/104.9 FM in Baton Rouge) if the LSU men’s basketball team is not in the SEC Tournament championship game.
TELEVISION:
None
INTERNET:
Audio broadcast in the GeauxZone powered by USAgencies at www.LSUsports.net
Live stats free to the public.
SERIES RECORD:
LSU leads 29-2