LAKE CHARLES, La. — Riding an eight-game winning streak, the 13th-ranked LSU softball team travels to face in-state rival McNeese State in a single game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Cowgirl Diamond.
After a series sweep of Southeastern Conference rival Ole Miss last weekend, the Tigers (24-3) are off to their best start in school history. LSU remained steady in the ESPN/USA Softball poll this week after moving up six spots a week ago. The Cowgirls are 8-12 on the year after sweeping Prairie View A&M in a doubleheader last weekend.
“We are looking forward to making the trip to Lake Charles and playing a very scrappy McNeese State team,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Hopefully we will be able to execute more facets of our game leading up to our crucial SEC series with Georgia at home this weekend.”
LSU sophomore Vanessa Soto leads the Tigers with a .435 average on the season, which ranks fourth in the SEC. In addition, she leads the team with nine doubles, three home runs and 28 RBIs.
Junior Leslie Klein and senior Stephanie Hill are also sporting batting average above .400 for the year. Klein is hitting at a .413 clip with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs with 24 RBIs. Hill comes in at .403 with eight doubles and three home runs.
As a team, LSU his batting at a remarkable .350 clip for the season, second best in the league. Six players top the .300 batting average, while the Tigers lead the SEC with a .523 slugging percentage.
Freshman Dani Hofer leads the team with an 8-2 record and 78 strikeouts, with her only losses coming against No. 3 UCLA and No. 5 Stanford. In 12 appearances, she has thrown 10 complete games with three complete-game shutouts and a no-hitter for a 1.12 earned run average.
Junior Emily Turner stands at 7-1 on the season with her only loss to No. 8 Oregon State. Boasting an 0.59 ERA, she has recorded six complete-game shutouts in her eight appearances with 55 strikeouts and only nine walks. Sophomore Megan Jolly remains with a spotless 0.00 earned run average and a 4-0 mark, while sophomore Tiffany Garcia is 5-0 with an 0.24 ERA.
The Cowgirls are hitting .265 as a team this season. McNeese State is led by Rachael Phillips with a .317 average, including three doubles and two home runs with 10 RBIs. Kristi Hanan leads the Cowgirls with 16 RBIs, while recording five doubles, three triples and two homers.
Jessica Denham leads the Cowgirls in the circle with a 3-7 record in 11 appearances with a team-best 2.77 earned run average. Rachel Hodlik has also recorded three wins on the season for a 3-4 overall mark in nine appearances. As a team, McNeese State comes in with a 3.81 earned run average with one shutout and 107 strikeouts.
LSU is 12-0 all-time against McNeese State, including a 2-0 record in Lake Charles. The Tigers have outscored the Cowgirls, 64-12, in their previous 12 meetings, including five shutouts. Last season, LSU topped McNeese, 11-1, in five innings in Baton Rouge in the first meeting since 2001. Girouard is 62-21 all-time against the Cowgirls, including a 3-0 record while with the Tigers.
This weekend, the Tigers return home to face nationally ranked Georgia. LSU will take on the defending SEC champions in a three-game series at Tiger Park beginning with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. The first game of the series will be televised on Cox Sports Television in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37.