LEXINGTON, Ky. — Having won 12 of their last 14 games, the 13th-ranked LSU softball team travels to face Kentucky in a three-game Southeastern Conference series this weekend, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon (CT) at the UK Softball Complex.
The Tigers (28-3, 4-2 SEC) are currently in second place in the SEC Western Division and are in a tie for third overall. The Wildcats stand at 14-17 on the season and are 2-7 in league play after taking 2-of-3 from South Carolina last weekend.
“We need to be mentally prepared to play because this is a different Wildcat team as evidenced by the series win over South Carolina in Columbia last weekend,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “They have a quality win over Washington and they have played some great games.”
The weather may also play a factor in the weekend series. With temperatures more reminiscent of winter than early spring, the Tigers are preparing to face the frigid high of 39 on Saturday with morning snow showers. This is extreme weather that LSU has not faced since the first weekend of the season.
“The weather will be a factor that will require endurance, but a factor that we understand we have to play through,” said Girouard. “On all fronts we will have to be mentally prepared to face the Wildcat crowd and a much improved Kentucky team.”
LSU will be going for the program’s 500th victory this weekend. Since the program was reinstated in 1997, the Tigers have won 498 games and need just two more wins to reach the 500-win plateau.
LSU would become just the second school in SEC play to reach the 500-win mark. South Carolina is the only other school to have 500 wins, but the Gamecocks have been playing softball since 1974.
Sophomore Vanessa Soto leads the Tigers and ranks in the top 10 in the league with a .435 batting average. In addition, she leads the SEC with 12 doubles, while standing in a four-way tie for the team lead with three home runs.
In addition, Soto is tied with Leslie Klein for the team lead with 29 RBIs. Klein ranks second on the team with a .388 average, while also having three home runs. She is tied for the team lead for triples with three for the season.
As a team, LSU is hitting .328 for the year with an SEC-best 60 doubles with eight triples and 19 home runs. In addition, the Tigers lead the league with 62 stolen bases and have a .967 fielding percentage.
Junior Emily Turner and freshman Dani Hofer lead the Tigers in the circle this season. Turner is 10-2 on the year with a 0.54 earned run average and eight complete-game shutouts. Hofer is 9-3 on the year with a 1.47 ERA and a team-best 87 strikeouts.
Megan Jolly remains the only pitcher in the SEC with a spotless 0.00 ERA, posting a 4-0 record with no earned runs in 25.1 innings pitched. Tiffany Garcia has a 0.45 ERA with a 5-0 record in 31.1 innings pitched for LSU. As a team, the Tigers have a 0.80 earned run average with 19 shutouts in 33 games while posting 232 strikeouts in 210.2 innings of work.
Meghan Cooper leads Kentucky at the plate with a .387 average, including five doubles, three triples and a home run, while Katie Campbell is tied for the team lead with four home runs and leads the Wildcats with 26 RBIs. As a team, Kentucky hits at a .275 clip for the year with 29 doubles, five triples and 14 home runs. The Wildcats have only stolen 21 bases this season while posting a .963 fielding percentage.
In the circle, Jessica Trueblood leads Kentucky with a 5-7 record and a 2.58 earned run average, while Amy Kendall is 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA. As a team, the Wildcats have 3.02 earned run average and have recorded 131 strikeouts in 171.2 innings with three shutouts.
LSU leads the overall series with the Wildcats, 20-1, with the only loss coming last season. The Tigers are also 8-0 in Lexington. LSU head coach Yvette Girouard is 14-1 all-time against Kentucky, with all 15 meetings coming while with the Tigers.
The series will conclude on Sunday with a single game beginning at noon (CT). LSU will then return home for a mid-week game against Centenary next Wednesday before hosting SEC-rival South Carolina next weekend.
GAME FACTS:
No. 13 LSU Tigers (28-5, 4-2 SEC) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (14-17, 2-7 SEC)
DATE/TIME:
Saturday, March 25 – Noon (CT)/2 p.m. (CT)
Sunday, March 26 – Noon (CT)
RANKINGS:
LSU (#13 NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, #14 ESPN/USA Softball Poll)
Kentucky (Not Ranked)
STADIUM:
UK Softball Complex (1,000)
RADIO:
None.
TELEVISION:
None.
INTERNET:
Live stats of games at www.LSUsports.net
SERIES RECORD:
LSU leads 20-1.