BATON ROUGE — The 11th-ranked LSU softball team carries a seven-game winning streak into the weekend as the Tigers host Southeastern Conference rival South Carolina in a three-game series at Tiger Park beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and concluding with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
All three games will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network in Baton Rouge on The X – 104.5/104.9 FM. The broadcasts can also be heard in the GeauxZone powered by USAgencies on LSUsports.net. The final game of the series will be televised on SEC-TV in Baton Rouge on FSN Southwest, cable channel 38.
“We invite all Tiger fans to come out and join us as we kick off one of the most anticipated weekends in LSU sports history,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We hope the fans will come out to Tiger Park on both days to support our team before they head out to root for the men’s and women’s basketball teams in the Final Four.”
After a run-rule win over Centenary on Wednesday, LSU enters the weekend at 32-5 overall and 7-2 in SEC play, while the Gamecocks are 22-14 for the season and 2-7 in league play. The Tigers currently stand in second place in the league overall, two games behind Alabama, while South Carolina is in ninth, seven games back of the Crimson Tide.
LSU has tied its best start through 37 games in school history. The Tigers have posted identical 32-5 marks that the 1997 and 1998 teams recorded, besting both the 31-6 mark of the 2001 Women’s College World Series team and the 30-7 mark of the 2004 WCWS team.
The Gamecocks dropped a mid-week doubleheader to Virginia Tech after winning 1-of-3 at No. 22 Mississippi State last weekend. South Carolina also won 1-of-3 against Kentucky the weekend before after being swept by Alabama to open league play.
“We are glad to be back at home for an SEC series,” said Girouard. “This is always a great rivalry against the oldest softball program in the conference and it’s sure to be a great weekend.”
Sophomore Vanessa Soto leads LSU with a .417 batting average on the season, including an SEC-best 13 doubles with three home runs and 31 RBIs. Junior Leslie Klein is just behind her with a .405 average, with nine doubles, three triples, four home runs and 12 stolen bases, while leading the team with 34 RBIs.
With three players hitting at least .400 and six players batting over .300, the Tigers are hitting at a .334 clip for the season with an SEC-best 68 doubles, eight triples, 24 home runs and 72 stolen bases. In addition, LSU has a .967 fielding percentage, committing just 31 errors in almost 950 chances this season.
Lisa Longo leads South Carolina with a .303 batting average, including four doubles, two triples, three home runs and 15 RBIs. She is the only Gamecock hitting over .300 for the season. McKenna Hughes leads South Carolina with 10 doubles and is tied for the team lead with four home runs, while leading the team with 18 RBIs.
As a team, South Carolina is hitting at a .246 clip for the season with 39 doubles, four triples and 14 home runs. The Gamecocks have also recorded 21 stolen bases and posted a team .957 fielding percentage.
LSU has been impressive in the circle this year. Emily Turner leads the Tigers with a 12-2 record and a 0.53 earned run average. With eight complete-game shutouts, she has also recorded 93 strikeouts with only seven earned runs in over 90 innings of work. Dani Hofer has gotten the second most work on the team and has an 11-3 record with a 1.54 ERA. The freshman has posted 108 strikeouts with four shutouts in over 86 innings.
Megan Jolly leads the SEC with a spotless 0.00 ERA and 4-0 record, while Tiffany Garcia is second in the league with a 0.45 earned run average and a 5-0 record. As a team, LSU has a 0.84 earned run average with 19 shutouts and 262 strikeouts in 37games.
In the circle, Christie Hamilton has gotten most of the work for the Gamecocks this season, pitching 95 of South Carolina’s 243 total innings. She is 11-7 on the year with a 1.55 earned run average and 111 strikeouts. Kate Pouliot is 3-2 on the season with a 1.41 ERA, while Jessica Barnes is 3-4 with a 1.48 ERA.
Melanie Henkes rounds out the pitching staff with a 5-1 mark and a 1.66 ERA. As a team, the Gamecocks have a 1.53 earned run average with 262 strikeouts and eight shutouts.
LSU leads the overall series with South Carolina, 17-10, including a 7-3 record in Baton Rouge. The Tigers dropped 2-of-3 to the Gamecocks last season in Columbia, S.C., including a 4-3 extra inning loss. LSU had won five of the previous six meetings heading into that series. Girouard is 31-9 all-time against South Carolina, including a 12-5 record while with the Tigers.
LSU travels to Hammond for a mid-week game against Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before returning home for a three-game series against nationally ranked Auburn next weekend. The purple and gold will face AU on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. before the series concludes with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. The final game of the Auburn series will be televised on Cox Sports in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37.
GAME FACTS: No. 11 LSU Tigers (32-5, 7-2 SEC) vs. South Carolina (22-14, 2-4 SEC)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 1 – 1 p.m./3 p.m.; Sunday, April 2 – 1 p.m.
RANKINGS: LSU (#11 NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, #12 ESPN/USA Softball Poll)
South Carolina (Not Ranked)
STADIUM: Tiger Park (1,000)
RADIO: The x-104.5/104.9 FM
TELEVISION: Sunday – SEC-TV (FSN Southwest – Baton Rouge cable channel 38)
INTERNET: Audio broadcast and live stats in the Geaux Zone powered by USAgencies at www.LSUsports.net
SERIES RECORD: LSU leads 17-10.