BATON ROUGE — The 11th-ranked LSU softball team will close out its non-conference schedule against in-state rival McNeese State on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Tiger Park for “Louisiana Luau” night.
The game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network in Baton Rouge on The X – 104.5/104.9 FM. The broadcast can also be heard in the GeauxZone powered by USAgencies on LSUsports.net.
Fans will have the opportunity to win prizes for “Louisiana Luau” night, which include green t-shirts and unique Louisiana beads.
“We are looking forward to a great game with McNeese State in Tiger Park on Wednesday,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard.
After taking 2-of-3 from No. 19 Auburn last weekend, the Tigers (38-6) remain on pace with their best start in school history. LSU moved up one spot in the ESPN/USA Softball poll this week to No. 11, matching their ranking in the NFCA/USA Today poll. The Cowgirls are 16-22 on the year, having won six straight after Southland Conference series sweeps of Louisiana-Monroe and Southeastern Louisiana.
This is the second meeting between the Tigers and McNeese State this season. LSU topped the Cowgirls, 3-1, in Lake Charles in nine innings earlier this season. The Tigers bring a 41-game winning streak against in-state schools into the contest, posting a 9-0 record this season against Louisiana teams.
“We took McNeese’s best shot in our first meeting and we expect the same from them this time,” said Girouard. “We have to stay focused on the Cowgirls because they are a tough team that pushed up to the limit last time. We can not get ahead of ourselves and think about our weekend series at Alabama.”
In the first contest, Emily Turner earned the complete-game win for LSU. She allowed just one run on six hits with one walk, while striking out a season-best 14. After giving up the one run in the bottom of the third, Turner retired 18 of the final 20 batters to end the game, with only one batter reaching scoring position.
Killian Roessner led the Tigers with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with a double and the game-tying RBI in the top of the sixth inning. In the top of the ninth, LSU got a hit and a walk before back-to-back errors by the Cowgirls allowed a pair of Tiger runs to cross the plate for the win.
Junior Leslie Klein leads LSU with a .421 average for the season, including 120 doubles, three triples and five home runs. In addition, the center fielder leads the Tigers with 38 RBIs and has stolen 12 bases.
Six of LSU’s nine starters are hitting over .300 for the season, while no starter is hitting below .237. In addition, every starter has recorded at least one home run, four doubles and 14 RBIs. As a team, the Tigers are swinging at a .324 clip for the year with 77 doubles, eight triples and 31 home runs.
Additionally, LSU has swiped 75 bases this season, with three player stealing at least 12 bases. Dee Dee Henderson leads the Tigers with a career-best 22 stolen bases, while Camille Harris has stolen 13. Eleven players have stolen at least one base for LSU this year, while eight have swiped at least four.
The Cowgirls are hitting .258 as a team this season, with three players hitting over .300 for the year. McNeese State is led by Jenny Clay with a .344 average, including eight doubles, three triples and at team-best four home runs. Kristi Hanan leads the Cowgirls with 23 RBIs, while six players have recorded double-figure RBIs. As a team, McNeese has stolen only 17 bases this season, with Callie Schiro leading the way with five stolen bases.
In the circle, junior Emily Turner leads LSU with a 16-3 record and 11 complete-game shutouts. In addition, she boasts a team-best 130 strikeouts in 20 appearances with a 0.48 earned run average. Freshman Dani Hofer is 12-3 for the season with a 1.59 ERA, while recording six shutouts and posting 120 strikeouts in 19 appearances.
Sophomore Megan Jolly is 5-0 for the season with a 0.70 ERA, including a win over Southeastern Louisiana last week. As a team, the Tigers boast a 0.90 earned run average with 23 shutouts in 44 games. LSU has recorded 314 strikeouts in less than 280 innings pitched.
Jessica Denham leads the Cowgirls in the circle with a 9-14 record in 24 appearances with a team-best 2.64 earned run average. Rachel Hodlik has also recorded five wins on the season for a 5-7overall mark in 15 appearances. As a team, McNeese State comes in with a 3.22 earned run average with six shutouts and 214 strikeouts in 252 innings.
LSU is 13-0 all-time against McNeese State, including a 10-0 record in Baton Rouge. The Tigers have outscored the Cowgirls, 67-13, in their previous 13 meetings, including five shutouts. Girouard is 63-21 all-time against the Cowgirls, including a 4-0 record while with the Tigers.
This weekend, the Tigers travel to face nationally ranked Alabama in a three-game Southeastern Conference series. LSU will take on the Crimson Tide in a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 5 p.m. The series will conclude with a single game on Saturday at 2 p.m. The series was moved up a day to allow for the Easter Sunday holiday.
GAME FACTS:
No. 11 LSU Tigers (38-6) vs. McNeese State (16-22)
DATE/TIME:
Wednesday, April 12 – 6 p.m.
RANKINGS:
LSU (#11 NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, #11 ESPN/USA Softball Poll)
McNeese State (Not Ranked)
STADIUM:
Tiger Park (1,000)
RADIO:
The X – 104.5/104.9 FM
TELEVISION:
None.
INTERNET:
Audio broadcast and live stats in the GeauxZone powered by USAgencies at www.LSUsports.net
SERIES RECORD:
LSU leads 13-0.