BATON ROUGE — The LSU softball announces changes to the 2006 fall schedule, including the addition of a mid-week game against Southeastern Louisiana followed by a “Meet the Tigers” event at Tiger Park.
The Tigers will open play in the fall on Wednesday, Oct. 25 with a mid-week game against Southeastern Louisiana at 4 p.m. Fans are encouraged to come out for the game and then stick around after for a “Meet the Tigers” event.
LSU will be welcoming new assistant coach Megan Smith, who is joining the program after a successful year as the head coach at Western Carolina. In her one season at the helm, the first-year Catamount program claimed the Southern Conference title while compiling a 41-20 record and Smith was named the SoCon Coach of the Year.
The Tigers will be welcoming back 13 letterwinners from the 2006 squad that advanced to within one game of the Women’s College World Series, winning the NCAA Regionals in Baton Rouge and taking a game at eventual national champion Arizona in the NCAA Super Regionals.
National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Americans Emily Turner and Leslie Klein return for their senior seasons, along with NFCA All-Region selection Vanessa Soto, who will be a junior this year. LSU has five returning position starters and all four of its pitchers returning for 2007.
On Saturday, Oct. 28, the Tigers will host the 2006 LSU Fall Collegiate Classic at Tiger Park. The field includes LSU, LSU-Eunice, Hinds Community College and Southern for the one-day tournament.
There are five games scheduled with play beginning at 9 a.m. between LSU and Southern. The Tigers will then take on Hinds Community College at 5 p.m. and close out the tournament against LSU-Eunice at 7 p.m.
Last season, LSU went 4-0 in the Fall Classic, posting 42 runs while not allowing a single run by its opponents. LSU began the weekend with a 10-0 win over East Mississippi Junior College. The Tigers continued with a 12-0 win over Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. On Sunday, LSU defeated LSU-Eunice, 9-0, before closing out the tournament with an 11-0 win over Southeastern Louisiana.
The 2007 season will begin with the Easton Tiger Classic on Feb. 9-11. The Tigers will host Centenary, McNeese State, Middle Tennessee State and Missouri in the three-day tournament at Tiger Park.
Wednesday, October 25
4 p.m. LSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana
2006 LSU Fall Collegiate Classic
Saturday, October 28
9 a.m. LSU vs. Southern
11 a.m. Southern vs. LSU-Eunice
1 p.m. LSU-Eunice vs. Hinds CC
3 p.m. Hinds CC vs. Southern
5 p.m. LSU vs. Hinds CC
7 p.m. LSU-Eunice vs. LSU