Second in a seven-part softball series previewing the 2007 season leading up to the season-opening Easton Tiger Classic Tournament at Tiger Park on Feb. 9-11.
BATON ROUGE — After a phenomenal 2006 campaign in the circle that saw Emily Turner garner both All-SEC and All-America honors, the LSU team returns three outstanding hurlers while adding a heralded freshman to round out the staff.
Turner posted a 28-9 record as the Tigers’ ace a year ago with a 0.93 earned run average and 260 strikeouts. The senior from Chula Vista, Calif., recorded 13 wins over nationally ranked opponents, including LSU’s first win over a top-ranked team when she knocked off No. 1 Arizona in the NCAA Super Regionals.
“Emily Turner returns after an All-American year,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I fully expected Emily’s breakout to be in her junior year and she did not disappoint. After turning in her best fall campaign, she is ready to become one of the premier pitchers in the country.
“Her confidence, awareness of competition, reality of what is going on around her and her maturation level are exactly where a senior needs to be. She is ready to be a true leader on the field.”
The 2005 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year, Dani Hofer did not disappoint in her first season as a Tiger. The sophomore from Safety Harbor, Fla. posted a 16-5 mark with 160 strikeouts and a no-hitter in her first collegiate outing.
“Dani is a true competitor who is not afraid of challenges and realizes the extra work she needed during the summer,” said Girouard. “She spent her summer playing and capturing the magic she possessed at the beginning of last year. ‘Been there, done that’ will truly be beneficial to Dani in relation to encountering any setbacks. She looked sharper and crisper in the fall and is maturing rapidly inside and outside of the circle.”
A breakout star as a relief pitcher before getting injured last season, Tiffany Garcia went undefeated a year ago with a perfect 5-0 record and a 0.44 earned run average. The junior from LaPorte, Texas, also recorded just the third perfect game in school history as part of back-to-back no-hitters.
“Tiffany should see more action this spring as she has a dramatically different look than Emily and Dani,” said Girouard. “Realizing the skills she needs to master, she is ready to step into her own role on this team.”
A high school All-American out of Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School, Cody Trahan joins the Tigers with an outstanding resume both as a pitcher and a hitter, both of which will be utilized by the team this season. In the circle, the freshman from Orange, Texas, posted a 27-2 record as a senior while being named the Texas 4A Player of the Year and state championship MVP.
“Cody worked really hard during the fall to grasp the Tiger expectations of pitchers,” said Girouard. “Good spin and movement are characteristics of Cody’s talent. She will also be utilized in the hitting lineup.”