BATON ROUGE — After going 2-0 with a pair of shutout victories last weekend, sophomore Dani Hofer took home Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday as the ninth-ranked LSU softball team prepares to host Texas-San Antonio in a mid-week game on Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m.
The game can be heard on the LSU Radio Network in Baton Rouge on The X – 104.5/104.9 and in the Geaux Zone. In addition, a new feature will be introduced beginning with this game as live streaming video will also be available through the Geaux Zone.
Live statistics from all three games will also be available on the official LSU athletics website, LSUsports.net. Promotions for the game include ballpark bingo, always a fan favorite, where fans will have a chance to win cash prizes.
Hofer went 2-0 last week without allowing a single run in 16 total innings. Against Ole Miss on Saturday, she allowed just two singles , the only two base runners of the game, in a nine-inning shutout. She came back on Sunday and allowed only four hits in a complete-game shutout. On the weekend, she did not allow a base runner to reach third against her.
For the season, Hofer is undefeated at 10-1 with a 1.18 earned run average. She has posted seven complete-game shutouts and 113 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched, averaging over 11 strikeouts per game in her 12 appearances.
Last weekend, the Tigers (24-4) took 2-of-3 from Ole Miss to open league play, dropping the first game, 2-1, before winning the final two, 2-0 in nine innings and 4-0. The Roadrunners (13-13) swept a series at Southeastern Louisiana last weekend and have won eight of their last 10.
“This is a quick turnaround for us,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We are actually giving the girls off today so that we have that mandatory one day off. Hopefully we can get in sync offensively. Anytime you get to see live pitching, it’s a great thing.”
After being without primary hitting coach James DeFeo last weekend due to the untimely death of his mother in New Jersey, he will return to the sideline this week for the Tigers.
“It will also be very nice to have James back,” said Girouard. “We are very sorry about the passing of his mother this weekend.”
Junior Dee Dee Henderson currently leads LSU at the plate this year. The slap-hitting designated player is hitting .568 with a double and 19 runs scored in 37 plate appearances. In addition, she leads the team with 16 stolen bases in 17 attempts, giving her 65 career stolen bases. She is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak, the longest on the team this season and just four games shy of the school record.
Freshman Jazz Jackson is batting .453 with 10 stolen bases and a team-best 26 runs scored, followed by junior Killian Roessner with a .448 average, with nine doubles and three home runs. Senior Leslie Klein is batting .430 with a team-best 10 doubles, which gives her 52 for her career, one shy of the school record, while also recording 13 stolen bases.
Five starting Tigers are hitting over .300 on the season, including four batting over .400. As a team, LSU is hitting at a .341 clip including 48 doubles, seven triples and 26 home runs. In addition, the Tigers have stolen 53 bases in just 58 attempts.
As a team, the Tigers have a 1.13 earned run average and are allowing opponents to hit just .131 against them. In addition, LSU pitchers have struck out 256 batters, which averages out to 10 strikeouts per seven innings.
In addition to Hofer, senior All-American Emily Turner is 8-3 on the season with a 1.41 earned run average, while junior Tiffany Garcia is 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA. Freshman Cody Trahan is 2-0 with a spotless 0.00 ERA.
Texas-San Antonio is hitting .255 as a team this season. The Roadrunners are led by Jessica Rogers with a .373 average, including six home runs and 25 RBIs, both team bests. Four UTSA players are hitting over .300 for the season as the Roadrunners have hit 21 doubles, one triple and 18 home runs, but have stolen only 16 bases.
Only two pitchers have seen action in the circle this season for Texas-San Antonio. Janeille Nickels leads the Roadrunners with a 2.92 earned run average, while posting a 5-4 record and 41 strikeouts in 60 innings. Amanda Nikolenko is 8-9 on the season with a 3.25 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 103.1 innings and two shutouts. As a team, UTSA has a 3.13 earned run average with 117 strikeouts and only two shutouts in 26 games.
LSU is 2-0 all-time against Texas-San Antonio, including a 3-2 win in 11 innings in the Oklahoma Tournament in 2000 and a 10-0 win in five innings in the Purple & Gold Challenge in 2004. LSU is also 71-2 all-time against Southland Conference opponents, including a 7-1 win over Texas State at the Crowne Plaza Invitational and a 7-1 win over McNeese State earlier this year. For her career, Girouard is 5-1 all-time against the Roadrunners, including a 1-0 record while with the Tigers.
The Tigers will then open SEC play at home against nationally ranked Florida in a three-game series beginning on Saturday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and concluding with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Gators have knocked off a pair of No. 1-ranked teams this year when Florida defeated then No. 1 Arizona earlier in the year and No. 1 Tennessee on Saturday.
The games will likely be added to the radio broadcast listing, which will be finalized after “Selection Monday” for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. If the games do not conflict with the women’s basketball team, they will be broadcast in Baton Rouge on The X ? 104.5/104.9 FM. The final game of the series will also be televised live on Cox Sports Television in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37.