BATON ROUGE — The LSU softball team was picked to finish second in the Southeastern Conference Western Division in a preseason poll by the league’s coaches released Thursday.
The Tigers earned 19 points for a second-place ranking in the SEC West, eight points behind Alabama, which was picked to win the division. Mississippi State was selected third with 33 points, followed closely by Auburn with 35 points. Ole Miss and Arkansas rounded out the Western Division with 48 and 49 points respectively.
Florida led the SEC Eastern Division with 11 points. Tennessee ranked second with 19 points, while Georgia was in third with 29 points. South Carolina and Kentucky completed the division with 35 and 46 points respectively.
Alabama was also picked to win the overall SEC title with eight championship votes, while Florida had two championship votes and LSU recorded one championship vote.
Points for the poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5 basis for the Eastern Division and 1-2-3-4-5-6 basis for the Western Division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Season tickets are still available for the 2008 softball season for $60 for reserved seats, while single-game tickets are available at a cost of $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Fans are encouraged to get their season tickets this year to guarantee great seats in the new Tiger Park for next season. Fans can purchase tickets online at the official web site of LSU Athletics, www.LSUsports.net, at the ticket office or by calling (225) 578-2184 or (800) 960-8587. LSU students, faculty and staff are admitted free to regular season games with an LSU ID.
The SEC Tournament will be held from May 8-10 at Tiger Park, the first time the Tigers have hosted the event. The three-day single-elimination tournament will determine the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. LSU has advanced to the championship game eight times in the last nine seasons, winning the title an unprecedented five times, including last season when the Tigers defeated Florida, 1-0, in nine innings.
Tickets for the tournament also went on sale at the LSU Ticket Office, along with regular season tickets. Tournament books are available for $20 each for adults and $10 each for youth between the ages of 3 and 12. All children under three get into Tiger Park for free.
The 2008 and final season in Tiger Park will begin with the Easton Tiger Classic on Feb. 15-17. The Tigers will host St John’s, Ball State, Nicholls State and Chattanooga in the three-day tournament.
2008 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
EASTERN DIVISION
No. Team Points
1. Florida 11
2. Tennessee 19
3. Georgia 29
4. South Carolina 35
5. Kentucky 46
WESTERN DIVISION
No. Team Points
1. Alabama 11
2. LSU 19
3. Mississippi State 33
4. Auburn 35
5. Ole Miss 48
6. Arkansas 49
SEC CHAMPION: Alabama (8), Florida (2), LSU (1)