BATON ROUGE — LSU softball coach Yvette Girouard answered questions Monday afternoon from the Baton Rouge media at Walk-On’s Bistreaux.
Topics ranged from the new Tiger Park, the health of the pitching staff and the challenges ahead during the non-conference schedule.
LSU is slated to square off against five teams in the NFCA Top 10, which is tied for third nationally with Fresno State. Only Northwestern and Washington have more games currently scheduled with Top 10 opponents.
The Tigers begin the 2009 season at the Paradise Softball Classic, taking on UAB, No. 10 Oklahoma and host Hawai`i from Feb. 5-7. The new Tiger Park opens against McNeese State on Feb. 11.
Season tickets are on sale now at www.LSUSports.net, the official Web site of LSU Athletics. Tickets also can be purchased at the ticket office or by calling (225) 578-2184 or (800) 960-8587. LSU students, faculty and staff are admitted free with a LSU ID. Fans are encouraged to get their season tickets to guarantee great seats for LSU’s marquee home schedule that features six games against teams that made the 2008 Women’s College World Series.
Below are Girouard’s quotes.
Softball Media Session
February 2, 2009
LSU HEAD COACH YVETTE GIROUARD
Opening Statement
“We have 10 new players on the team. We have nine freshmen and a transfer from Baylor. We’ve actually been allowed to practice at the new field a total of four hours. We’ve never been able to hit. We’ve never been in our dugouts. We haven’t moved into our new building yet, so when we get out there against McNeese State in a couple of weeks, the Tigers will probably look as lost as McNeese State will. When I say a whirlwind, that’s kind of what I’m talking about. We have a brand-new team, taking on a very adventurous [non-conference] schedule. We open up with UAB, and Oklahoma is always a perennial top-five participant in college softball and then. Hawai`i always has a fabulous program and playing on their home field.
On the Health of the Pitchers
“Again, this is a young team with a couple of problems in the circle. Dani Hofer isn’t pitching right now. There have been complications, and she’s not healthy. I’m not sure when she’ll throw. Cody Trahan had a back surgery over the Christmas break, and she is coming back from that. She has thrown some, but these first couple of weeks will kind of be up in the air for us in the circle because we have some issues there. Kirsten Shortridge, who is a pitcher, lead-off hitter and center fielder for us, also had a little arm surgery before she came in here. She had it right after her last season at Baylor. She looks phenomenal, but in some of these cases with Cody and Kirsten, we don’t know if they can go from day-to-day. We have some issues there. We have a freshman pitcher, Brittany Mack, who I think is going to be phenomenal when it is all said and done, but she’s not quite there yet. She’ll probably get thrown into the fire. Then, we have Casey Faile, who will also throw some innings for us.
On the Non-Conference Schedule and the New Tiger Park
“We open up with Hawai`i, and then, we come back home with McNeese State, and then, we have our tournament here that weekend. We bring in Texas A&M, Ohio State and just some phenomenal collegiate softball teams, so the out-of-conference schedule is probably as tough as it’s ever been since we’ve been here. It will be quite an adventure, and the next couple of weeks will be a whirlwind for us.”
On the New Tiger Park
“We open up the new stadium [Wednesday, February 11], which is just flat-out gorgeous. It’s unbelievably beautiful. LSU has done a great job trying to get it ready for us. I know it will make it for the first game. Our fingers are crossed and our knees are hitting the floor [that] all the lights come on and the PA system works and things are working out there like they should be. I don’t think we’ll know that until the first night, but it’s exciting times for us. This is something that obviously this program has waited on since its inception, something that was promised to us nine years ago, so we are finally seeing it come to fruition. We were probably the last program in the SEC to build a stadium, and as it’s said and done, there’s no question in mind that our stadium is probably the prettiest in the country now. Tennessee’s and Arkansas’ might be a little bit bigger, but there’s no question that this stadium will have the most character of any stadium in the country ? the [outfield] berm, the location, the arches, the architecture ? it’s phenomenal. I couldn’t be prouder of it.
On the Cause of Pitching Injuries
“I’m concerned. We’ll see what happens. It’s been a difficult fall and spring with injury problems, but I’ve coached 33 years now, and we’re starting to see the injuries with the pitchers like the guys have in baseball. I firmly believe that they are playing too much, playing year round, starting too early. We never had these problems before. Anytime they have to go in and operate on these pitchers, I don’t think it’s a good thing.”
On the LSU offense
“I think offensively, we will be very fun to watch. Shortridge will lead off. She stole 29 out of 30 bases last year. She’s a gazelle. She’s a tall kid who can run. She can hit; she can pitch. She can play the short game. We have the short game covered with her and Jazz Jackson. Rachel Mitchell will obviously hit in the three-spot and protect her, but I think we have a very healthy mix of kids who can run, hit for power and play the short game, too. Offensively, I feel very good about us. Defensively, I think we are strong everywhere. It’s just figuring what’s going to happen in the circle, which is so much a part of our game.”