BATON ROUGE – The LSU softball team continued its charge toward opening weekend Friday with a spirited two-hour team practice session at Tiger Park. The Tigers are scheduled to scrimmage Saturday at 10 a.m. to finish off week two of practice.
“I want to see some great pitches, healthy swings and the fantastic defense [in the scrimmage] that we’ve seen for the first two weeks of practice,” head coach Yvette Girouard said. “I think we’re on pace for where we want to be at this point of the season.”
LSU brings back 13 letterwinners for the 2011 campaign, and Girouard has been pleased with how the junior class has stepped up on and off the field.
“This is the first time in a long time that the team has had its own huddle before the start of practice,” Girouard said. “They commit to having a wonderful day out here each day. Our junior class has done a phenomenal job of leading and doing the right thing.”
Ashley Langoni provided LSU with a team-best nine homers and added 34 RBIs despite missing 10 games due to injury. Her .527 slugging percentage and 10 multi-hit games from 2010 led all Tiger returnees.
After batting injuries in 2010, Juliana Santos looks to regain the form of her 2009 NFCA All-South Region First-Team season. She tallied hits in 12 of her last 20 appearances to cap the 2010 campaign.
“Ashley goes all out on every play,” Girouard said. “She’s beginning to more consistent at the plate to go along with being the best defensive left fielder in the country. Juliana is back to being the type of player we recruited. I’m so proud of her because she’s battled through so much. She’s dynamite out there, and that’s a great thing for our lineup.”
Morgan Russell was a key cog in LSU’s catching tandem that limited opponents to only 34 stolen bases, the program’s lowest total since 2006. The Edmond, Okla., native also garnered all 14 of her RBIs after March 5.
Anissa Young became the seventh infielder in program history to notch NFCA All-South Region First-Team honors last season. The Fontana, Calif., product has started her career with 114 consecutive starts, and the Tigers were 19-2 when Young ripped a RBI in 2010.
In the circle, Brittany Mack posted a 9-3 record and picked up 81 strikeouts over 80.0 innings of work. She compiled a 1.59 ERA to rank fourth, while her 27 total runs allowed were second-fewest in the SEC.
“Brittany has been able to release negative pitches and done a fantastic job of living in the present,” Girouard said. “She’s not as hard on herself as she used to be, and the best is yet to come for her.”
LSU is three weeks away from first pitch and playing host to the Wilson/DeMarini Tiger Classic. Bowling Green, Louisiana Tech and Purdue head to the Capitol City as the Tigers open the season at home for the first time since 2008.
LSU earned a runner-up finish at the SEC Tournament en route to a 45-16 finish, its 10th season with at least 45 victories since softball was reinstated in 1997. The Tigers also reeled off a program-best 24-game winning streak and recorded their 12th NCAA Regional appearance in 2010.
Fans can get updated information on the softball team at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball and on Twitter at Twitter.com/LSU_Softball.
Ticket information for a marquee home schedule that features home series with SEC heavyweights Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee is available at www.LSUtix.net.