BATON ROUGE – Coming off the program’s 13th NCAA Tournament appearance and 40-plus win campaign, the LSU softball program unveiled its 2012 schedule Wednesday as announced by head coach Beth Torina.
The Tigers affirmed their long-standing commitment of facing the nation’s elite as they square off with five of the eight participants from the 2011 Women’s College World Series. In total, the 2012 slate features 27 games against 13 teams that qualified for the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
“From start to finish, the 2012 schedule will be very challenging for the Tigers,” Torina said. “Our team will have to put forth its best effort every time we take the field. We will have many opportunities throughout the season to prove ourselves matching up with softball’s best-of-the-best.”
LSU will play host to three non-conference tournaments, including the Tiger Classic [Feb. 10-12] on opening weekend. The Tigers square off with Big 10 NCAA Tournament foes Michigan and Penn State before meeting Louisiana Tech.
LSU welcomes Alcorn State, McNeese State and South Alabama for the Tiger Invitational [Feb. 25-26], while Mississippi Valley State and Troy head to the Capitol City for the Purple & Gold Challenge [March 9-10] to conclude the non-conference tournament schedule.
LSU hits the road for the first time at the high profile Louisville Slugger Desert Classic [Feb. 18-19] in Las Vegas, Nev., where the Tigers meet up with 2011 WCWS participant California, 2011 NCAA Tournament Team DePaul, Cal State Northridge and Utah State.
At the prestigious The Preview [March 2-4], LSU has a quartet of games scheduled with 2011 WCWS participants Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Tigers will play at a pair of games at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, home of the WCWS, in addition to the campus sites.
“We are fortunate to put a team on the field that has a great deal of experience,” Torina said. “Our eight seniors have the poise and confidence to tackle these types of marquee games. They truly have the chance to go out on top. There’s no question that we will have to show up at our best level each and every day.”
LSU welcomes ACC members Florida State [Feb. 15] and Georgia Tech [March 21] along with Southeastern Louisiana [Feb. 21] for midweek action to Tiger Park. The Tigers also take on Nicholls State [March 7 & April 4] and McNeese State [March 28 & April 18] for midweek home-and-home series.
The rugged SEC schedule gets underway with a home mid-week doubleheader against 2011 NCAA Tournament participant Auburn [March 14]. Other league series inside the friendly confines of Tiger Park include three-game sets with Mississippi State [March 16-18], Arkansas [March 30-April 1], Ole Miss [April 20-22] and 2011 NCAA Super Regional qualifier Georgia [April 27-29].
The Tigers have conference road trips to South Carolina [March 23-25] before meeting SEC heavy hitters which include 2011 WCWS participant Alabama [April 6-8], 2011 NCAA Tournament participant Tennessee [April 13-15], 2011 WCWS finalist Florida [April 24] and 2011 NCAA Super Regional qualifier Kentucky [May 4-6].
“The atmosphere for SEC softball is second to none,” Torina said. “Each team gives one another their best shot week in and week out. I know our fans are already excited for the season. Our players are ready for the challenges ahead.”
LSU returns 17 players from its 2011 roster sparked by NFCA All-American Third-Team and All-SEC First-Team selection Brittany Mack along with All-SEC Freshman Team pick Simone Heyward. The Tigers notched a 40-18 record and made their 13th NCAA Regional appearance last season.