BATON ROUGE – The LSU softball team will look to continue its winning ways and carry a season’s best eight-game winning streak into a three-game SEC weekend series versus Arkansas at Tiger Park. Game times are set for 6 p.m. [Friday], 4 p.m. [Saturday] and 1 p.m. [Sunday].
All three games of the series will have live video, live audio and live stats inside the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. The game also will be carried live Country Legends 104.9 FM in the Baton Rouge area with Patrick Wright and Kent Lowe set to call the action.
LSU (24-8, 7-1 SEC) has emerged with wins during 21 of its last 25 games dating back to Feb. 19. The Tigers also have posted four consecutive shutouts, most recently a 4-0 decision Wednesday over McNeese State.
Arkansas (18-13, 2-9 SEC) has dropped 11 of its last 13 decisions, but the Razorbacks picked up a 4-1 victory over then-No. 11 Tennessee on March 17. Offensively, Clarisa Navarro has compiled a team-leading .369 batting average on 38 hits. Devon Wallace and Amanda Geile have cranked six home runs apiece and are 1-2 for the Razorbacks with 20 and 18 RBIs, respectively.
In the pitching circle, Chelsea Cohen has secured 11 of Arkansas’ 18 wins. She has registered a 2.89 ERA to go along with 67 strikeouts over her 129.1 innings of work.
LSU holds a 45-8 series advantage over the Razorbacks, including winning 13 of the last 14 meetings dating back to the 2007 season.
The Tigers swept all three games last season in Fayetteville highlighted by an Ashley Langoni five-RBI performance in the series opener, a Juliana Santos five-hit effort during the middle game and Rachele Fico three-hitter fueled by 11 strikeouts in the finale.
“Arkansas has a very good offense,” head coach Beth Torina said. “We’re going to have to be prepared and make sure our pitching staff is ready to hold them down. We’ve fine-tuned some things today at practice to help us be prepared for the challenge we’ll face.”
Fico and Brittany Mack sport identical 11-4 records on the season. The duo has combined for 198 strikeouts during their 189 frames.
Fico’s 0.65 ERA is the second-best ratio in the nation. She enters the weekend nine strikeouts away from passing Ashley Lewis (1999-2001) for seventh place on LSU’s all-time list.
Mack, the reigning SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week, has won her last eight decisions and sliced 1.70 points off her ERA since March 3. She fired a four-hitter at McNeese State last time out.
Meghan Patterson has surrendered only five hits in her last 18 innings. She made her SEC debut during the final game of the South Carolina series.
LSU’s offense currently has five starters with over a .300 batting average. A.J. Andrews and Jacee Blades have provided a spark at the top of the lineup en route to 10 hits over the team’s last five games.
Ashley Langoni has garnered five of LSU’s 10 home runs and driven home a team-leading 22 RBIs to rank just outside the SEC’s Top 15. She also has drawn 25 walks to rank tied for sixth in the SEC rankings.
Allison Falcon and Juliana Santos have picked up 14 RBIs each, tied for second-most on the team. Falcon picked up a 2-for-3 effort and scored a run during Wednesday’s contest at McNeese State.
Fans can follow every pitch of LSU softball this season via live in-game updates on LSU softball’s social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsu_softball on Twitter.
The Tiger Park Ticket Booth will open 90 minutes prior to first pitch on Friday and Sunday. Fans can purchase tickets on-site starting at $5 for adult general admission and $3 for youth ages 3-12. Tickets also are available online at www.LSUtix.net.
Fans can gain free admission to Saturday’s game at 4 p.m. which follows the National L-Club Spring Game at Tiger Stadium. There are a limited number of reserved seats available in sections 101 and 107 on a first-come, first-serve basis along with standing-room only admission to the berm located in left field. Season tickets holders are still being asked to bring their tickets to Saturday’s game to be able to sit in their normal chair-back and bleacher seats. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to first pitch.
The LSU Athletics Ticket Office continues to urge season ticket holders to be cautious when separating their bar-coded tickets. The barcode must be attached to the ticket for scanning purposes when arriving at the gate. If the barcode detaches, season ticket holders must stop by the LSU Athletics Ticket Office on the first floor of the Athletics/Administration Building for a reprint of their tickets.
As part of Brittany Mack‘s “Geaux Play” initiative, LSU softball is encouraging fans to share the gift of sports with special needs children. Fans can donate new or gently used sports equipment during the remaining LSU softball home games at Tiger Park. For more information, visit LSUsports.net/geauxplay.
All items collected will be given directly to the Miracle League Association and six local schools that Mack will visit during the season. At LSU’s series finale versus Ole Miss on April 22, Mack will invite all the children to the game as her special VIP guests for “Geaux Play” day at Tiger Park.