BATON ROUGE, La. – Following a regular season that saw them ascend to the No. 1 ranking in the country for the first time ever and race out to the best start in program history, the LSU softball team earned another bit of history-making news on Sunday night, as the field for the 2015 NCAA Softball Championships was released and the Tigers were named one of the top eight national seeds, sitting at No. 5 to open play this Friday.
It’s the first time since the new format that the squad will not only host a regional, but have an opportunity to host an NCAA Super Regional at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge on the road to the Women’s College World Series. It’s also the highest seed since 2007 for LSU, when that team was 10th.
“We’re really honored to be the five-seed, it’s a great moment for this program and is definitely based on what these players have earned throughout the season,” head coach Beth Torina said. “They’ve played a fantastic season and I think they deserve a lot of credit for what happened tonight.”
Sitting at No. 2 in the RPI for much of the season, the Tigers played one of the top ten toughest schedules in the country throughout the course of the year, aiding in keeping the team as one of the top eight teams in the country going into action this weekend.
“Without question we had a strong RPI all year long, and the team has done a good job of having a quality season,” Torina said. “We started out hot, beat some great teams from the top all the way down, and I think this group is very deserving of where they have been placed going into this weekend.”
LSU will host the Baton Rouge Regional beginning this Friday beginning at 3:30 p.m. at Tiger Park, hosting Arizona State, Nebraska and Texas Southern in a double-elimination format, with the Sun Devils and Cornhuskers opening the weekend on ESPN3 in that opening game, as the Tigers and Texas Southern close out day one at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Tigers finished the season with an overall record of 44-11, finishing fourth in the Southeastern Conference after amassing a 15-9 record against league competition. It’s the third 40-plus win season and 15-win league season under head coach Beth Torina since 2012.
ASU comes into the regional after finishing fourth in the Pac-12 Conference, finishing the season with a 34-20 record and a 12-11 conference mark after claiming the season series over UCLA over the weekend in Tempe. The Cornhuskers are coming off of a loss in the Big Ten Championship Game to Michigan on Saturday, but still finished with a 34-21 record and finishing third in the conference at 17-6. Depending on the outcome, LSU could have a rematch with Nebraska, as the two teams played each other at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs in February.
Texas Southern earned its second consecutive SWAC Tournament championship on Saturday, defeating Alabama State 9-0 in Decatur, Alabama, finishing the season 25-16 and 14-3 in conference. The Tigers went 4-0 in their tournament, and have won their last seven in a row heading into postseason play.
The winner of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional will square off against the winner of the NCAA Tucson Regional, which features Arizona, Minnesota, New Mexico State and St. John’s, in a best-of-three Super Regional two weeks from now.
“It’s a great field, and I’m excited to be the host of these big-name universities,” Torina said. “We definitely have our work cut out for us, but playing in the SEC it’s something we’re used to and I have no doubt that this regional will be the same.”
For all of the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball along with @lsusoftball and @BethTorina on Twitter and @lsusb on Instagram.
2015 NCAA Softball Regional in Baton Rouge, La.
May 15-17, 2014
Baton Rouge, La.
Tiger Park
2015 NCAA Softball Regional Tickets
LSU been selected as the No. 5 National seed, and as NCAA Softball Regional host institution.
The four teams in the Regional are: LSU, Texas Southern, Nebraska, Arizona State
Games will be played on Friday, May 15 – Sunday, May 17 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La.
All Session Books will go on-sale to the general public starting on Thursday, May 14 at 8 a.m. CT.
Tickets can be purchased through the LSU Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 960-8587 or (225) 578-2184. Tickets will also be available on our website at www.LSUtix.net. Everyone needs a ticket regardless of age.
Individual-session tickets will go on sale, Friday, May 15.
All-Session NCAA Tournament Ticket Prices (available Thursday, May 14)
| Area of Tiger Park | Type of Seat | Price |
| Sections 103-105 | Reserved Chairbacks | $60 |
| Sections 101-102, 106-107 | Reserved Bleachers | $40 |
| Outfield Berm/Standing Room Only | Adult | $25 |
| Outfield Berm/Standing Room Only | Youth (Ages 0-12) | $20 |
Single-Session NCAA Tournament Ticket Prices (available Friday, May 15)
| Area of Tiger Park | Type of Seat | Price |
| Sections 103-105 | Reserved Chairbacks | $15 |
| Sections 101-102, 106-107 | Reserved Bleachers | $10 |
| Outfield Berm/Standing Room Only | Adult | $7 |
| Outfield Berm/Standing Room Only | Youth (Ages 0-12) | $5 |