BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 15 LSU is heading to California to participate in the Judi Garman Classic March 3-5 at Anderson Family Field in Fullerton, Calif.
LSU will open the tournament with an 11:30 a.m. CT game against Michigan (7-8) followed by a 5 p.m. CT contest against Loyola Marymount (7-10) on March 3. The Tigers play another double header on March 4 verses Minnesota (8-6) at 2:30 p.m. CT and San Jose State (6-8) at 5 p.m. CT. LSU concludes the tournament with an 11 a.m. game against Cal Poly (6-4) on March 5.
The Fighting Tigers boasts a 15-1 record this season behind a balanced attack. LSU ranks No. 4 in the SEC with a .341 batting average, has the league’s third lowest ERA at 1.51 and sits at No. 3 in the conference with a .979 fielding percentage. LSU has outscored its opponents 104-25 and has four players batting over .400 with 15 or more hits in at least 40 at bats. In the circle, LSU ranks No. 4 in the SEC and No. 10 in the NCAA with six shutouts on the year and the defense has a good glove with 117 assists (No. 2 in SEC), 306 putouts (No. 4 in SEC) on 432 chances (No. 4 in SEC).
Graduate pitcher Ali Kilponen leads the pitching staff with 35 strikeouts (No. 9 in SEC) in 35.1 innings pitched. She has a 4-0 record with a 1.98 ERA and has tallied two shutouts and two saves this season. Kilponen currently ranks No. 10 all-time in the program’s history with 48 career wins and is 37 strikeouts shy of breaking into the top 10 in career strikeouts as an LSU pitcher (currently has 397 career strikeouts).
Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon is 5-0 in the circle and ranks No. 3 in the SEC and No. 13 in the NCAA with a 0.45 ERA. Berzon has 26 strikeouts, and allowed 22 hits, three runs and 10 walks in 31.0 innings on the rubber.
Shortstop Taylor Pleasants has been on a tear to open the 2023 season. Pleasants ranks No. 2 in the NCAA with 27 RBIs and is batting .404 behind 21 hits, seven home runs and 16 runs scored. Pleasants ranks No. 5 in the LSU record book with 36 career home runs and No. 10 all-time with 145 career RBIs.
Center fielder Ciara Briggs leads the team with a .451 batting average and 23 hits which ranks No. 9 in the NCAA. Briggs leads the SEC with 21 runs scored and has a team-high five stolen bases.
Infielder Danieca Coffey is averaging .434 in the batter’s box and matched Briggs’ team-high 23 hits. Coffey has 13 hits, nine RBIs and has reached on eight walks to contribute to her .500 on-base percentage.
Infielder Georgia Clark has a .425 batting average with 17 hits and an SEC-best 15 walks. Clark has four home runs this season and ranks No. 6 all-time 32 career homers and No. 8 all-time with 104 career walks.
THE LINEUP
LSU is 7-13 against this weekend’s tournament field, including a 4-8 record against Michigan, an 0-1 record against Loyola Marymount, an 0-4 record against Minnesota, a 1-0 record against San Jose State, and a 2-0 record against Cal Poly.
ON DECK
LSU will open SEC play at South Carolina March 11-13 in Columbia, S.C.
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