BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 12/15 LSU (24-5, 2-4 SEC) hits the road to face Ole Miss (18-12, 0-3 SEC) in a three-game series March 24-26 at the Ole Miss Softball Complex in Oxford, Miss.
The series opener will be at 1 p.m. CT on Friday, March 24 with the game streamed on SEC Network +. Game two will take place at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 25 and will be televised on SEC Network. The final game of the series has a first pitch slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 26 streamed on SEC Network +. Friday and Sunday’s games will be called by Will Kollmeyer and Missy Dickerson, while Saturday’s contest on the network will be called by Jenn Hildreth and Erin Miller. Fans can listen to games on 107.3 FM in the Baton Rouge area with Garrett Walvoord calling the action.
The Tigers are coming off a 6-2 midweek win against McNeese after an 0-3 weekend series against Tennessee. LSU ranks No. 4 in the SEC with a .324 batting average and No. 2 in the league with 251 hits. LSU’s 2.04 ERA sits at No. 3 in the conference and the defense has turned 14 double plays this season – the second most in the SEC.
Graduate pitcher Ali Kilponen is 8-2 in the circle and has a 1.89 ERA behind 71 strikeouts (No. 10 in the SEC). Kilponen has tossed eight complete games with three shutouts, three saves, and has allowed 48 hits, 27 walks and 22 runs over 70.1 innings. Kilponen ranks No. 10 all-time in the program’s history with 52 career wins and is one strikeout shy of breaking into the top 10 in career strikeouts as an LSU pitcher (currently has 433 career strikeouts).
Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon (7-2) has thrown 56.2 innings and has a 1.73 ERA, 52 strikeouts, three saves and two shutouts, and her classmate Alea Johnson (5-0) has held opposing batters to a .167 batting average in 25.0 innings pitched with 23 strikeouts. Johnson’s 1.12 ERA ranks No. 7 in the SEC.
Junior infielder Danieca Coffey leads LSU with a .443 batting average that ranks No. 3 in the SEC and has 43 hits that leads the conference and rank No. 7 in the NCAA. She also sits ninth in the conference with a .522 on-base percentage. Junior outfielder Ciara Briggs follows with a .365 batting average and has 35 hits (No. 7 in SEC) and 26 runs.
Junior shortstop Taylor Pleasants is batting .363 with 36 RBIs (No. 2 in SEC) and has 29 hits, eight home runs and 21 runs scored. Pleasants ranks No. 4 in the LSU record book with 37 career home runs and No. 9 all-time with 154 career RBIs.
Graduate infielder Georgia Clark has a .329 batting average with 25 hits and an SEC-best 25 walks. Clark has five home runs this season and has 20 RBIs. Clark ranks No. 6 all-time 35 career homers and No. 7 all-time with 114 career walks.
THE LINEUP
LSU leads Ole Miss in the all-time series 55-13 and has won five of the last seven meetings. This weekend will be the first meeting between the clubs since 2021 when the Tigers defeated the Rebels 2-1 in a three-game series in Baton Rouge. LSU will play Ole Miss in Oxford for the first time since 2017.
Ole Miss is on a four-game winning streak and went 4-1 last weekend at the Rebel Invitational. After being shutout by Samford to open the tournament, the Rebels secured four consecutive run-rule victories against Purdue and St. Thomas. Ole Miss is 0-3 in SEC play after dropping three games at Tennessee to open league play March 10-11.
The Rebels are batting .287 behind 216 hits but hold opponents to a .197 batting average (No. 3 in SEC) and has a 2.06 ERA that ranks No. 4 in the conference. The Rebels have a .979 fielding percentage and leads the SEC with 16 double plays.
UM has four players batting .300 or better led by senior infielder Mikayla Allee who has a .366 average with a team-high 30 hits. Senior outfielder Mya Stevenson follows with a .333 batting average and has 24 hits, but leads the team with nine home runs, 24 RBIs and 18 walks.
Junior utility pitcher Aynslie Furbush (7-4) has logged the most innings pitched at 60.1 and has a 1.39 ERA. Furbush has 44 strikeouts and have given up 44 hits, 20 runs and 20 walks. Senior pitcher Makenna Klietherm (5-4) leads the staff with 59 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched and has a 2.85 ERA. Klietherm has held opposing batters to a .184 average. Senior pitcher Brooke Vestal (4-1) has a 2.45 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched and has 29 strikeouts.
ON DECK
LSU will return to Tiger Park March 30-April 2 where they will host BYU, Louisiana Tech, and NC State in the Purple & Gold Challenge.
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