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No. 7 LSU Set for Another Top 10 Series, Challenges No. 4 Tennessee in KnoxvilleNo. 7 LSU Set for Another Top 10 Series, Challenges No. 4 Tennessee in Knoxville

No. 7 LSU Set for Another Top 10 Series, Challenges No. 4 Tennessee in Knoxville

LSU will play its second top-10 series and fifth top-25 series of the season. First pitch at Tennessee is set for 5 p.m. CT on Friday and will air on SEC Network.

BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 7 LSU (34-8, 10-8 SEC) will challenge No. 4 Tennessee (32-7, 12-3 SEC) in its final three-game road series of the regular season April 19-21 at Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.  

Each game in the series will be televised, beginning with a 5 p.m. CT game on Friday on SEC Network. Games two and three will air on ESPN2. The first pitch for game two on Saturday will begin at 11 a.m. CT, and Sunday’s series finale is set for 1 p.m. CT. Eric Frede and Michelle Smith will be the broadcasters on the telecast, and Patrick Wright, the Voice of LSU Softball, will be on 107.3 FM in the Baton Rouge area and the LSU Sports Radio Network. 

LSU is 12-4 this season against top-25 programs after defeating No. 19/25 UL Lafayette 4-2 earlier this week. The Tigers rank No. 2 in the SEC with 354 hits and No. 3 with a .318 batting average. In the circle, the team has a 2.35 ERA behind 279 strikeouts. 

Outfielder Ciara Briggs has a .369 batting average behind a team-high 51 hits, which ranks No. 3 in the SEC. Briggs also paces the team with 37 runs, 11 stolen bases, and 17 multi-hit games this season. Outfielders McKenzie Redoutey and Ali Newland follow with averages of .357 and .351, respectively. Newland is second on the team with 46 hits and 34 RBIs and has a team-high eight home runs.  

Infielders Raeleen Gutierrez and Karli Petty both have batting averages of .325. Petty has 26 hits and 24 RBIs in 31 games played, and Gutierrez leads the team with 19 extra-base hits, including five home runs this season as part of her 40 total base knocks. Shortstop Taylor Pleasants leads LSU with 36 RBIs and has seven dingers this season.  

Pitcher Sydney Berzon (15-4) ranks No. 6 in the SEC with 130 strikeouts and has a 1.97 ERA this season. In SEC games alone, Berzon leads the league with 70 strikeouts and seven wins and ranks No. 2 in the conference with a 1.76 ERA. Pitchers Raelin Chaffin (10-3) and Kelley Lynch (5-1) follow with 64 and 67 strikeouts, respectively. Lynch holds opposing batters to a staff-low .167 batting average (No. 5 in the SEC) and is coming off her first career seven-inning no-hitter against Auburn on April 13.

LSU trails Tennessee 29-38-1 in the all-time series. The Lady Vols swept the Tigers last season at Tiger Park. LSU’s last series win against Tennessee was a 2-1 series in 2021 in Knoxville.

at No. 4 Tennessee

  • Last weekend, Tennessee won a 2-1 series at Mississippi State, defeating the Bulldogs in the final two games. The Lady Vols have a .299 batting average with 304 hits. The pitching staff dominates in the circle, with a nation-leading 1.48 ERA, and their 287 strikeouts are the second-most in the SEC.

    Outfielder Kiki Milloy is batting .353 with 41 hits, a team-high 49 runs (No. 2 in the SEC), 20 RBIs, and nine home runs that contribute to a .698 slugging percentage. Milloy also leads the team with 21 stolen bases. Infielder McKenna Gibson leads the team with a .367 average, 44 hits, and 36 RBIs while accounting for seven home runs.

    The Lady Vols have a pair of top 10 pitchers in the country, including Karlyn Pickens and Payton Gottshall. Both hurlers have a 1.19 ERA and 15 wins this season. Pickens ranks No. 2 in the country with nine shutouts, No. 2 in the SEC with 149 strikeouts, lowest opposing batting average at .155 in 117.2 innings. Gottshall ranks No. 8 in the conference with 126 strikeouts in 99.2 innings and holds opposing batters to a .172 clip.

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