LSU Prepped for a Competitive Baton Rouge Regional to open the 2025 NCAA Tournament

SLU won its second consecutive SLC Tournament title in as many years to earn its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the program’s history. The Lions have turned in four straight 40-win seasons, making them one of seven Division I programs to accomplish that feat. Southeastern has a .332 batting average with 526 hits and leads the nation with 194 stolen bases, featuring three players with 25 or more stolen bases. The pitching staff has a 2.15 ERA and 304 strikeouts in 403.1 innings.

The Lions have six batters averaging over .330. Infielder Maria Detillier (.382) leads the team with 68 hits, four home runs, and 54 RBI. Infielders Chloe Magee (.371) and Shelby Morris (.354) have 66 and 64 hits, respectively, and lead the team with 53 and 51 runs scored and 34 and 30 stolen bases, respectively.

Pitcher Macie LaRue is the club’s ace with a 19-2 record, 2.10 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 143.2 innings. Britney Lewinski is behind her with 99.1 innings pitched, registering a 9-5 record, 2.18 ERA and 75 strikeouts.

LSU is on a 19-game winning streak against Southeastern but has had to walk off SLU in the last two meetings, including earlier this season, a 3-2 decision to conclude opening weekend (Feb. 9). The Tigers are 19-0 all-time against the Lions when playing in Tiger Park.

Nebraska is a Big Ten at-large selection, making its 27th NCAA Tournament appearance and 23rd in the last 30 seasons. The Huskers are a solid unit in the batter’s box and the circle. NU has set program records in batting average (.352), runs (420), home runs (98), slugging percentage (.640), and on-base percentage (.432). They have been equally impressive in the circle with a 2.59 ERA behind 359 strikeouts in 318.1 innings. Nebraska has 10 shutouts and has held opposing batters to a .215 this season.  

Much of Nebraska’s success has come from junior utility pitcher Jordyn Bahl, the two-time All-American and 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year. At the plate, Bahl is batting .458 with 71 hits, 19 home runs, 61 runs and 59 RBI. In the circle, Bahl is 23-6 with a 1.57 ERA, has 254 strikeouts and seven shutouts, and holds batters to a .156 average in 174.1 innings. Bahl, an Oklahoma transfer, has scored more runs than she has allowed in the circle and, with one more home run, can be the fourth player in NCAA history to record 20 homers and 20 wins in the circle in the same season.

Offensively, infielder Ava Kuszak (.421) follows with 64 hits and matches Bahl’s 19 home runs, and utility player Samantha Bland (.304) has 10 home runs on the season. Pitchers Hannah Camenzind (5-2) and Kylee Magee (7-4) have seen some action in the circle. Camenzind has 46 strikeouts in 61.0 frames, and Magee has 42 strikeouts in 45.0 innings.

LSU and Nebraska have not played each other in a decade. The Tigers have won the last two games against Nebraska in 2015, including a 3-2, 10-inning game in the 2015 Baton Rouge Regional.

After winning the Big East Tournament Championship, UConn earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001. The Huskies have a .325 batting average on 478 hits, 76 home runs, 385 runs, and 361 RBI. The UConn pitching staff has a 4.29 ERA on 215 strikeouts and has nine shutouts in 341.1 total innings.

Catcher Grace Jenkins leads the offense with a .425 batting average behind 71 hits, including 21 round-trippers, 65 runs and 68 ribbies. Infielder Cat Petteys is next with a .409 average and has 63 hits and 46 RBI. Petteys has 14 home runs, and outfielder Kaitlyn Breslin (.380) has 16 home runs and 53 RBI.

Pitcher Payton Kinney (15-5) has a staff-low 2.37 ERA and leads the way with 92 strikeouts, three shutouts and two saves in 133.0 innings. Hope Jenkins (11-3) has a 3.92 ERA with 75 strikeouts in .101 innings.  

LSU has defeated UConn in both meetings, a 7-2 decision in 1999 at a neutral site in Columbus, Ga., and a 13-2 victory in 2016 at Tiger Park.