No. 17 LSU Set for Battle Versus No. 1 TennesseeNo. 17 LSU Set for Battle Versus No. 1 Tennessee

No. 17 LSU Set for Battle Versus No. 1 Tennessee

SEC play opens with a Top-20 Showdown in Knoxville, Tenn.

BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 17/16 LSU opens SEC play with a marquee matchup, traveling to Knoxville for a three-game series against top-ranked Tennessee March 6–8 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

LSU (17-4) and Tennessee (20-0) begin the series at 5 p.m. CT on Friday. Game two is set for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, with both contests streaming on SEC Network+ with Will Boling and Faith Cain on the call. Sunday’s finale will air on SEC Network at 1 p.m. CT, featuring Matt Schumaker and Madison Shipman.

LSU is 31-40-1 all-time against Tennessee and is 13-21 when playing in Knoxville. The Tigers won the last meeting between the programs — a 2-1 upset in the 2024 SEC Tournament — but have dropped the previous two regular-season series. This marks just the second time LSU has faced Tennessee while the Lady Vols hold the No. 1 ranking. The Tigers won the first such series, 2-1, on April 28–29, 2007, at Old Tiger Park.

LSU enters conference play riding a 10-game winning streak.

The pitching staff owns a 2.33 ERA with 108 strikeouts and five shutouts. Offensively, the Tigers are batting .274 with 139 hits, including 49 extra-base hits, and have drawn 118 walks — the third-most in NCAA Division I. LSU leads the SEC with 11 triples (No. 2 nationally), 15 double plays (No. 6 nationally) and 41 stolen bases (No. 18 nationally).

Jayden Heavener (6-2) anchors the staff with a 2.40 ERA and a team-high 48 strikeouts over 46.2 innings. She has two complete-game shutouts and six complete games, leading the SEC and ranking ninth nationally.

Tatum Clopton (5-1) has been dominant early, posting a 1.09 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in 25.2 innings. She has limited opponents to a .155 batting average, recorded two combined shutouts and earned a save.

Cece Cellura (3-0) has added 12 strikeouts across 30.1 innings, while Paytn Monticelli (2-1) has struck out 25 in 23.0 innings of work.

At the plate, Sierra Daniel leads the Tigers with a .414 batting average on 24 hits and 17 walks. She has seven extra-base hits, 16 runs scored and 12 RBI.

Jalia Lassiter is hitting .377 with 23 hits and leads the team with 23 runs scored and eight stolen bases.

Over the past 10 games, transfers Char Lorenz (.381) and Kylee Edwards (.333) have found their rhythm. Lorenz is batting .286 overall with three home runs and 16 walks, while Edwards is hitting .246 with 14 hits and ranks eighth in the SEC with 38 assists.

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can follow the team on its social media channels, including www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball, as well as on Instagram and X.

at No. 1 Tennessee

  • Tennessee enters the weekend 20-0 with six top-25 victories and a 6-0 record at home.

    The Lady Vols lead the nation with a 0.50 team ERA and 11 shutouts. Three pitchers carry sub-1.00 ERAs, headlined by back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Year Karlyn Pickens, who is 6-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 46.2 innings.

    Erin Nuwer is 9-0 with a staff-best 0.19 ERA over 37.2 innings, holding opponents to a .067 batting average with 47 strikeouts. Sage Mardjetko is 4-0 with a 0.67 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.

    Offensively, Tennessee is hitting .330 with 160 hits, 22 home runs and 125 RBI. The Lady Vols also rank fifth nationally with a .987 fielding percentage.

    Sophia Knight leads the offense with a .556 average on 35 hits and a .622 on-base percentage. She has scored 26 runs and stolen 11 bases. Ella Dodge is hitting .367 with six home runs, eight doubles and 30 RBI, while five additional Tennessee players are batting .300 or better (minimum 30 at-bats).

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