BATON ROUGE, La. – For the fourth consecutive season, LSU (37-17) will host the Baton Rouge Regional, matching up with the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Champions, Akron (34-23) at 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, May 15, at Tiger Park to open the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
The first game of the double-elimination tournament will be between Virginia Tech (46-10) and the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Champions, South Alabama (32-25), at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
The Tigers will host the Baton Rouge Regional for the 17th time and have hosted the regional round in 10 of the last 11 seasons, dating back to 2015, excluding 2020 (COVID). Alex Perlman and Brittany McKinney will call each game of the regional. Fans can also listen to the action on the LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates with Patrick Wright, the Voice of LSU Softball, including on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge, streaming at LSUsports.net/live, and in the LSU Sports Mobile App.
LSU owns an 18-2 record against the 2026 Baton Rouge Regional field, including a 16-2 mark versus South Alabama, and a 2-0 record against Virginia Tech. LSU and Akron will meet for the first time on Friday. None of these clubs has played each other in the postseason.
No. 18 LSU enters the tournament as winners of five of its last six games. The Tigers have a .286 batting average, 399 hits (including 54 home runs), 324 runs, and 284 RBI. LSU has drawn 255 walks, ranking No. 11 in Division I softball. In the circle, the pitching staff has a 2.77 ERA with 10 shutouts, 263 strikeouts, and has allowed a .235 opposing batting average over 356.2 frames.
Jalia Lassiter, a four-time NFCA All-Region and 2026 All-SEC selection, paces the team with a .353 batting average, 60 hits, and 59 runs. The senior outfielder is the seventh LSU Tiger to record multiple seasons with 60 hits and 50 runs.
Kylee Edwards, who was named to the 2026 NFCA Gulf All-Region Third Team and 2026 All-SEC First Team, is averaging a .344 clip at the plate on 55 hits, including 10 home runs, and has 39 runs and 35 RBI this season. K. Edwards leads LSU with 16 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games. She has struck out just 10 times this season and enters the weekend on a 14-game reach streak.
Sierra Daniel, a 2026 NFCA Gulf All-Region honoree, rounds out the club’s .300 hitters with a .340 average on 55 hits, 41 runs, 30 RBI, and has drawn 32 walks. Daniel is on a team-best seven-game hitting streak entering the tournament, and has a .983 fielding percentage, turning 15 double plays from second base.
Alix Franklin (.289) and Tori Edwards (.287) are the remaining 2026 All-SEC honorees. Franklin has led the SEC all season in triples with six three-baggers on the year and has five home runs, highlighted by her first career grand slam. Franklin has 43 hits, 29 runs, and 36 RBI. T. Edwards, who was placed on the 2026 NFCA Gulf All-Region Second Team, leads LSU with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, and 45 walks. She has found a rhythm late in the season, logging nine hits in the last 11 games, and has 41 total hits this season.
Two-time NFCA Gulf All-Region pitcher Jayden Heavener leads the staff with a 12-8 record. Heavener has pitched 14 complete games and has four shutouts, including a no-hitter, and two saves. In 126.1 innings, the left-hander has 109 strikeouts.
Paytn Monticelli (8-3) has had the hot hand in the back half of the season for the Tigers. In her last five appearances as the pitcher of record, Monticelli is 5-0 with a 0.33 ERA over 21.0 innings with 16. During the stretch, she has one complete game shutout, 16 strikeouts, gave up one earned run, five walks, and a .171 opposing batting average. In 69.0 innings overall, the senior has a 2.54 ERA and 60 punchouts.
Cece Cellura is 8-5 in the circle, with 45 strikeouts, and has a 3.32 ERA over 92.2 innings. Cellura has allowed 16 walks all season, the fewest walks by an SEC pitcher with a minimum of 90.0 innings.
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