The No. 13 LSU softball team will see a familiar face this weekend when the Tigers travel to College Station, Texas, to play Southeastern Conference newcomer No. 10 Texas A&M.
The programs’ most recent meetings took place at last season’s NCAA Regionals, where LSU coach Beth Torina’s team took both games on its way to a College World Series appearance.
But according to LSU (33-8) sophomore outfielder A.J. Andrews, this weekend’s meeting has new stakes on the line for both teams.
“They’re in our conference now,” Andrews said. “We’re not only talking about a bid to Super Regionals or Regional Championships, we’re talking about conference bragging rights. It’s more than just, ‘Oh, it’s A&M, we need to get one game or two games.’ We’re playing for rankings now.”
Senior pitcher Rachele Fico cited last season’s victories against the Aggies (33-7) as a possible rallying point for a team that will be looking to make a statement in its first season in the SEC.
Fico also recalled the two times in 2010 and 2011 when her team was the one left on the wrong end of the scoreboard against Texas A&M.
This will be tied for the Tigers’ highest-ranked matchup at the time of play when Texas A&M enters the diamond on Friday as the No. 10 team in the country — only three spots above the Tigers.
“They have a huge offense, a ton of power. They already have 63 home runs this season,” Torina said. “They’re really going to swing it and swing it big. They have a really strong pitcher who can really swing it, too.”
As the Tigers near the end of regular-season play, LSU will attempt to secure its second SEC sweep this season against Texas A&M. The only time the Tigers were able to take three consecutive games during the 2013 campaign was against Kentucky in LSU’s conference home opener.
“It’s really hard to beat the same team three times, especially a team of this caliber — everyone is so talented,” Fico said. “You always need to make sure you’re staying focused and playing to the best of your ability. … It’s going to be tough and you’re going to be tired.”
