In the LSU softball team’s final weekend tournament before the start of Southeastern Conference play, the Tigers will face their toughest slate of opponents yet this season.
At the Citrus Classic in Kissimmee, Fla., LSU will face three ranked opponents in its fourth consecutive five-game weekend, beginning with a double header against No. 10 Oregon and Syracuse on Friday. On Saturday, the Tigers will meet Penn State and No. 14 Michigan before finishing the weekend with a Sunday finale against No. 15 Louisville.
The Tigers’ new-found offense and steady pitching has carried them to a 14-2 record through the first 16 games of the season, with their only two losses coming against ranked opponents.
LSU has outscored its opponents 81 to 22 this season with the bulk of its runs coming from a power surge that few would have predicted after the Tigers’ poor offensive production last season.
“I really firmly believe hitting is one of the most contagious things in sports,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “Once you see someone can do it, then you can go up and do it as well. It goes through the whole lineup.”
Last season, the Tigers batted .220 as a team, and not a single starter managed a .300 batting average. This season, the team has totaled a .308 batting average with six players hitting above the .300 mark.
Junior third baseman Tammy Wray credited the Tigers’ hitting turnaround to the team’s ability to fully grasp the coaching concepts Torina and the rest of the coaching staff implemented since their arrival before the start of the 2012 season.
Last year in Torina’s first season at LSU, the upperclassmen took a step back because they had to adjust to new drills and coaching methods, Wray said. But now with Torina’s system in full swing, the Tigers are reaping the benefits.
“It’s all about the confidence,” Wray said. “I don’t think that a lot of teams can say that one through nine for the most part can hit for power. It’s just easier to pick each other up knowing that if I don’t get it done, the person behind me will.”
Last weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, the Tigers’ bats produced easy victories in the first four games, but on Sunday against No. 16 UCLA, the Tigers’ offense fell silent. LSU failed to score a run for the first time this season in a 2-0 loss to the Bruins.
Torina said she hopes the loss will inspire the Tigers to finish out their last and toughest weekend tournament strong.
“We’re on the way there and we’re capable of big things, but we’re not there yet,” Torina said. “We were getting very confident, and I want them to be confident. But it was a reality check to understand that we have a lot more work to do.”
One aspect LSU hasn’t had to worry about is pitching.
Senior All-America pitcher Rachele Fico has led the Tigers with a .60 ERA with 75 strikeouts and a 9-1 record. Junior pitchers Meghan Patterson and Ashley Czechner have helped Fico tally a 1.22 team ERA.
Having both hitting and pitching for a change doesn’t hurt, Torina said.
“I’m a firm believer that pitching and defense wins championships, but offense gives you hope,” Torina said. “If you have offense, no matter what the score is, no matter what point in the game, you always have hope.”
