While many students prepare to hit the beach for Spring Break next week, the LSU softball team has no such luxury as No. 13 Georgia (34-6, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) comes rolling into Tiger Park for a conference series this weekend.
After winning their first SEC series of the season against Tennessee, the Tigers seemed to have finally overcome the inconsistent play that plagued them early in the season.
However, that did not seem to be the case as the Tigers (22-17, 4-8 SEC) fell to McNeese State 2-1 on Wednesday. LSU slipped back into its inconsistent hitting that has contributed to losing nine one-run games this season.
The Tigers produced only five hits and made mistakes in key points that cost them the victory.
“I think we did not help ourselves tonight at any point,” said LSU coach Beth Torina after the McNeese loss. “I thought we made a lot of mistakes that were very costly,” 
In the past two games, the Tigers have struggled to find an offensive rhythm, producing only one run in eight hits and being out-hit 8-13.
LSU faces the difficult task of finding their offensive rhythm against the Bulldog’s rotation, which features two of the SEC’s best pitchers in sophomores Chelsea Wilkinson and Geri Ann Glasco.
Wilkinson leads the SEC with 182 strikeouts, including a conference-leading 54 strikeouts left looking. Glasco posts a 1.85 ERA in 110 innings pitched, which is fifth best in the SEC.
LSU’s lineup will need to step up like it did in the first two games against Tennessee’s senior pitcher Ellen Renfroe, who came into the series 21-0 with a 1.29 ERA. After the series, Renfroe  is second in the conference with a 1.54 ERA and leads the SEC with 22 wins.
In the first two games, the Tigers produced 15 runs on 13 hits against Renfroe. 
The Tigers’ pitching has struggled in the past two games, adding to its need for a rebound. 
LSU’s rotation has given up a combined 11 earned runs on 13 hits and allowed seven walks in game three against Tennessee and against McNeese. 
The performance of the rotation needs to more resemble their performance in the first two games of the Tennessee series, where they surrendered only four earned runs in 14 innings.
The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight in Tiger Park.