The No. 7 LSU softball team will look to continue the best start in program history when it hosts Stephen F. Austin, Ball State, Florida Atlantic and Northwestern State in the annual Purple and Gold Challenge this weekend at Tiger Park.
The Tigers (16-0) will start with doubleheader tonight, facing Stephen F. Austin (5-6) at 5 p.m. and Ball State (6-8) at 7:30 p.m.
Despite heading into its third home tournament of the season as one of the three remaining undefeated teams in the country, LSU’s focus is on constant improvement, not on extending its winning streak.
“We’re showing up [in practice] and trying to be 0-16,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “We will show up on Friday night and be 16-0 again … but we’re going to work this team this week as if they are the worst team in the country.”
By focusing on constant improvement, the Tigers have remained calm and played loose throughout the streak because returners and newcomers alike have stepped up in key positions.
The balance of speed and power in the LSU lineup combined with its deep pitching rotation has fueled the Tigers through the streak.
Returning slappers senior outfielder A.J. Andrews and sophomore outfielder Bailey Landry lead off the Tigers lineup, hitting in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.
Andrews has been LSU’s lead-off hitter since her freshman year in 2012. This season, Andrews leads the Southeastern Conference with 16 walks on the season and is tied for the conference lead in triples with four.
From the No. 2 spot, Landry trails only Andrews in on-base percentage (.529). Landry leads the Tigers’ slappers with 11 RBIs.
Returning power hitters sophomore infielder Sahvanna Jaquish and junior infielder Bianka Bell have started off the year hitting lights out and are tied for the team home-run lead with six apiece.
Jaquish leads the Tigers with 25 RBIs and hit LSU’s first grand slam of the season against San Diego State on Feb. 19.
Bell leads LSU with a .490 average and a 1.000 slugging percentage through the Tigers’ winning streak. Bell’s is tied for the conference lead with seven doubles.
“Our team is just so diverse and we cover every aspect of the game that has really helped us,” Jaquish said. “For the other teams, I don’t know how they are going to play us because we have everything.”
Freshman pitcher Allie Walljasper (6-0) spearheads the Tigers’ four-deep rotation into the weekend and leads LSU’s pitchers in four statistical categories: strikeouts (35), ERA (0.59), complete games (5) and innings pitched (35.1).
Although Walljasper excelled early in her LSU career, sophomore pitchers Baylee Corbello and Kelsee Selman have shined in their own ways this season.
After leading the Tigers with 188 strikeouts last season, Corbello has notched 18 strikeouts this season and allowed opponents to bat only .188 against her, which is good for 14th in the SEC.
Selman leads the rotation in opposing batting average and has tallied 23 strikeouts to only three walks in her 16.2 innings pitched.
The other freshman pitcher, Carley Hoover, brings a completely different dynamic to the pitching staff with her power pitching. Hoover has posted a 1.50 ERA in her 28 innings pitched.
“Our bullpens are fun every day,” Walljasper said. “I learn something new every day, and it’s awesome knowing that I can rely on them if I’m having a bad day or they can rely on me if they’re having a bad day.”
The marquee matchup of the weekend comes on Saturday when the Tigers take on Florida Atlantic (13-1), whose only loss of the season was by one run against Kansas opening weekend.
Junior infielder Melissa Martinez, who notched four home runs and tallied 29 RBIs this season, leads the Owls’ lineup.
You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR.