The No. 21 LSU softball team hopes to ride the wave of Wednesday’s sweep of No. 2 Alabama into its weekend series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.The Tigers (16-6, 4-2) enter the road series in Starkville, Miss. after playing only one road game this season since the team’s opening weekend in Honolulu, Hawaii.The Bulldogs (14-12, 0-6) enter the weekend on a seven game losing streak, including losing two straight three-game series against Southeastern Conference Western Division opponents.LSU coach Yvette Girouard said the team’s victories against Alabama were fantastic, and the team now has an opportunity to gain on Arkansas who leads the SEC West.”You have to capitalize on it,” Girouard said. “We need to put the product on the field.”Girouard said she hopes the Tigers can keep up the momentum of the Alabama victories and not underestimate Mississippi State.”This is a young team that is going to learn things through the year,” Girouard said. “If you go there napping, it’s going to be a disaster.”The Tigers pounded Alabama sophomore pitcher Kelsi Dunne, who was 10-0 and led the SEC with a 0.30 ERA before last night, for eight hits and two runs Wednesday. They will face a Mississippi State pitching staff that has a league-worst team ERA of 3.24.The Mississippi State pitching staff also ranks last in the SEC in hits, earned runs and total runs allowed.Mississippi State junior cather Chelsea Bramlett leads the Bulldogs offensively, who is tied for the most hits in the league (43) and is second in the SEC with a .506 batting average.Mississippi State freshman outfielder Ka’ili Smith was named SEC Freshman of the Week on March 9 after batting .500 and collecting four doubles and four RBIs in the Malihini Tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii.Steady hitting has driven the Tigers’ offense, as four hitters have a .301 batting average or better.LSU junior center fielder/pitcher Kirsten Shortridge leads the team with a .388 batting average, 31 hits, two triples and 14 stolen bases.The Tigers and Bulldogs square off in a doubleheader Saturday at MSU Softball Field and will play the final game on Sunday._____Contact Jarred LeBlanc at [email protected]