The big boys are in town. Spotlights will project, cameras will be omnipresent and softball will take an unusual presence on national television. ESPN, the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports, will broadcast tonight’s contest between the No. 17 LSU softball team (39-10, 17-5) and the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs (40-8, 17-6). Tiger players aren’t too concerned about the increased attention of a national audience. “We’ve played on TV this year already,” said LSU junior third baseman Jessica Mouse. “It’s national for ESPN, but you have to have the same mentality. You can’t make it bigger than it is or else you’re going to press. You’ve got to go out there and have fun, and good things are going to happen.”LSU coach Yvette Girouard was more excited than anyone about ESPN’s presence. Fans have been asked to wear gold to Thursday’s contest, and both teams will sport pink uniforms in support of breast cancer awareness. “I’m wearing gold and would appreciate it if the Tiger fans would wear gold to be in the national audience of ESPN at 7 p.m,” Girouard said. “We’re very excited that they’re picking us and highlighting that game for a nationwide audience to showcase our beautiful facility.”The Tigers might need to worry more about the Bulldogs. Georgia comes to Baton Rouge with a trail of defeated foes — 15 in a row — in its wake. Georgia has belted 80 home runs this season, with four Bulldogs in double figures. Add in junior outfielder Taylor Schoply with nine home runs (and a .444 batting average) and junior utility player Laura Trout with eight bombs, and the Georgia offense might be the most feared in the country. “They come in with a lot of confidence,” Girouard said. “That’s part of their M.O., their bravado on the field. They’re definitely about the long ball. They’ve hit a ton of home runs.”The players agreed. The Tigers dropped their only game against Georgia last year as the last two contests of the series were rained out. “Georgia is always a dog fight,” Mouse said. “They come out swinging the bats. They’re going to try to outscore us. Our defense is strong, and we’re going to try to make good pitches and get some timely hitting together.”The Tigers come into the game with high expectations after sweeping Kentucky last weekend. With only two series left before the postseason begins, beating the Bulldogs could be imperative. LSU currently sits one game behind Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Western Division standings. The Tigers are No. 3 in the overall conference standings, behind the Crimson Tide and a half game back of No. 6 Florida. “We have a chance here to finish really well,” Girouard said. “The SEC championship in the Western Division hasn’t been decided yet. We still have a chance to win some championships. I thought we played very well in Kentucky.”LSU senior center fielder Kirsten Shortridge echoed that sentiment. Shortridge has blitzed opposing pitchers and basepaths to the tune of a .407 batting average and 38 stolen bases. “I think we have momentum,” Shortridge said. “We’ve taken care of business. We’ve swept everyone, but we’ve been swept twice. The game can go either way. The SEC is completely unpredictable.”—–Contact Chris Branch at [email protected]