The No. 16 LSU softball team began its second season in the new Tiger Park in 2010.After posting a 20-8-1 record at home during Tiger Park’s inaugural season, coach Yvette Girouard and the Tigers entered 2010 determined to climb back to the top of the Southeastern Conference.LSU (42-13, 20-8) started its season off against ranked opponents on the road in Austin for the Texas Invitational, but after defeating then-No. 19 North Carolina and then-No. 21 DePaul, the Tigers dropped two games to No. 14 Texas.The Tigers returned home, and after a 2-0 loss to No. 2 Michigan, went on a school record 24-game winning streak.LSU crept up the rankings and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation.But the Tigers’ rivals, No. 6 Florida and No. 4 Alabama, snapped LSU’s winning streak.”It was a tough week for us,” said LSU freshman pitcher Rachele Fico. “We played two of the best teams in the country.”The Gators handed LSU three consecutive losses in Gainesville, Fla., 4-1, 2-1 and 7-1, respectively. LSU fell further three days later when the Tigers dropped two games to the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala., 3-1 and 4-3.But LSU rebounded by sweeping Mississippi State, Arkansas and Kentucky.The Tigers moved back into contention for an SEC West title but had a tough series ahead when No. 8 Georgia came to Baton Rouge.”We’ve swept everyone we’ve played in the SEC, but we’ve been swept twice,” LSU senior center fielder Kirsten Shortridge said prior to the series against Georgia. “The SEC is unpredictable, but we’ve got a home field advantage.”Nineteen of LSU’s 24 consecutive wins came at home, but the Tigers were able to defend home against the Bulldogs.LSU beat Georgia in the first two games of the series, 5-1 and 5-3, respectively, before dropping a close 3-2 decision in the final game of the series.LSU’s new home was truly an advantage in the 2010 season. Girouard’s crew ended its regular season with a 29-3 home record.  The Tigers had three returning seniors whom Girouard predicted would play a major role in the team’s productivity throughout the season.”As all coaches say, the golden word is ‘healthy,'” Girouard said. “If we can keep those three healthy during the season, then that’s a key ingredient for us.”And the three seniors stepped up for the Tigers in ways that possibly even Girouard couldn’t have predicted.Senior right fielder Rachel Mitchell made her biggest mark of the season April 29 during the series opener against Georgia, when the LaPorte, Texas, native towered a two-run home run over the left field fence for her 33rd home run of her career.The blast moved Mitchell ahead of former Tiger Leslie Klein as the all-time LSU career home run leader.”The thought didn’t occur to me until I was rounding second base, and then as I was coming up to third base, I thought, ‘I broke the record,” Mitchell said.Mitchell leads the 2010 team with 43 RBIs and a .592 slugging percentage.Shortridge ranks No. 7 in the SEC in batting average with a .421 average, No. 3 in the SEC with 77 hits and No. 2 in the SEC with 42 stolen bases.Shortridge is also one of 25 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. The top 10 finalists will be named May 12.Senior pitcher Cody Trahan has dominated in the circle. Trahan led the pitching staff to the top of the SEC with a team ERA of 1.32.Fico, Trahan and sophomore pitcher Brittany Mack have the lowest individual ERAs in the conference with ERAs of 1.09, 1.12 and 1.59, respectively.Trahan’s 17 earned runs allowed and 15 walked batters are the fewest on the team.”She’s a totally different pitcher right now, and the fact is she starts ahead,” Girouard said. “Never in my career have I had this many quality arms.”LSU will travel to the SEC tournament May 13.
 
 
 
—-Contact Jarred LeBlanc at [email protected]