The No. 16 LSU women’s softball team faces a 3-5 Southeastern Louisiana team today at Tiger Park following back-to-back weekend tournaments against top-20 teams.  But senior pitcher/outfielder Kirsten Shortridge said the Tigers (7-4) can’t go into the game unprepared.”Southeastern always gives us a great game, and we never take that for granted,” Shortridge said.The Tigers’ only losses this year have come against then-No. 19 North Carolina, No. 4 Michigan and twice to undefeated No. 14 Texas. The Lady Lions have fallen to Louisiana Tech twice, Jackson State, Saint Louis and Tennessee-Martin, none of whom are ranked. In three games against Southeastern last season, the Tigers outscored the Lady Lions, 32-8, going 3-0 in the process. A fourth game was rained out.  LSU coach Yvette Girouard said she’s ready for warmer weather. The start to today’s matchup was moved up to 4 p.m. in fear of inclement weather. “We’re tired of freezing,” Girouard said. “If we can get any daylight, any sunlight, that would help us.”The Tigers are in the midst of an 18-game home stand, which they’ve started 5-1. LSU won its home-opening tournament last weekend, losing only to No. 4 Michigan. “I’m not unlike [LSU men’s basketball coach] Trent Johnson in that I hate to lose,” Girouard said. “All coaches hate to lose. We had our opportunities against Michigan. But we were overmatched by their pitcher.”Girouard said the terrific opposing pitching played heavily in LSU’s four losses.”We’ve faced very good pitching,” Girouard said. “We’re preparing ourselves for the [Southeastern Conference]. Everybody we’ve faced has quality pitchers, and we’ve been facing No. 1 [pitchers].”LSU’s pitching staff hasn’t disappointed, either. All four Tiger pitchers have ERAs less than 1.50 for the season. “It’s an incredible [reassurance] to the team that you have people in the circle that can stop the other team,” Girouard said. “We’ve had fantastic pitching.”Girouard said she isn’t sure who will start for the Tigers, but any or all of LSU’s pitchers could see some action.She said the team has to be prepared for whoever is on the mound for the Lady Lions. Southeastern sophomore pitcher Katelyn Thomason threw a no-hitter last weekend.”They’ve always had one legitimate thrower that can hold us down,” Girouard said. “A couple years ago, they did beat us, so we have to execute.”Girouard is still waiting for LSU’s bats to explode. In the first tournament at Texas, LSU scored a total of two runs in its three losses. But the Tigers showed glimpses of greatness at the plate toward the end of last weekend’s tournament.Sophomore left fielder Ashley Langoni is hitting tremendously as of late. She hit .500 with nine RBIs and three home runs last week and was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Softball Hitter of the Week.  Sophomore second baseman Courtney Hollier also found her swing recently, recording her first career multi-RBI game in the championship game of last weekend’s tournament against Virginia.”We just settled down and relaxed,” Hollier said. “We’re swinging at good pitches, and everything’s just kind of falling into place. We all knew we could do it; it just took a couple good hits to let us break out.”—-Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]