A solid pitching staff in softball is just as important as an accurate quarterback in football.The No. 18 LSU softball team will be quarterbacked through the 2010 season by a group of pitchers who have been among the best in the Southeastern Conference.In 2009, the Tiger crew gave up the third-fewest earned runs in the SEC — just 126 — and had the fourth-lowest team ERA in the conference at 2.48 runs per game.The Tigers accomplished this despite having a pitching staff plagued with injuries all season long, including a season-ending injury to lone senior Dani Hofer.This season LSU has four returning pitchers and has added a freshman pitcher who will see her share of batters this season.”We’re chomping at the bit to see what everyone can do in the circle,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “We kind of have riches in the circle this year.”The Tigers will travel to Austin, Texas, for the Texas Invitational this weekend and will face No. 19 North Carolina, No. 21 DePaul and Texas during the three-day tournament. Some of LSU’s pitchers said they have been waiting for this tournament for a long time, and they are looking forward to kicking off the 2010 season in Texas.”I feel like I’ve been waiting for it to be game week since we’ve gotten here,” said freshman pitcher Rachele Fico. “Now that it’s finally here, we’re really going to have to bear down now and continue working hard.”Senior pitcher Cody Trahan led the Tigers in 2009 with a 12-7 record and 141 strikeouts.”Cody is just a great leader out there,” said sophomore pitcher Brittany Mack.But Trahan has suffered back injuries throughout the fall and will be questionable heading into the season. Girouard said the injuries will keep Trahan out of at least the first weekend of play.”Her back kind of went out on her again,” Girouard said. “So she hasn’t thrown hardly any in the last two weeks … but at some point hopefully we can get her back.”Mack is the other strong pitcher returning to the circle. Mack was ferocious in her freshman campaign and allowed only 73 hits on the season, second fewest in the SEC.Junior pitcher Casey Faile, who also plays first base, led the team with two saves last season. Faile had an ERA of 1.93 in 50.2 innings pitched.Senior center fielder Kirsten Shortridge also saw action in the circle last season. The All-American showed pin-point accuracy and only walked 17 batters in 52.1 innings pitched in 2009.”Shortridge has thrown more at this point than she did last year,” Girouard said. “She can control any game when she’s on.”As a team, the Tigers had the second fewest wild pitches in the SEC with 33 and were tied for the second fewest home runs allowed in the SEC with just 24.The newest addition to the LSU circle is Fico. Fico finished high school with a 105-3 record and pitched 26 perfect games, which is a national high school record.Fico’s credentials are so impressive Girouard gave her the start in her first collegiate game Friday against the Tar Heels.”I can’t wait to see what Fico is going to do,” Girouard said. “She is going to have an unbelievable future with this program.”