The end is in sight for the No. 21 LSU softball team.
The Tigers (32-15, 13-9) have two Southeastern Conference series remaining in the regular season and have already clinched a spot in the conference tournament.
But even with the meat of their schedule behind them, LSU coach Yvette Girouard said her team can’t coast past a weekend series in Starkville, Miss., against Mississippi State.
“We can’t ever relax,” Girouard said. “If we were scoring 10 runs a game, I’d say we could relax.”
The future for Mississippi State (23-26, 9-13) is much less certain. The Bulldogs currently hold the eighth position in the SEC standings, two games behind Auburn and three games ahead of South Carolina.
Only the top eight teams in the conference receive a bid into the SEC tournament.
LSU may be a difficult obstacle for Mississippi State to overcome as it hopes to maintain position in the SEC. The Tigers have not lost to the Bulldogs since 2005, including a three-game sweep last season in which they outscored them 16-5.
But this year’s Mississippi State team is riding high after stealing a game last weekend from No. 6 Tennessee, a team that swept LSU earlier this season.
“They’re a very worthy opponent,” Girouard said. “I watched them on TV and was very impressed. This is a much better [Mississippi] State team than they were last year.”
The LSU offense has been the primary concern for Girouard all season. The Tigers rank near the bottom of the SEC in almost every offensive category.
A date with the Bulldogs’ pitching staff may be what LSU needs to find its stride at the end of the season. Mississippi State pitchers rank last in the SEC with a 4.88 team ERA.
Girouard, however, said she was impressed with what she has seen from Mississippi State sophomore pitcher Stephanie Becker, a left-hander who has struck out 76 batters compared to just 26 walks.
“We’ll have to make some adjustments and go with pitches,” Girouard said.
LSU pitchers Brittany Mack and Rachele Fico have recorded five consecutive shutouts as part of the Tigers’ six-game winning streak.
 
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