Because of tiebreakers and the way the schedule finishes, the LSU softball team’s four-year reign as Southeastern Conference champions will come to an end after this weekend.
But the SEC West is still up for grabs, and LSU coach Yvette Girouard said winning the West is an obvious goal when the team travels to Florida to play the Gators in a three-game set starting Saturday at 1 p.m.
“Did we want to win the overall championship? Absolutely,” Girouard said. “We still have a chance here to win the West, but I don’t think it is something that we are going to necessarily make a bigger issue than it is. The last thing you want your team to do is be tighter than a drum.”
LSU will need some help if it plans on pulling out the West title. The Tigers sit one game in the loss column behind Alabama, who plays a three-game series at overall SEC leader Georgia.
“Like I said, we still have an opportunity to win the West, so I guess we are pulling for Georgia,” Girouard said. “It is kind of hard not to listen to what is going on sometimes when they announce it. That goal is still within sight, and of course we need help, but we have got to take care of our own business.”
Girouard said regardless of any of the outcomes, the best is yet to come.
“We are at the end of the regular season, we have got the tournament, and we have got regionals, which we know we have to travel now,” Girouard said. “We need to keep our team loose. Whatever happens, happens. It is not going to be the end of the world if this thing does not play out the way we want it to.”
LSU is facing a Florida team that has traditionally struggled in the SEC but has turned around its fortunes in 2003, going 36-20 with a 17-10 record in conference play.
Girouard said the transfer of Jenny Gladding, a pitcher who won two national titles while at the University of Arizona, has breathed life into the Gators program.
“They have taken a 180-degree turn with the transfer of Gladding into their program,” Girouard said. “Arizona is obviously an awesome softball program. She was one of the premier recruitable pitchers when she came out as a senior, and everybody was after her.”
Gladding is 19-11 on the year with a 1.42 ERA, and she also swings a good stick, batting .301 on the year with 11 home runs.
“They are a much better club than they have been in the last three years,” Girouard said. “So we are going to have our work cut out for us, especially since we are going to Florida.”
While Gladding has 11 round-trippers on the year, there has not been a shortage of home run power in the LSU lineup.
LSU hit five home runs in last Sunday’s 10-1 rout of Auburn and broke the team single season record for home runs, hitting 44 on the year so far. The previous record was 41.
“I always knew we had the potential to do those things,” Girouard said of the Tigers recent home run hitting prowess. “We are just swinging the bat with a ton of confidence right now, and everybody is just having a great time.”
Kristen Schmidt continues to carry the load for the pitching staff, compiling a 29-10 record on the year with a 0.99 ERA.
She will start Saturday’s first game as usual, and Girouard said she will decide what happens after the first game is complete.