This season the LSU softball team enters into a zone not seen in four years. L.A.S.- Life After Sneed.
Britni Sneed, the Tigers three-time All-American, completed her last year of eligibility in 2002 and took her 120 career wins and Southeastern Conference record 1,370 strikeouts with her.
Fortunately for LSU there is another All-American waiting in the wings, and she has a little bit of SEC experience to boot.
Kristin Schmidt, a junior from Houston, transferred from Notre Dame in 2002 and went 17-4 in her first year of eligibility with the Tigers. She garnered second-team All-SEC honors.
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association named Schmidt a second-team All-American after her freshman year with the Fighting Irish, and she was also the Big East Rookie of the Year. Schmidt also shutout the entire Big East during the regular season, not allowing a single run in conference play and earning a 27-3 record.
LSU head coach Yvette Girouard knows she can rely on Schmidt.
“I don’t think we have ever asked Kristin to be Britni Sneed,” Girouard said. “I think she knows that. Kristin has some lofty credentials of her own, and she got us some great wins last year when we needed it. I have total confidence in Kristin Schmidt as a pitcher.”
But usually when a pitcher is talked about, she is part of a pitching staff, which the Tigers do not have the luxury of possessing as of right now.
Sophomore Tessa Lynam, who Girouard planned to rotate each game with Schmidt, broke her hand in practice Jan. 29 and is expected to be out for about three more weeks.
So as the one pitcher on the roster with collegiate experience, Schmidt expects a great majority of the workload to fall on her, which is a situation she does not mind being placed in.
“I am expecting to throw pretty much every game until [Lynam] is back,” Schmidt said. “Right now I am the only one with experience, but Tessa is not going to be out for that long. So I don’t think it is going to be a big problem for our team to make the adjustments necessary. We worked really hard in the offseason and in the preseason right now, so I think I am definitely ready, mentally and physically.”
Girouard said the time when Lynam is out makes things that much harder on Schmidt and the rest of the team, but she continues to stress to the team to focus on the things it can control, with injuries not being one of them.
“Our motto has been to not let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do,” Girouard said. “It is absolutely the only thinking process that we will have. Of course it will be awfully tough of Schmidty to have to throw six games in three days, but it has been done. We are just going to get it done whatever way we can until Tessa gets back into our lineup for us.”
In the meantime, Girouard plans to use freshman infielder Alicia Owen, who pitched in high school, whenever needed.
“Alicia threw in high school, but she has not thrown since her high school season, last year,” Girouard said. “Maybe if she can give us some innings of relief, maybe that can help us. That is really our only option, right now.”
When Lynam does return, Girouard is excited about the potential of the pitching staff.
“We had some question marks going in, only in the aspect that Tessa has no collegiate experience,” Girouard said. “That is the downfall, right there. But I like Tessa as a pitcher. She is a warrior, and she has got some great tools. If she allows herself to let the pitches work, meaning if she relaxes and just lets her natural talent takeover, I think she can be a great person in the circle for us.”