The No. 14 LSU softball team opens its 2004 season today as part of the three-day Tiger Classic tournament at Tiger Park.
The Tigers will hit the field at 2 p.m. today against Centenary and again at 6 p.m. against Illinois. They will also play host to Oklahoma and Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday.
“We are so ready to play,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “We are focused, we are ready and it’s just time for us to put on those uniforms and play.”
Oklahoma comes in as the highest ranking team (No. 4) in the tournament and expects to be the Tigers’ greatest threat. Last season the Sooners (47-14) made it to Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series for the fourth consecutive year.
But this year’s Sooners team will look a little different from last season’s, as five starting seniors have graduated.
“They are flat out good no matter how many players they lost,” Girouard said. “They are the type of team that can rebuild overnight.”
LSU has experienced its own share of attrition in the offseason as five starters from a year ago are no longer on the team.
Senior third baseman Julie Wiese said due to the losses the Tigers have faced a lot of freshmen will be playing this weekend.
“Obviously we want to go out there and win, but even looking from my perspective, as long as we get some experience to these freshmen coming in then that gives us confidence and that prepares us for the SEC play,” Wiese said.
Among the freshmen looking to make their collegiate debut is pitcher Emily Turner. Girouard said Turner should see significant time in the circle this weekend.
“[Turner] will throw the first game and then after that it will be a set rotation with [Kristin] Schmidt throwing against Illinois,” Girouard said.
Turner said this weekend has been weighing heavily on her mind since the schedule came out in the beginning of the fall.
Turner said the pressure that comes along with playing a team of Oklahoma’s caliber in her first weekend as a collegiate player is high, but hopes it will subside after the first ball is pitched.
“I think after the Centenary game the pressure will be eased off a little,” Turner said.
Along with playing Oklahoma this weekend, LSU will face off against No. 3 California twice in the next three weeks.
Wiese said the team has embraced their difficult early-season schedule.
“When you make all of these hard preseason games you are trying to build your team,” Wiese said. “It gives us experience and confidence for the postseason.”
Friday and Saturday will be a round robin to determine seeding for Sunday’s bracket play.
On Sunday the second and third seeds will play at 10 a.m. and the first and fourth seeds will play at noon. The winners of the two contests will play in the championship game at 2 p.m.
Since 1997 LSU is 16-1 all-time against the Tiger Classic participants. They are 8-0 against Centenary, 4-0 against Southeastern Louisiana and 4-1 against Oklahoma. Friday’s game against Illinois will be the first meeting between LSU and the Fighting Illini.