LSU softball had its first home scrimmage for the 2026 season as the team aims to dominate from all sides of the ball.
While practice has been going on for a few weeks now, the most prominent tell-tale signs for the regular season arise during fall ball.
On Thursday, the Tigers took on Jones College and there were three things in particular that stood out.
Tatum Clopton as sharp as ever
Redshirt junior Tatum Clopton is finally going full-out after her devastating injury during the 2022-23 offseason. Last season, she showed her potential as a pitcher, even earning a Sunday night starting role later in the season.
She had the ball on Thursday and looked as dialed in as she was in April. Her pitches were sharp, and of course, she executes her change-up with the best. Everything she threw appeared to have strong command, meaning she’s trusting herself in the circle more and more each day.
With the loss of senior pitcher Sydney Berzon, Clopton was expected to lead the pitching staff as the most seasoned returner. With her being utilized more in a supporting role in 2025, most would expect this to be a tough transition, but Clopton handled herself with poise on the field.
However, this is no shock to Clopton. She has worked extremely hard to get back to this point, and now that she’s here, she’s not letting it pass her by.
“I spent so long working towards the light at the end of the tunnel that to finally be at the end of the tunnel felt surreal,” Clopton said in the spring. “It still feels surreal getting to be out there and a part of this team and to just do what I can.”
If Clopton did nothing else on Thursday, she’s shown she’s a strong candidate for a Friday or Saturday night starter.
She had hitters chasing pitches over their heads and in the dirt, and she buckled knees like no other with her offspeed. More noticeably, her speed has ticked up a bit as well.
Thursday night was overall a great showing for her.
Batters a bit too patient at the plate
In 2025, one of the things LSU did right was hit the ball and score runs. On Thursday night, this was not the case.
The Tigers seemed complacent at the plate. Several players took pitches that were close to perfection. While this is a commonly used technique for some teams, it can be disastrous if it isn’t executed perfectly.
During his time on staff with the Tigers, former hitting coach Howard Dobson taught players to wait for their pitch and not to miss it when they got it. This has come back to haunt past teams under head coach Beth Torina, but current hitting coach Bryce Neal teaches the exact opposite strategy.
In the 2025 season, the batters showed such great production because they would hit any decent pitch well. It allowed them to face stellar pitching without getting shut down. This did not appear to be the case on Thursday night.
While it might be players being overly selective, not working on hitting decent pitches might put them in a bind in the regular season.
Speed is of the essence
In 2025, Torina put an emphasis on this team being speedy. Just about every player on the team could run extremely well, and the same appears to be true of the 2026 team.
This makes sense because almost every starter returns to Tiger Park, but the team’s new additions can run with the best of them as well. With that in mind, the Tigers might get crafty on the basepaths this season.
Maddox McKee bunted for a base hit, and several Tigers stole bases during the scrimmage. Each player seemed to run extremely well despite the cold weather.
What makes the game fun isn’t winning, it’s executing tricky plays in big moments. Whether a player makes a diving grab or hits a home run, it all increases the excitement for the players and fans alike.
First baseman Tori Edwards said in the spring that the team’s speed game was a big part of the hype and the energy created in the dugout. If this continues into 2026, the Tigers might be able to work themselves out of some offensive jams and keep the momentum in their dugout.
“Everyone’s just finding ways to take the next base, so if it’s taking an extra base when no one’s paying attention and just different reads at the plate,” Edwards said. “I think there’s just a passion and there’s a fiery energy that we get from our speed.”
If the offense remains as slow as it did during the scrimmage, speed might be key for this team.
It may be early, but everything is slowly coming together for LSU softball. The small things will start to solidify as the team gels, and the 2026 season will be here before they realize it.
