The LSU softball team entered the 2014 season in question, wondering who would step up after an early departure in its own regional last season and the loss of ace Rachele Fico.
The Tigers have found few answers through their up-and-down season, but two in particular have given them hope for the future.
Freshman pitcher Baylee Corbello and freshman catcher Sahvanna Jaquish have become two of the biggest leaders on the team. Corbello leads the rotation in almost all statistical categories, while Jaquish has emerged as one of the key power hitters.
“They’ve done a great job. I think the freshman have made a lot of noise. They’ve stepped up, they’ve been in some big spots, and they’ve come through for us,” said coach Beth Torina. “I’m excited about the future of this country.”
The talk of Corbello’s talents have been ongoing since her days at Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles. It was there that Corbello won three state championships with Sam Houston and two Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year awards.
Corbello made the transition to college seem easy when she became the fifth pitcher in program history to strikeout at least 10 batters in her first career start on Feb. 7 against Minnesota. She currently leads all pitchers in earned run average, wins, complete games, shutouts and strikeouts.
The rising star gives praise to senior pitcher Ashley Czechner and Fico — now a student assistant — for helping her adjust so well so quickly.
“It’s always a plus having those kinds of pitchers in front of you,” Corbello said. “Anything they tell you to do, you can take it, and it will fix your problems. So it’s great to have that guidance.”
Jaquish also came highly recruited after batting .548 with 11 home runs her senior year at Redlands East Valley High School in Highland, Calif. She said the fan base, tradition and culture of the program helped her decide to choose a school so far from home.
The best piece of advice Jaquish said she received once arriving at LSU was to maintain confidence as she entered an entirely new environment. Hitting coach Howard Dobson told her that without much of a scouting report, Jaquish could have an inside advantage on her competition.
The results have come quicker than expected, with Jaquish leading the team in home runs (9) and runs batted in (30), while sporting a .590 slugging percentage. The strong play has helped her go from the backend of the lineup to the clean-up hitting position.
Her breakout weekend came against then-No. 1 Florida, when she batted .500 with three RBIs, two home runs and a double. She also caught some of Czechner’s win that Saturday, the Tigers’ only victory against the Gators that weekend.
Jaquish said the series gave her the awareness that she could compete and hit against any team, and any fears she had about the season left.
The freshmen still have holes, however, with Corbello struggling with her walk rate and Jaquish battling throughout the season to get her batting average above .300. Those holes may soon need to be filled, as LSU fell to a tie for last place in the Southeastern Conference after getting swept by Alabama last weekend.
But the duo exhibits a confidence that the team can get back on track and improve as they move further into SEC play. It’s the same confidence Jaquish had received from Dobson, and both players plan to keep it the rest of the season.
“It doesn’t matter who’s on the field, you’re all one team. It doesn’t matter how old you are,” Corbello said. “I feel like us coming in and making an impact like that makes a difference. It’s huge, and it tells the freshman coming up they have a chance to play as well.”