Leading up to their 2014 season, LSU softball repeated one phrase: “You can’t replace Rachele Fico.”
Even with senior pitcher Ashley Czehner returning along with the emergence of freshman Baylee Corbello and Kelsee Selman, the void left by Fico can’t be filled by one position.
It’s a team effort, and defensively the Tigers bring back a core that can make this transition much smoother.
“We’ve kind of prided ourselves in our defense, that’s kind of one of the things coach [Beth] Torina likes the most other than pitching,” said assistant coach Lindsay Leftwitch. “More than anything, we’re making sure any routine play they have to make is something they don’t even have to think about.”
LSU brings back all seven starters from its infield and outfield last season as well as 2013 Southeastern Conference All-Freshman catcher Kellsi Kloss. The Tigers have been stellar to start the year, not allowing an error in five of their first six games.
Leftwitch said the dominance starts in an outfield that is the fastest she has ever coached. Seniors Jacee Blades and Simone Heyward man left and right, while Preseason All-SEC selection A.J. Andrews occupies center.
Evidence of the outfielders’ speed can be found in the Tigers’ batting lineup with the three players usually batting first, second and ninth — spots typically held for players possessing speed.
The player most benefitted from the speedy outfield will be Czechner, who relies less on strikeouts and more on fly ball outs. Czechner led all pitchers on the team last season with 9.36 fly outs forced a game.
Blades said the coaches do a great job of prepping the outfielders for any type of situation they might face.
“We’re very confident, especially in any situation where people are on base,” Blades said. “Even a ball going 10 miles in the air, we practice that. So it is good that we do a bunch of situations, because we’re ready to play defense.”
Last season, 96 percent of all starts in the infield came from only four players. All four, seniors Tammy Wray and Allison Falcon and sophomores Bianka Bell and Sandra Simmons, return, leaving the infield in their experienced hands.
Wray mastered the hot corner last season, leading the team in both assists (97) and fielded double plays (8). Simmons, meanwhile, started all but one game at first base while recording a .991 fielding percentage.
Most impressive may be the veteran Falcon, who has been with the team since 2010. Falcon has increased her number of putouts in each of her three full seasons, and she said she enjoys playing defense more than anything and hopes that it shows when she steps onto the field.
LSU will be put to the test when it hosts a tournament for the second consecutive week this weekend. But Torina knows that going forward the team can always trust in defensive excellence.
“Our defense is really strong. I think that’s our biggest strength,” Torina said. “We’re very athletic defensively. We have some really solid kids all around the field. So we’ll rely on that throughout the year.”