LSU softball heads into the NCAA Tournament with a first round matchup against San Diego State in the Tempe Region.
This marks LSU’s 23rd overall NCAA Tournament appearance (17th consecutive) as the Tigers come in as the No. 2 seed in the Tempe Region. The region includes regional host and No. 8 overall seed Arizona State along with San Diego State and Cal State Fullerton. LSU finished the regular season with a 34-21 record and fell to Mississippi State in the opening round of the SEC Tournament.
Momentum is not on the Tigers’ side coming into the tournament, but performances during the regular season prove that LSU is still capable of competing at this level. Though LSU has been inconsistent for much of the season, series wins against Georgia and Alabama show that LSU still has the talent to compete with the best.
Looking at the first round matchup, San Diego State is a talented team who enters the tournament after winning the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs had an impressive season, compiling an overall record of 37-14 and 20-4 in conference play en route to the conference title. This is their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015 after making it eight years in a row from 2008-2015. San Diego State is led offensively by Mountain West Player of the Year Mac Barabara who is batting .395 with 15 home runs and 56 RBI. In the circle, the Aztecs are led by Maggie Bailant who enters the postseason with a record of 18-5 and a 1.50 ERA, which earned her Mountain West Pitcher of the Year honors.
For LSU, one of the biggest keys will be to get consistent contact out of its lineup, something it has not always done this season. The Tigers were average among SEC teams in batting average, ranking sixth at .291. Danieca Coffey leads the way in that category hitting .385. The power slapper has proven numerous times that she has the ability to carry the ball far, even racking in one home run. Coffey has the ability to set the cleanup crew, Georgia Clark, Shelbi Sunseri and Taylor Pleasants, up for success.
An Aztec pitcher shutting the Tiger’s lead off hitter down quickly could mean trouble for the rest of LSU’s lineup. LSU finds success in who its cleanup batters can drive in. Clark, Sunseri and Pleasants have sent over 16, 15 and 12 home runs, respectively, this season. With those stats, it is no surprise that these three are also leading the team in RBI. RBI’s are only made when runners are on base though, so for Coffey and Ciara Briggs, the second hitter in LSU’s lineup, successful at-bats will be especially crucial. An efficient lineup from the top to the bottom will be extremely important for LSU.
In the circle, Ali Kilponen carries most of LSU’s pitching duties compiling an 18-7 record and a 2.32 ERA in 162.2 innings pitched this season. Kilponen is typically LSU’s starter and is expected to get the start in the opening matchup against San Diego State. Sunseri is LSU’s second-most used pitcher and sports an ERA of 3.05 on the season. Her performances in the circle have wavered since suffering an injury to the face during the first SEC series against Alabama.
Sunseri, one of LSU’s most trusted arms, has still been utilized, but she has failed to pitch a complete game following the injury. Raelin Chaffin has been seen in the circle in previous games as a relief pitcher for Sunseri. She could see some action against San Diego State if Sunseri is put into the circle and quickly needs a relief. Despite what can be seen as weaknesses, Sunseri follows behind Kilponen closely in who makes up LSU’s more relied upon pitchers.
This game will be the first of the double-elimination regional round for LSU, who will look to advance to the winner’s bracket to face either Arizona State or Cal State Fullerton for a berth in the regional final. If the Tigers do not secure a win in game one, they will have one more chance to evade elimination in a game against that matchup’s loser. LSU’s journey will start at 7 p.m. at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The game will be streaming live on ESPN2.
