The No. 3 LSU softball team heads to Lake Charles, Louisiana, for a doubleheader against McNeese State with games scheduled for 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. today.
The Tigers (38-5, 11-4 Southeastern Conference) are coming into tonight’s contests after a loss to Tennessee in their last game, but they claimed the series in Knoxville for the first time in school history with wins in the opening two games. The Cowgirls (26-17, 12-5 Southland Conference) have lost three straight and five of their last six games coming into tonight’s matchups.
LSU scattered 23 hits across the three games against the Lady Volunteers, blasting seven home runs. Sophomore infielder Sahvanna Jaquish increased her team-leading home run total this spring to 16. Junior shortstop Bianka Bell and junior catcher Kellsi Kloss trail with 13 and nine home runs, respectively.
Jaquish’s seven-hit, seven-RBI week earned her SEC Player of the Week honors. She compiled a batting average of .583, a slugging percentage of 1.167 and an on-base percentage of .688.
As a team, LSU is batting .352 and has an on-base percentage of .439 this season. The Tigers have blasted 46 home runs and have a slugging percentage of .569.
Bell leads LSU with a .485 batting average. Sophomore right fielder Bailey Landry and senior center fielder A.J. Andrews follow at .463 and .378, respectively.
The Tigers’ high-powered offense has now outscored opponents, 305-85, this season.
Freshman pitcher Carley Hoover leads LSU’s rotation with 11 wins. Freshman Allie Walljasper leads in ERA (1.39), sophomore Baylee Corbello leads in opposing batting average (.180) and sophomore Kelsee Selman has the lone unblemished record at 8-0.
As a staff, LSU’s self-proclaimed “Fantastic 4” has an ERA of 1.66 and has held opponents to .204 batting average. The rotation has racked up 313 strikeouts compared to its 73 walks allowed.
LSU’s pitching staff faces a McNeese lineup that boasts several accomplished hitters. Freshman infielder Erika Piancastelli leads all Cowgirls’ batters with a .415 average. She has hit 16 home runs, driven in 46 runs and accumulated 113 total bases. Senior outfielder Lauren Langner follows closely with a .403 average and leads the team with 52 hits.
As a team, the Cowgirls are hitting .282, have an on-base percentage of .360 and have slugged 37 home runs.
Junior Emily Vincent leads McNeese’s rotation with a 10-4 record. She has a 1.27 ERA, has held opponents to a .187 batting average and has a team-high 83 strikeouts. Sophomore Rachel Smith has compiled a 9-5 record and holds an ERA of 2.69.
You can reach Jack Woods on Twitter @Jack_TDR.