The No. 6 LSU softball team has hosted ranked teams all season.
The Tigers (44-10, 15-9 Southeastern Conference) have played home games against five ranked teams at. The number of elite teams that have played at Tiger Park will increase this week when the SEC Tournament takes place starting Wednesday in Baton Rouge.
“To me, other than the College World Series, it’s truly the premier event in college softball,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “Having that many ranked teams competing together in one tournament, it’s really special. It’s exciting for the game. It’s exciting for this league. We’re thrilled to be the host of that event.”
LSU will face the winner of No. 5 seed Tennessee and No. 12 seed Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The SEC boasts nine teams ranked in the latest NFCA poll and eight in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. The SEC has four teams ranked in the top 10 of each poll.
LSU went 15-9 this season when matching up against ranked teams. The Tigers also compiled a 15-9 league record while playing in one of the nation’s elite conferences.
Sophomore pitcher Baylee Corbello said the Tigers are able to handle the increased level of competition.
“Everyone is really excited for the SEC Tournament,” Corbello said. “We really step up whenever we play teams of that caliber.”
This season is the first time LSU has hosted the SEC Tournament since 2008, when LSU fell to Alabama in the semifinals. It will also be the first time LSU has hosted the event at the new Tiger Park, which opened in 2009.
Junior catcher Kellsi Kloss said the team was thrilled when it found out the tournament would be in Baton Rouge in 2015.
“That was one thing I was upset about coming in here was that I wasn’t going to get a chance to host the SEC tournament,” Kloss said. “So when we found out that we were this year, I was so incredibly happy.”
Senior center fielder A.J. Andrews said the SEC’s passionate fan bases coming together will create an “unreal” atmosphere, and the people who don’t attend this season’s SEC Tournament will be “missing out.”
LSU boasts a 32-3 record at home. Its only series loss at home this spring came against No. 8 Auburn on May 1-3, but Kloss said LSU can draw on its strong home record as it heads into the tournament.
The Tigers will look to claim their sixth SEC Tournament title, and junior shortstop Bianka Bell said the tournament will be a good gauge for the postseason.
“It’s a good place to see where we’re going to be coming into postseason, regionals and all that,” Bell said. “So playing against the best teams and getting us prepared for regionals is going to be a good look for us.”
You can reach Jack Woods on Twitter @Jack_TDR.