LSU senior pitcher Dani Hofer’s recovery from offseason wrist surgery is going slower than expected — so slow that Hofer won’t pitch at full speed until 2009.LSU started fall practice Sept. 29, and Hofer’s participation has been limited.LSU coach Yvette Girouard said Tuesday that Hofer will not pitch until January and is on a short throwing program that limits the amount of pitches she can throw in practice.Hofer suffered a right wrist injury last season that caused her to miss almost a month.She had surgery in June to    repair nerve damage and clear out “massive build up,” Girouard said.Hofer won’t be available in the Tigers’ fall scrimmages, which begin Oct. 17 against Nicholls State at Tiger Park.”It’s precarious because you kind of don’t know what’s going to happen,” Girouard said. “The questions won’t be answered until right before we play probably.”Adding to Girouard’s “challenging fall” is the Tigers’ new look — 11 of the team’s 19 players are newcomers.”I got an e-mail from a fan asking yesterday for mugshots on the Internet so they could tell who the new players were,” Girouard said. “We don’t have mugshots yet. We don’t have uniforms because we have 11 new people.”LSU lost seven seniors last year — six were starters, and three of those six starters made up LSU’s infield last season.”I think one through nine we’ll be as solid as since we’ve gotten here, offensively,” Girouard said. “Defensively is where they look like deer in the headlights right now.”The Tigers’ fall practices — like the baseball team’s — were delayed because of Hurricane Gustav.Girouard said old and new Tiger Park withstood “substantial” hits from the storm, but she doesn’t expect the stadium’s opening to be delayed.”All sights are set, and fingers are crossed that Feb. 11 will be the opening game in the new Tiger Park,” Girouard said.LSU’s home opener is against McNeese State.Its regular season begins Feb. 5 in Honolulu, Hawaii.—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]