LSU softball coach Yvette Girouard accepted the LSU job nine years ago with the promise of a new stadium for her team.Girouard will finally get her wish when the team opens the season Wednesday at 6 p.m. against McNeese State in the new Tiger Park. Girouard said the new field is gorgeous and has the most character of any other park. “When people get in there tomorrow night, they are going to be blown away,” Girouard said. “It’s got the arches of LSU. It’s got the brick of LSU, but it’s got the ambiance and character of no other.”Girouard said she talked to former LSU athletic director and baseball coach Skip Bertman and said he cemented his legacy in Baton Rouge with the new Tiger Park.”He did with this facility,” she said. “He got it done.”The team hasn’t practiced much on the new field because of continuous construction.”Yesterday was the first day we ever hit,” Girouard said. “We’ve never been in the dugout yet.”LSU junior Kirsten Shortridge, a transfer from Baylor, said she isn’t fully acclimated with the center field of the new park yet.”Finding the fence is going to be a little different,” Shortridge said.The grand opening of the new Tiger Park will begin with a ceremony for past softball alumnae.Coaches from the other LSU women’s sports will be honored also and allowed to throw the first pitches in the new stadium.”Unquestionably this has to be the largest monetary contribution LSU has made to any women’s sport,” Girouard said.The Tigers (3-2), who played their first five games in Honolulu, Hawaii, start freshmen at catcher, first base, second base and shortstop. “We’re going to have a big crowd, but when we go play in the [Southeastern Conference], there are always big crowds every weekend,” said sophomore third baseman Jessica Mouse. “It will be a great experience for them to get into the loud atmosphere before we actually reach SEC play.”Girouard said she has dealt with a “make-shift pitching rotation” because of injuries to senior Dani Hofer, junior Cody Trahan and Shortridge. Girouard said the original wrist injury to Hofer has now moved to her back, and she’s unsure when Hofer will be able to throw again.”She had pretty much extreme complications with the surgery that was supposed to be minor over the summer,” Girouard said. “She threw one day of practice, and that was it. Now she has developed this back problem.”Trahan has seen limited action because of minor back surgery she had during winter break. Shortridge has been in the rotation but isn’t fully healthy after arm surgery during the summer.The Tigers have relied mostly on sophomore Casey Faile and freshman Brittany Mack, who have remained healthy. Girouard said she wanted to redshirt Mack, but the team’s injuries have prevented that.”Because of the dilemma with the older pitchers, we don’t have a choice,” Girouard said. “We have to throw her.”——Contact Jarred LeBlanc at [email protected]