Things are about to get busy for the LSU softball team.
The Tigers (18-12, 2-6) begin their April schedule today, and it promises to be a lot more hectic than the March portion of the slate. LSU played just 11 games during March and capped off the month on a nine-day break because of a bye week in the Southeastern Conference schedule and a rainout Tuesday.
Starting tonight against Arkansas (10-24, 1-12), the Tigers will play 19 games in 30 days in April. How the team handles the transition remains to be seen.
“It’s kind of crazy,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “I won’t know until we play. I’ll tell you then.”
The busy month may be just the thing for an LSU offense that finally had some momentum, starting a three-game win streak before the layover.
But after a historically bad 0-5 start in conference play, a dismal Arkansas team might be just what the Tigers need to kick start the second half of the season.
“It’s like a train going downhill,” said freshman center fielder Simone Heyward. “Once you start you can’t stop until you reach the end.”
The Razorbacks have had a much busier schedule than LSU, but it’s been a month they’d like to forget. After going 7-8 in the first two weeks of the season, Arkansas has played 20 games in March — winning just three of them.
The Razorbacks’ .067 conference winning percentage puts them at dead last in the SEC — a stat Girouard said LSU needs to make the most of the coming weekend.
“They don’t appear to be as strong as they’ve been in the past — they look like they’re struggling a little bit,” Girouard said. “We need to sweep this series. One, to make sure we get into the SEC tournament — because the top eight get in, not everybody.”
Talking about the SEC tournament with seven conference series remaining seems a bit premature, but if the postseason began today, the Tigers would be left scrambling for the last of eight spots in the conference tournament. LSU’s five-game losing streak to open SEC play has the Tigers currently looking up from fourth in the SEC West standings.
“This is a crucial series for us. We need to go to Arkansas and do well if we’re going to make any kind of move,” Girouard said.
One positive for the weekend is the team has had a chance to recuperate during its break from play.
“We’re pretty healthy now,” Girouard said. “Arms are rested, and I know everybody is excited to play again, especially another SEC series.”
Girouard said she hopes for a return from injured sophomore pitcher Rachele Fico (5-8, 3.61 ERA), and junior outfielder Katie Guillory has been cleared to play for the first time since tearing her ACL in the fall.
“All the people that were injured are coming back, all the people that are hurt are getting better,” Heyward said. “Katie Guillory is about to come back on the field — it’s exciting.”