LSU softball coach Beth Torina and her staff brought in an elite recruiting class for the 2016 season, and the rookies are already making their mark.
Infielders Amber Serrett and Shemiah Sanchez, utility player Elyse Thornhill and pitcher Sydney Smith headline the first-year players. Outfielder Akiya Thymes and utility player Taylor Satchell round out the group.
Serrett, Sanchez and Thornhill all played in multiple games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic this weekend. Serrett went 4-for-7 at the plate, with three RBIs to lead the freshmen, while Thornhill made the most of her limited appearances going 1-for-2.
Sanchez played well defensively but began to struggle at the plate, finishing 1-for-8.
“We saw good things from [the freshmen],” Torina said. “The freshmen were definitely a highlight of the weekend. They were really special and did a lot of things we knew they were capable of doing.”
Serrett is the heir-apparent to senior shortstop Bianka Bell, as she will finish her career at this season’s end. She has been called “the shortstop of the future” by Torina on multiple occasions.
Early on, Torina’s judgement appears to be spot on. The fifth-year coach started Serrett in left field in the season opener against Ohio State, and she went 2-for-3 while also recording an RBI to start her LSU career.
The Spring, Texas, native didn’t stop there. She produces on both sides of the ball for the Tigers, notching five RBIs in her young career while maintaining a .421 batting average. She has tallied eight putouts and seven assists in the seven games she’s played. While splitting time between leftfield and shortstop, she has yet to commit an error.
“They don’t need a lot of help being led,” said junior infielder Sahvanna Jaquish. “They are really mature for their age, and for being freshmen, they are leaders themselves.”
Of the freshmen, Thornhill has arguably made the largest offensive contribution. She leads the six-player group with a batting average of .571, the second-highest of Tigers with more than one at-bat.
She has brought in two runs, and three of her four hits have been doubles, earning two RBIs along the way.
Thornhill said she wants to follow the work ethic set by veteran players by coming in early to practice and staying late to perform better on the field. She identified senior Kellsi Kloss as one of her greatest influences.
“If I have a question on anything on or off the field, she’s there for me,” Thornhill said. “She’s going to be honest with me, whether it’s what I want to hear or not. I look up to her and her mentality.”
Sanchez has begun her career mostly playing at second base, and she looks right at home. She has started all six games she has participated in, tallying four RBIs and maintaining a .308 batting average.
The Newnan, Georgia, native has performed well on the field, preserving a perfect fielding percentage.
But position players aren’t the only ones leading the class. Smith is the only rookie to spend time in the circle thus far this season.
Smith won her first debut in a complete-game, one-hit effort against North Florida, but her second against UC Santa Barbara ended in a no decision. She has only allowed one earned run in her freshman campaign, but gave up nine hits in her second start.
However, Smith has recorded 12 strikeouts against the 36 batters she has faced, allowing just a .278 batting average to opponents.
“In the bullpen, we took Syd in,” said junior pitcher Baylee Corbello. “We all kind of took [the freshmen] under our wing, and we try to help them adapt as quickly as they can … because we’ll need them during the season.”
Thymes and Satchell have both been limited in playing time. Satchell has played in two games, starting one with a base hit and an RBI in her only at-bat this season.
Thymes has participated in four contests, appearing mostly as a pinch runner. Her teammates have compared her speed to former Tiger speedster outfielder A.J. Andrews, who stole 97 bases in her career.
Bell said the freshman may even have “one or two steps” over Andrews.
One thing is for certain: if the Tigers want to return to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series, the freshmen need to perform, and the indication so far is that they will.
“You can’t tell who is a freshman and who is a returner,” Corbello said. “They stood out this weekend, and everyone definitely knows who the freshmen are now.”