Cohesion will be key for the LSU softball team this season as five starters from a year ago are no longer on campus.
Juniors Tessa Lynam and Blair Smith, sophomore Alicia Owen and seniors Christy Connor and Megan Steege have all departed because of graduation and transfer.
The five accounted for 60 percent of the team’s school record 52 home runs from a year ago.
Most coaches would be disappointed with the loss of power from their team, but not coach Yvette Girouard.
The power outage has been resurged with a speedy unit that will look to play a more hit and run type offense, backed up with a powerful pitching staff and defense.
“I don’t think the ball will be flying out nearly as much as you saw last year, but we don’t go up there looking for home runs,” Girouard said.
Senior captain Sara Fitzgerald said the improved team speed will lead to more situations where the Tigers can put pressure on opposing defenses through steals and hit and runs.
“Our game is going to be more of a short game this year,” Fitzgerald said. “You’re not going to see as many home runs this season so the speed is going to benefit us if anything.”
Co-captains Fitzgerald, at second base, and senior third baseman Julie Wiese anchor the Tigers infield. Leslie Kline will play first base after missing the entire 2003 season due to an ACL injury two weeks before the start.
Sophomore Lauren Delahoussaye will be the starter at short. Camille Harris, LaDonia Hughes and Lauren Castle will roam the wide Tiger Park outfield for the Lady Tigers.
Behind the plate will be freshman Kristen Hobbs. Hobbs will start in place of Leigh Ann Danos for the first few games until Danos returns from mono.
Two-time All-American Kristin Schmidt will carry the bulk of the pitching load. Last season Schmidt was 34-15 with a 1.26 ERA while striking out 345 batters.
Schmidt will have more help this season inside the circle as freshman Emily Turner should be called upon to pitch some innings, Girouard said.
The Tigers start their small ball campaign off with a tough non-conference schedule in the first month.
First they will play against No. 4 Oklahoma this weekend, and then they will face off against No. 3 California twice in a three-week stretch.
“I am so happy they are throwing it at us right out of the chute,” Fitzgerald said. “We can see what we are made of.”
Once LSU is finished with their rigorous non-conference schedule, they must still battle through a difficult Southeastern Conference season.
“We always schedule tough early because we start our SEC schedule the first week in March and we’ve got to be ready,” Girouard said. “I don’t think you get yourself ready by not playing top flight schools.”
LSU will play host to Mississippi State, Florida, South Carolina, Auburn and SEC champion Georgia. The schedule does not get any easier on the road as LSU plays games at Women’s College World Series participant Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
“You are going to see some new teams making a lot of noise in the SEC,” Girouard said.
The Tigers enter the season ranked No. 14 in the NFCA/USA Today poll and No. 15 in the ESPN poll.
The Tigers begin their season this weekend at home with the Tiger Classic.