LSU Tigers
Overall Rank: #15
Conference Rank: #5 SEC
LSU Team Page
LSU survived some growing pains in the circle last year with then freshman Baylee Corbello but they were one of the top offensive teams in all of college softball in 2014. The ability to put runs on the scoreboard in multiple ways, with both power and speed, has made the Tigers one of the more entertaining teams to watch in all of college softball.
2014: 38-24, 13-11
2014 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Beth Torina
Field Players:
Offense will not be a problem once again in 2015 for LSU as they bring back plenty of firepower to go battle with the likes of Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and others in the SEC. Catcher/Infielder Sahvanna Jaquish leads the way for the Tigers. She hit .341 with 17 homeruns and 55 runs batted in. Jaquish was also very good defensively and she only committed three errors all season long as a freshman. Senior outfielder A.J. Andrews brings experience and the threat of taking over a game with her speed. Andrews stole 38 bases in 40 attempts and hit.329 with just two errors in the outfield. Infielder Bianka Bell is also a big time power hitter and hit 14 homeruns in 2014 to place second just behind Jaquish.
Pitchers:
This is going to be a big point of emphasis as LSU has to be able to lock down games in the circle if their vaunted offense has an off night. Sophomore Baylee Corbello will be looking to build off of her 19-9 record as a freshman last season. For Corbello to take the next step and become dominant in the circle the amount of walks has to come down significantly in 2015. The 153 walks issued by Corbello in 199.1 innings is way too high and a good target would be 90 walks in the same amount of innings pitched. There also will be a battle for the number two starter spot as Ashley Czechner has graduated and she was a workhorse who won 13 games in her 25 starts last season for the Tigers.
Who to Watch:
Kelsee Selman will have an opportunity to step forward to lock down the number two starting pitcher position behind Corbello in the rotation. Selman was 6-3 last season and was pretty effective in her opportunities as she had a 2.86 earned run average. The opposition did not have a ton of success making contact against Selman and she only allowed 29 hits in 49 innings. The key for Selman, just like Corbello, will be to reduce the amount of walks after walking 36 batters last season.
Final Projection:
The schedule sets up nicely for a fast start for the Tigers this season with two home tournaments. The Tiger Invitational during the second weekend of the season will feature two games with a very good Notre Dame team. A trip to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will the biggest test of the non-conference schedule as LSU will face San Diego State, Cal State Fullerton, Nebraska, Northwestern and Arizona all in that weekend. This tournament will help LSU prepare well for the rigors of the Southeastern Conference schedule. If the Tigers can go 3-2 or better in that tournament and pitch well, that will be a huge confidence booster moving forward. A visit from Oklahoma in late March for two games will be the toughest out of conference home games for LSU this season as the Sooners are always very tough. A road trip to Florida to play the defending national champs will be a key early SEC series that will test the depth of the Tigers pitching wise as the Gators are electric offensively. Overall, if LSU improves in the circle, they have a shot to make a run to Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Softball Tournament
Returning Leaders:
At Bats: A.J. Andrews, OF, 207
Hits: A.J. Andrews, OF, 68
Home Runs: Sahvanna Jaquish, C/IF, 17
RBIs: Sahvanna Jaquish, C/IF, 55
Runs: A.J. Andrews, OF, 47
Stolen Bases: A.J. Andrews, OF, 38
Wins: Baylee Corbello, P/UTIL, 19
Innings Pitched: Baylee Corbello, P/UTIL, 199.1
Strikeouts: Baylee Corbello, P/UTIL, 188
Complete Games: Baylee Corbello, P/UTIL, 24
Madness 2015 Softball Recruit Rankings:
#19 Allison Walljasper
#37 Emily Griggs
See All Softball Top 44 Previews
