Tag: Beth Torina

LSU softball knocks off No. 1 seed Tennessee in SEC tournament quarterfinals

LSU knocked off the defending tournament champions and move on to the semifinal round.

LSU needed 14 innings to dispatch Alabama in the first round of the SEC tournament on Wednesday. Against top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in Thursday’s quarterfinal, it took just seven.

After a seven-hour weather delay, the Tigers held on to win 2-1 against the defending tournament champion Volunteers, and now they move on to the semifinal round on Friday.

LSU drew first blood in the opening inning with an RBI single from [autotag]Ali Newland[/autotag], though it ultimately proved to be a missed opportunity as it left three runners on base in the frame.

The Tigers missed out on opportunities to expand on that lead, stranding a runner in both the second and fourth innings. But in the fifth, [autotag]Taylor Pleasants[/autotag] gave them some insurance with an RBI single.

That two-run advantage wouldn’t last long, however. In the bottom of the frame, [autotag]Kelley Lynch[/autotag] allowed her first run of the day after an RBI single, and that was enough for [autotag]Beth Torina[/autotag] to make a change with runners now at second and third.

[autotag]Sydney Berzon[/autotag], the hero from the opening round win, entered the game and drew a strikeout to escape the jam. LSU stranded another runner in the top of the sixth, but Berzon worked through the bottom of the inning cleanly as the Tigers were now three outs away from knocking out the top team in the tournament.

Berzon allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh, but the Vols weren’t able to mount a rally.

LSU will now advance to face the winner of the game between No. 4-seeded Arkansas and No. 5-seeded Missouri in the semifinals on Friday. That game will be at 3 p.m. CT.

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LSU softball earns No. 8 seed in SEC tournament, will open vs. Alabama

The Tigers finished the regular season 38-14 with a 12-12 record in league play.

The SEC softball regular season came to an end on Sunday.

It was a disappointing Senior Day for the LSU Tigers, which lost their regular season finale against Liberty 3-1. Still, they took the overall weekend series, ending a streak of four straight series losses.

As a result of that skid down the stretch, coach Beth Torina’s team earned the No. 8 seed at the SEC tournament, which begins on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama, and will run through Saturday.

LSU will begin its run on Wednesday in the first game of the day at 10 a.m. CT, facing off against No. 9 Alabama. The two teams didn’t face during the regular season.

LSU finished the regular season with a 38-14 record but a 12-12 mark in conference play. A host spot through the super regional round is still a possibility, but the Tigers could help their case this week.

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LSU softball completes Friday doubleheader with win over Pittsburgh

The Tigers are still yet to allow a run after three games in 2024.

Three games into the 2024 season, and the LSU softball team is still yet to give up a run.

After a run-rule win over Memphis on Friday, the Tigers completed the doubleheader with a 5-0 win over Pittsburgh to close out the day. [autotag]Kelly Lynch[/autotag] got the win, pitching all seven innings as she allowed just two hits while striking out six.

LSU got things going in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer from [autotag]Taylor Pleasants[/autotag]. The Tigers added runs on throwing errors in the third and fifth innings, while [autotag]Karli Petty[/autotag] hit an RBI single in the fourth. The Panthers had four total errors in the loss.

Coach Beth Torina’s team will return to the field for another doubleheader against Pittsburgh and Memphis on Saturday, with those games set for 1:30 and 4 p.m. CT.

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LSU softball picked to finish 3rd in SEC, four named to preseason all-conference team

The Tigers are looking for some redemption after a regional exit as a hosting national seed in 2023.

The bat-and-ball season is right around the corner, and LSU softball is looking for some redemption after a regional exit as a hosting national seed in 2023.

The Tigers enter the 2024 season with a veteran team and coach in [autotag]Beth Torina[/autotag], who has been in her role since 2012. The team is expected to be one of the best in the league, and the media picked LSU to finish third behind only Tennessee and Georgia, which each received six first-place votes, while LSU didn’t receive any.

The media is also high on several LSU players as four overall were named to the preseason All-SEC squad: [autotag]Sydney Berzon[/autotag], [autotag]Ciara Briggs[/autotag], [autotag]Danieca Coffey[/autotag] and [autotag]Taylor Pleasants[/autotag].

LSU will begin its 2024 campaign on Thursday, Feb. 8, when it hosts Nicholls at Tiger Park.

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LSU cracks the top 15 in preseason Softball America poll

Coming off a disappointing postseason exit in 2023, LSU softball and 13th-year coach Beth Torina will return to the field next month to begin a 2024 season that features fairly high expectations. The preseason polls reflect that. In the Softball …

Coming off a disappointing postseason exit in 2023, LSU softball and 13th-year coach [autotag]Beth Torina[/autotag] will return to the field next month to begin a 2024 season that features fairly high expectations.

The preseason polls reflect that. In the Softball America rankings entering the season, LSU ranks No. 12. The Tigers return 18 letter winners in 2024, six of which were All-SEC selections a year ago.

They also return an All-American pitcher in [autotag]Sydney Berzon[/autotag] and the two-time reigning Gold Glove winner in [autotag]Ciara Briggs[/autotag].

LSU finished the 2023 season 42-17, earning the No. 10 national seed while hosting a regional in Baton Rouge. After winning the first two matchups at the regional, it dropped two in a row to Louisiana in the regional final, ending its season.

The Tigers will begin the season at home against Nicholls on Feb. 8 as they look to reach the super regionals for the first time since 2021 and the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2017.

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LSU softball adds bullpen transfer from Oklahoma State

Tatum Clopton took a medical redshirt in 2023 after making five appearances on the mound as a freshman in 2022.

LSU softball coach [autotag]Beth Torina[/autotag] has landed her second transfer this offseason as former Oklahoma State pitcher [autotag]Tatum Clopton[/autotag] joined the roster.

The Lawrence, Kansas, native appeared in six games as a true freshman with the Cowgirls in 2022, five of which came on the mound. In one start that season, she allowed just two hits with no earned runs while striking out five batters.

Clopton didn’t appear during the 2023 season as she took a medical redshirt. She’ll arrive in Baton Rouge with three remaining years of eligibility as she looks to bolster a promising pitching staff that returns All-American freshman pitcher [autotag]Sydney Berzon[/autotag].

LSU is still looking for its first Women’s College World Series appearance since 2017 after falling short in the Baton Rouge Regional in 2023.

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LSU softball’s Ciara Briggs wins back-to-back Gold Gloves

LSU’s Ciara Briggs defense earned her recognition for the second straight year.

LSU softball center fielder [autotag]Ciara Briggs[/autotag] added to her resume this week with a second consecutive Golden Glove.

The award is given annually by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

In addition to winning the Gold Glove, Briggs is also likely to make back-to-back all-defensive teams. Briggs moved to center field last year after beginning her career as a left fielder in 2021, a season where made the All-SEC Newcomer team.

At the plate, Briggs has totaled 218 career hits in Baton Rouge while scoring 150 runs. She’s appeared in nearly 200 games for Beth Torina’s squad.

Her defense got her on SportsCenter’s top 10 in 2022 when she tumbled over a wall to make the catch.

Earlier this year, she laid out in left-center to make a spectacular diving catch that clinched a win for LSU.

Briggs will have another year of eligibility left should she choose to use it. LSU will lose some significant pieces so getting their star center fielder back would be a huge boost.

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The pressure’s on for Beth Torina and LSU softball in 2024

LSU softball fell short of expectations for a second-straight year.

LSU softball is missing a super regional for the second-straight year. It’s the first time LSU came up short in back-to-back years since 2013-14.

LSU began the weekend at the Baton Rouge Regional 2-0 before dropping two games on Sunday. Not only did LSU blow a series lead, but the Tigers led at points in both games on Sunday.

When you factor in who the losses came to, in-state rival Louisiana, it stings even more. This was a tough weekend for LSU softball.

There was a lot to like about this team. Forty-two wins were eight better than the 2022 team, which got LSU back to hosting a regional with the 10th overall seed. Improvements were shown across the board with more consistent pitching and a lineup that found different ways to score runs.

Still, LSU’s Women’s College World Series drought continues. This marks the fifth straight postseason where LSU won’t be in Oklahoma City.

That’s not the expectation for this program and it’s not the expectation coach [autotag]Beth Torina[/autotag] set for herself when she made the WCWS in four of her first six seasons at LSU. Her predecessor and winningest coach in program history, [autotag]Yvette Girouard[/autotag], only made two WCWS.

There’s no shortage of softball talent in the area, evidenced by the teams put together at UL and McNeese.

LSU is also a place that cares about women’s sports. Softball draws attention in Baton Rouge. With attention comes pressure. Fans want to see this program win and win big.

All of this begs the question: What are the stakes for the program and Torina in 2024?

The improvements made this year are promising. It’s why I don’t think Torina should go anywhere right now. She’s done enough in her career to earn the benefit of the debut and with the transfer portal, it could be tough for anyone else to hold her roster together.

But next year, this program needs to get back to what it was in the 2010s.

That doesn’t mean it’s WCWS or nothing. Even a super regional appearance would put LSU back in the conversation where it belongs.

2024 will be the final year before juggernaut Oklahoma joins the conference. With all the changes coming to the SEC, next year could be a good time to step back and evaluate the future of this team. When that happens, Torina needs to show things are headed in the right direction.

LSU should return freshman phenom [autotag]Sydney Berzon[/autotag] but could lose a couple of big names, too. LSU’s staff would be wise to acquire some offensive power from the portal to pair with a recruiting class that features several top-100 players.

I understand the frustration among LSU fans. Nobody wants to see stagnation and there’s where LSU’s been the last few years. However, Torina has won a lot of games here and there’s nothing fundamentally different now than there was in 2017.

Next year isn’t make or break, but it’s close to it.

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LSU softball handed first loss of regional, setting up Game 7 vs. Louisiana on Sunday night

LSU softball dropped the first game of the regional final to the Ragin’ Cajuns, setting up a winner take all rematch on Sunday night.

LSU lost its first game of the regional on Sunday afternoon, dropping one 7-4 to Louisiana.

Louisiana plated one against LSU starter [autotag]Ali Kilponen[/autotag] in the first, but the LSU offense found a response. [autotag]Karli Petty[/autotag] blasted one over the center field fence and kicked off a four-run inning for the Tigers.

UL had a response of its own, homering in the bottom of the inning and knocking Kilponen out of the game. The Cajuns kept it going in the third, chasing [autotag]Alea Johnson[/autotag] from the mound and forcing [autotag]Beth Torina[/autotag] to turn to a third pitcher in [autotag]Raelin Chaffin[/autotag].

Chaffin allowed a run of her own, but helped stabilize the game and went the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, LSU struggled to create runs after the four-run second. The Tigers didn’t notch a single hit over the next four innings. A walk and stolen base put a runner in scoring position in the fifth, but nothing came of it.

In the top of the seventh, LSU mounted a threat, putting runners on second and third with two outs. [autotag]Georgia Clark[/autotag] then lifted a ball down the left field line that was ruled foul.

Torina wanted a review but after some discussion was told a ball that went over the foul pole could not be reviewed. Clark grounded out on the next pitch and the game was over.

LSU and Louisiana will face Sunday night in Game 7 with a trip to the super regional on the line. It will be the third match of the weekend between the two. LSU won the first matchup on Saturday evening.

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Previewing the Baton Rouge Regional for LSU softball

Here’s everything you need to know before LSU begins postseason play this Friday.

It’s that time again.

Softball regionals are announced, and the postseason is set to begin.

LSU will get to host a regional in Baton Rouge with the Tigers slated as the 10th overall seed, just two spots behind a super seed.

Joining LSU in Baton Rouge will be Louisiana, Omaha and Prairie View A&M. All three were champions of their respective conferences.

This is the 12th time in program history LSU is hosting a regional. The Tigers are looking to make their first Women’s College World Series appearance since 2017.

Here’s everything you need to know before LSU begins play against Prairie View on Friday at 5 p.m. CT in Tiger Park.