LSU softball enters the final weekend of Southeastern Conference play trying to keep its eyes on the prize and off of the scoreboard.
With a chance to play host to an NCAA regional, the No. 20 Tigers are in good position to solidify their chances with a No. 11 RPI and facing an Auburn team tied for second-to-last in the conference. The two teams open the three-game series at 6 p.m. Thursday at Tiger Park.
LSU (34-16, 10-11 SEC) has won 11 of 15 games and most recently took care of business with a 16-0 midweek win against McNeese State. Coach Beth Torina said the key is for her players to keep their heads down and not assume anything.
โWe just need to play well this weekend and play well in the (SEC) tournament,โ Torina said when asked whether her team has a "magic number". โWe have put forth a strong resume. I told the team weโve won the games we should win. Are there some we could have won? Of course, but thereโs not a bad loss on the schedule. Eleven Quad 1 wins, weโll put that up against anybody.
โWeโre sitting at No. (11) in RPI. Weโre feeling like if we can do some good things moving forward, weโll be in good shape. This team has a really strong resume with the Quad 1 wins.โ
The Tigers are tied for eighth in the SEC with Georgia in the perennially strong conference, but the Tigers are pitching, hitting and playing defense better than during any other stretch of the season. A sweep of Auburn likely would put them alone in eighth with Georgia facing No. 6 Florida in a three-game series.
โItโs that time of year it doesnโt matter how it gets done or who does it, we just need to find a way to win the series,โ Torina said. โTheyโre a team fighting, too. Theyโre trying to keep their postseason hopes alive. Theyโve battled and fought and will do that this weekend.โ
The top LSU hitters are outfielder Jalia Lassiter (.340) and shortstop Kylee Edwards (.338), but the hottest hitter is first baseman Tori Edwards. She is on a seven-game hitting streak during which she is 10 for 19 (.526) with four homers, a double and 12 RBIs.
The pitching enjoyed a monthlong stretch of effective performances until the past two weekends, but it found a bullpen ace to go with starters Jayden Heavener and Cece Cellura. Paytn Monticelli won all three games against Ole Miss two weekends ago while pitching a combined seven shutout innings.
โThere are some pitches weโd like to have back over the past couple of weeks, but we went on an incredible run for about five weeks before that, amazing, amazing pitching numbers,โ Torina said. โHopefully, we can make some adjustments, attack this offense and get back to where we were a couple of weeks ago.โ
Auburn (25-24, 4-17 SEC) is in the second year under the married couple coaching tandem of Kate and Chris Malveaux. The visitors have impressive wins over No. 11 Oregon and Florida but struggled through a 13-game SEC losing streak during which it was swept four times.
One of Auburn's leading hitters is a familiar face in former LSU outfielder McKaela Walker, who transferred there in the offseason. Walker is batting .301 with a team-best 37 RBIs. Sheโs tied with teammate MaโNia Womack for the team lead in homers with 11.
Shortstop Alyssa Hastings is batting .380 with six homers and 33 RBIs for Auburn.
The Auburn pitching ace is Ella Harrison (11-12, 3.65 ERA), who threw a 4-0 complete-game shutout against Florida.