Razorbacks take on No. 13 LSU

FAYETTEVILLE— The University of Arkansas softball team will open the second half of its Southeastern Conference schedule when it travels to Baton Rouge, La., for a three-game weekend series against the No. 13/15 LSU Tigers.

The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. both days.

Arkansas (24-18, 8-8 SEC) is looking to return to the win column after falling in a pair of games against No. 18/16 Tennessee on Wednesday at Bogle Park. Junior pitcher Layne McGuirt and senior third baseman Sandra Smith led the Razorbacks as the pair combined to go 5-for-10 (.500) with three solo home runs and four RBIs.

As a team this season, Arkansas is batting .253 with 49 home runs while the pitching staff boats a 3.32 ERA with 226 strikeouts. In conference play, the Razorbacks are hitting at a .265 clip as a team.

LSU (33-9, 11-5) comes into this weekend with a No. 13/15 ranking based on the ESPN/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA polls released Tuesday. The Tigers are on a four-game winning streak after taking defeating Nicholls State 15-2 on Wednesday and sweeping the Bulldogs of Mississippi State at home last weekend in Southeastern Conference play.

LSU leads the all-time series between the two teams 39-8. Last year, Arkansas won the first game of the series 8-7 before falling in the next two games, 10-4 and 10-7. The last time the two met in Baton Rouge, the Tigers swept the Razorbacks in a three-game series.

Offensively, the Tigers are led by senior outfielder Kristen Shortridge. Shortridge paces the team with a .411 average, including a .407 clip in SEC play, 60 hits, 37 runs and a .442 on-base percentage. Sophomore Anissa Young leads the team with eight home runs. As a team, LSU is batting .278 with 26 home runs and 94 stolen bases. Shortridge leads the team with 36 steals.

In the circle, senior right-hander Cody Trahan has a 9-2 record with a 0.96 ERA in 80.0 innings pitched. Rachele Fico paces the squad with a 13-4 record, 1.26 ERA in 100.0 innings pitched. As a staff, LSU has an ERA of 1.26, 276 strikeouts and is limiting opposing batters to a .195 ERA.

This weekend’s games will be broadcast on KXUA Fayetteville (88.3 FM) and ArkansasRazorbacks.com, which will also carry live stats for the LSU series.