University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, March 17
Baton Rouge, La.
8 p.m.
University of Tennessee
at
LSU
Softball Preview: #2/5 Tennessee at #10/12 LSU
March 17, 2023 | Softball
BATON ROUGE, La. – The second-ranked Tennessee softball team is set to square off against No. 10/12 LSU in a top-10 matchup March 17-19 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The series opens with an 8 p.m. ET first pitch on Friday, while game two will be played at 6 p.m. Saturday. The series finale is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday.
BROADCAT INFO
All three games will be available to stream on SEC Network+ with Lyn Rollins (play-by-play) and Yvette Girouard (analyst) on the call.
Andy Brock will be on the airwaves for Tennessee, hosting an audio broadcast of the SEC showdown. Links for both broadcast options can be found on the Tennessee softball schedule page and will be shared on @Vol_Softball social media accounts.
PITCHING PROWESS
The Lady Vols lead the nation with a 0.62 ERA and ranks first in the league with a .121 opposing batting average. UT has 183 strikeouts (No. 5 in SEC) and has allowed the least number of runs (13), and extra-base hits (11) in the conference.
Additionally, Tennessee's staff has thrown a perfect game (Karlyn Pickens vs. App State) and a no-hitter (Ashley Rogers vs. Ole Miss) this season.
Tennessee has three pitchers with ERA's below 1.00 with at least 30 innings pitched. Rogers (7-0) has a 0.48 ERA with 74 strikeouts and three shutouts in 43.1 innings, while Pickens (4-1) has a 0.58 ERA with 40 strikeouts, four shutouts and one save in 36.0 innings pitched. Senior pitcher Payton Gottshall (6-0) has a 0.67 ERA with 52 strikeouts and one shutout in 31.1 innings thrown. The trio has allowed 40 hits, 10 runs and 14 walks combined.
BRINGING THE BATS
Tennessee ranks second in the SEC and is ninth nationally in batting average (.347), is fourth in the league and tied for 15th in the country in doubles (41) and is first in the conference and second in the NCAA in runs per game at 8.59.
STAR POWER
Senior Kiki Milloy was named the SEC Player of the Week on Tuesday and was also tabbed D1Softball Player of the Week following a multi-home run weekend in which she guided UT to a series sweep of Ole Miss and an in-state win over Tennessee Tech.
Milloy hit .625 over four games with a 1.750 slugging percentage and a .786 on-base percentage. The outfielder stole three bags on the week to go along with eight runs scored and eight RBIs.
SCOUTING LSU
The Tigers are 23-2 this season and are currently ranked No. 10 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and No. 12 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. LSU has a No. 3 RPI ranking and No. 4 strength of schedule ranking as of the March 15 publication of the RPI.
Head Coach (Record at LSU): Beth Torina (473-205)
2023 Record: 23-2 (2-1 SEC)
Series Record: Tennessee leads 35-29-1
Last Meeting: L, 3-11 (5), on 3/14/21 in Knoxville
Key Stat: As a unit, LSU ranks No. 2 in the SEC with 233 hits and No. 3 in the league with a .344 batting average and .438 on-base percentage. The Tigers have the fourth lowest ERA at 1.74 in the SEC and has 152 strikeouts and registers a .978 fielding percentage.
UP NEXT
Tennessee returns home next weekend to face Alabama in a three-game series running March 24-26.
The series opens with an 8 p.m. ET first pitch on Friday, while game two will be played at 6 p.m. Saturday. The series finale is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday.
BROADCAT INFO
All three games will be available to stream on SEC Network+ with Lyn Rollins (play-by-play) and Yvette Girouard (analyst) on the call.
Andy Brock will be on the airwaves for Tennessee, hosting an audio broadcast of the SEC showdown. Links for both broadcast options can be found on the Tennessee softball schedule page and will be shared on @Vol_Softball social media accounts.
PITCHING PROWESS
The Lady Vols lead the nation with a 0.62 ERA and ranks first in the league with a .121 opposing batting average. UT has 183 strikeouts (No. 5 in SEC) and has allowed the least number of runs (13), and extra-base hits (11) in the conference.
Additionally, Tennessee's staff has thrown a perfect game (Karlyn Pickens vs. App State) and a no-hitter (Ashley Rogers vs. Ole Miss) this season.
Tennessee has three pitchers with ERA's below 1.00 with at least 30 innings pitched. Rogers (7-0) has a 0.48 ERA with 74 strikeouts and three shutouts in 43.1 innings, while Pickens (4-1) has a 0.58 ERA with 40 strikeouts, four shutouts and one save in 36.0 innings pitched. Senior pitcher Payton Gottshall (6-0) has a 0.67 ERA with 52 strikeouts and one shutout in 31.1 innings thrown. The trio has allowed 40 hits, 10 runs and 14 walks combined.
BRINGING THE BATS
Tennessee ranks second in the SEC and is ninth nationally in batting average (.347), is fourth in the league and tied for 15th in the country in doubles (41) and is first in the conference and second in the NCAA in runs per game at 8.59.
STAR POWER
Senior Kiki Milloy was named the SEC Player of the Week on Tuesday and was also tabbed D1Softball Player of the Week following a multi-home run weekend in which she guided UT to a series sweep of Ole Miss and an in-state win over Tennessee Tech.
Milloy hit .625 over four games with a 1.750 slugging percentage and a .786 on-base percentage. The outfielder stole three bags on the week to go along with eight runs scored and eight RBIs.
SCOUTING LSU
The Tigers are 23-2 this season and are currently ranked No. 10 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and No. 12 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. LSU has a No. 3 RPI ranking and No. 4 strength of schedule ranking as of the March 15 publication of the RPI.
Head Coach (Record at LSU): Beth Torina (473-205)
2023 Record: 23-2 (2-1 SEC)
Series Record: Tennessee leads 35-29-1
Last Meeting: L, 3-11 (5), on 3/14/21 in Knoxville
Key Stat: As a unit, LSU ranks No. 2 in the SEC with 233 hits and No. 3 in the league with a .344 batting average and .438 on-base percentage. The Tigers have the fourth lowest ERA at 1.74 in the SEC and has 152 strikeouts and registers a .978 fielding percentage.
UP NEXT
Tennessee returns home next weekend to face Alabama in a three-game series running March 24-26.
Players Mentioned
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