Softball Heads to LSU Tournament

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis softball competes in one final road tournament this weekend, traveling to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to partake in the LSU Tournament. The Tigers will play in four games this weekend, matching up against CSUN, LSU, Stanford and Michigan. There is a potential for weather playing a factor in Baton Rouge this weekend. Fans are encouraged to follow @MemphisSoftball on social media for the latest updates.
Tournament Schedule
February 22
9:30 a.m. CT Memphis vs CSUN
5 p.m. CT Memphis at LSU

February 23
9:30 a.m. CT Memphis vs Stanford
12 p.m. CT Memphis vs Michigan

The Tigers (5-4) come off of a 3-1 showing at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational last weekend. The Memphis pitching corps found a rhythm, posting three-consecutive shutouts to start the tournament, blanking FIU on Friday before giving up nothing to Lamar and FIU a second time on Saturday.

Sophomore pitcher Mariah Nichols started off the weekend with a five-strikeout complete game shutout over FIU on Friday. The Lone Oak, Texas native allowed only three hits in her first career complete game shutout.

At the plate, Baylee Smith led the way for Memphis, putting together an 8-for-10 weekend at the plate with five extra base hits and six runs driven in. Against FIU, Smith was a home run away from hitting for the cycle. Adding to her four-game stretch, she successfully swiped three bases. For her weekend, Smith was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week. Memphis has claimed the first two AAC Player of the Week honors this season. Regan Hadley took home the first Player of the Week honor of the season after driving in 10 runs during the FIU Invitational.

A Look At The Competition
The Tigers are set to face four opponents throughout the weekend, starting with CSUN and LSU on Friday before facing Stanford and Michigan on Saturday.

Cal State-Northridge enters the weekend having finished the CSUN Early Bird Classic 2-1, with a game halted due to darkness and a game postponed. CSUN is led by Megan Stevens, who carries a .522 batting average and has collected seven doubles on the young season.

#9 LSU plays host for the weekend after finishing 3-2 last weekend in the Clearwater Elite Invitational. The Tigers pitching staff holds a 2.56 ERA, sitting at 9-2 on the year, including a 6-0 record at home.

Saturday's slate starts with Stanford, who enters the tournament 6-2, having participated in the DeMarini Invitational and earning a 2-1 record last weekend. Stanford pitcher Carolyn Lee leads the Cardinal with a 0.79 ERA in four appearances, recording 20 strikeouts and allowing only three earned runs.

Memphis will wrap up its LSU Tournament experience with a game against Michigan, who comes into the tournament 4-5. Michigan's pitching has held opponents to a .192 batting average, producing a 2.68 ERA and 63 strikeouts.

Memphis Against The Competition
Memphis is facing a batch of opponents against which the Tigers have limited experience. Memphis has played CSUN (0-1), Michigan (0-1) and Stanford (1-0) one time each. LSU, the team with the most history against Memphis, is 5-0 against the Blue and Gray, with the last contest occurring in 2016.

Final Details
First pitch on Friday against CSUN is set for 9:30 a.m. CT in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Live stats for the tournament will be available at www.gotigersgo.com. For more information on the Memphis softball team, follow the Tigers on social media at @MemphisSoftball.

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Players Mentioned

Regan Hadley

Mariah Nichols

Baylee Smith

University of Memphis Athletics