Memphis Treks down to Baton Rouge for Six-Game Stretch at Southern and LSU

Thursday, February 26

Baton Rouge, La.

1 p.m.

University of Memphis

Southern

Memphis Treks down to Baton Rouge for Six-Game Stretch at Southern and LSU

Feb 25, 2026 | Softball

Game Notes

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis (4-8) softball team travels to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for its final tournament weekend before beginning American Conference play, starting with a standalone contest against Southern before playing Iowa, Nicholls and LSU throughout the weekend.

Only Memphis' two games against LSU will be broadcast this weekend, both on SEC Network+.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Memphis looks to build momentum before conference play begins after going 1-2 with a no contest in the Blues City Invitational, with the only win coming in walk-off fashion against Bradley.

Ariel Davis stands as the program's leader at the plate with a .389 batting average, leading the team in hits (14), runs (12), doubles (3), triples (2) and total bases (30). A strong performance by Zereniti Sousa has moved her into second place among qualified hitters with a .375 average while knocking in a team-leading 11 RBI.

Memphis' shift in results at the plate compared to last year continues as Memphis' has 33 extra-base hits through 12 games, including eight players with a double, five with a triple and nine with a home run. Davis and Mya Clark sit tied with three home runs each, while Davis, Neely Taylor, Kennedy Semien and Jasmine Mack have multiple doubles.

Memphis still employs a pitching staff by committee, with an average of three pitchers per game appearing in the circle. Taniyah Brown stands as the team's leader in ERA (4.48) and innings pitched (20.1). Freshman Avery Stutts and sophomore Jazmine Chavez sit tied for the team lead with nine strikeouts. Stutts has seen a bulk of innings in her first collegiate season and Chavez has served as a key reliever in high-leverage situations.

SCOUTING BATON ROUGE

Southern (7-7) comes into the midweek matchup after going 1-3 in the Lion Classic, winning against the host East Texas A&M. Four Jaguars sit above .300 on the year, with Southern's Abigail Mitchell and Laila Clark logging 13 RBI each. The pair, along with Pretaisha White and Keira Miracle-Tilford, all have double-digit hits through 14 games. In the circle, Jordynn Jennings leads the staff with a 3.13 ERA in 15.2 innings. Aaliyah Zabala has a team-best 3 wins in 24.1 innings with 16 strikeouts.

Iowa (10-4) will enter the LSU Invitational after a Thursday midweek at McNeese. This past weekend, the Hawkeyes went 3-2 in the Campbell Invitational with wins over Campbell and Radford. Six qualified Iowa hitters sit above .300 on the year, led by McKenzie Leitgen, who also has a team-best six home runs. She and Tory Bennett each have 10 extra-base hits on the year, while Kiara Sipes joins the pair as the only three Hawkeyes with at least 10 RBI. Serayah Neiss has seen heavy usage early in the season, tossing 34.0 innings with a 6-0 record in 12 appearances.

Nicholls (9-3) will have a midweek contest against Southern Miss before the weekend tournament begins. The Colonels currently have a six-game winning streak, previously going 3-0 in the Trojan Invitational with run-rule wins over Kennesaw State and Furman. Nicholls has been dangerous on the bases through 12 games with a total of 38 stolen bases, led by 13 and 13 from Claire Sisco and Laylin Sturm, respectively. Five different players are in double figures in hits this season, with Sturm also having a top 20 on-base percentage in the NCAA at .615.

LSU (13-4) looks to build on a six-game winning streak, including a 5-0 mark in the Purple and Gold Challenge against Michigan State, Louisiana, Howard and McNeese. So far, seven Tigers have appeared in all 17 games, with six of the seven starting in every contest. The duo of Sierra Daniel and Jalia Lassiter both are hitting above .400 on the year and are at 22 and 20 hits, respectively. The duo, along with Tori Edwards, are the only three on the team with at least 10 hits and RBI. Of LSU's four qualified arms, Tatum Clopton holds a team-best 1.02 ERA with a 4-1 record, while Jayden Heavener holds a 5-2 record over 37.2 innings with 44 strikeouts.

THIS WEEKEND'S SERIES HISTORY

Memphis and Iowa are set to meet for just the third time, with the Hawkeyes holding a 2-0 lead in the series, most recently with an 8-0 win in 2022.

The Tigers are currently 3-0 against Nicholls, with all three meetings coming between 2013-16. It will be the second time the team's face off in Baton Rouge.

Memphis' longest history of the weekend comes against LSU, where Memphis is winless in eight games against LSU, recently falling twice to LSU in the 2024 rendition of the LSU Invitational.

This Thursday marks the first all-time meeting between Memphis and Southern.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For complete information on Memphis Tigers Softball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram , and Facebook.