re: LSU Softball - Start 2019 off right with a new wallpaper for your phone and watch!

quote:

---

357 or Ree,

Are we a World Series team this year? Are we a really contender for a title? Beth T has been a hell of a coach. Seem to get them to the WS a ton...

---

Very good question. I think right now LSU is probably a 10 to 15 ranked team.

Losing Walljasper and Hoover is a lot. They were probably the best one-two punch for pitchers LSU has ever had. Losing them brings a lot question marks.

I think LSU will be better offensively. That is a guess though. And even if they are it will come down to how much better if at all. The recruiting has been great but dominant pitchers can stymie good bats.

LSU added graduate transfer Amanda Sanchez from Mizzou. She was a 2018 SEC all-defensive team selection. This past season she had career highs in average (.374), runs scored (31), doubles (10), on-base percentage (.500) and slugging percentage (.671). And that was playing in the SEC !!!

quote:

---

The West Covina, California native finished fourth among the SEC in on-base percentage, tied for ninth in average (.374) and slugging percentage (.671), and tied for 10th in home runs (12). She capped off the 2018 season on a terror at the NCAA Norman Regional, hitting .417 (5-for-12) with three runs scored, two home runs and six RBI.

---

Amanda Sanchez

Andrews, Doyle and Sunseri (12 runs, 14 rbi, 7 home runs) (5-2 record pitching) are back to help offensively.

Gorsuch and Sunseri are the retuning pitchers and neither have great ERA's so far in their careers. Ali Kilponen from Colorado and Shelby Wickersham will be new pitchers for this season.

Kilponen in high school:
was ranked 69th in the FloSoftball Hot 100 ... Helped lead her team to three-straight state championships as a freshman, sophomore and junior and a four-straight appearance at state as a senior ... As the pitcher, she owned a 87-4 record ... As a senior, she finished with her best ERA at 0.42 to go along with 273 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 134 innings pitched. ..As a junior, she threw a total of 149 innings and tallied 283 strikeouts, 18 walks and finished the year with a .47 ERA. four-time Colorado Player of the year and a three-time Colorado Pitcher of the Year.

Wickersham in high school:
Recently ranked No. 9 on FloSoftball’s Hot 100 list ... In her junior year, she was a two-time state champion in volleyball and softball ... Has pitched nine perfect games thus far in her career ... As a junior, she earned the Advocate’s All-Metro MVP honor, along with LSCA All-State 5A Pitcher, Times Picayune All-Metro MVP/Pitcher of the Year, District 9 SA MVP ... Helped her team to a 21-5 record and was first in districts ... Finished the year with a 0.85 ERA with a 19-3 record, three no hitters and 192 strikeouts ... In her sophomore season, she led her team to a first-place finish at districts with a 21-4 record ...