re: LSU SOFTBALL Adds #3, #4 and #5 2026 Recruits

Too bad they aren’t here now, half of them would start today

THIS is amazing! More of these type of softball posts please! I'm new to the forum but TigerAlum4Life, you just did a great job of summing up this squad. I don't know all the players' games with this type of depth but this seems pretty spot on. Team will be really young so I'm gonna guess a growing year but I too think if things fall right they could make some noise still.

Thanks again--this was good. I even have a little bias for a few of the players listed so I cringed a little on any negative comments on them LoL but reading objectively I couldn't argue with a straight face on the comments. Hoping the team exceeds expectations.

Good day TigerAlum! I indeed made it out, but I got out of there before 2nd game ended. Did watch the entire first game (Belhaven) and half of the second game (Southern). And as you suggested, LSU handled both those teams pretty easily. Will try to summarize what I remember well:

Those two teams were outmatched by the big difference in pitcher quality most of all but I believe they won the first game like 10/11 to 0. I lost count after it became 7-0. They scored several runs in the 7th inning and it was already 6 or 7 to 0. Second game didn't end up a double-digit win but heard it was another lopsided win. Looked like two 8 inning games although LSU didn't take their at bat in that last inning of the first game.

I did kinda have my eye out for several things and did notice a few. In no particular order:

1) I was looking for what power LSU might have. Things that stuck out were Edwards is definitely a big time power threat. She hit two bombs in the first game. Brought in 4 runs on those two at bats. If she can do that she would be a huge asset. They need power. Bergeron popped up each at bat but the sheer power is clearly there. Again the pitching they faced wasn't bad but it wasn't close to SEC pitching, so take results (good and bad) with a grain of salt.

2) It looked like Coach Torina took a different approach than I've seen in the other fall games this fall where kids would bounce in and out batting and some would play defense but not bat and then swapping those roles in the second game. Looked like the kids that were on defense batted in the games they played defense in to me, at least several of them did.

3) I went to look at pitching: Pitching still looks solid. Heavener looks like she could be good but seems like she walked almost every other batter she faced but stuff good enough to keep the box score clean with runners on. Gotta be careful of that against stronger teams. Clopton and Vallejo both looked pretty solid too. Berzon was Berzon--good. I think LSU will be solid in pitching once again and that alone I think prevents them from being in the cellar. If a few players pan out they may even end up top 3/4 with this young team.

4) Noted that Coffey batted!!! Seems she was dropped in sparingly to hit, but she still hit a double bringing the freshman Jones in from 3B and she looked comfortable doing it. Also had a couple more comfortable looking at bats. Looks like she'll be just fine come Spring. Good news!!!!

5) I was watching for the transfers. Is Lassiter injured?? She hit in the second game and played some defense, but I saw a pinch runner came in twice when she got on base. Jaila has a violent aggressive swing but seems her timing hasn't quite been on this fall, but everyone expects it is coming as she settles. I do too.

Hodge looked good/comfortable at SS on defense. Clearly best SS option. She popped up at the plate a couple times but looked pretty comfortable there. Probably be a decent offensive player, but she probably won't be a standout. She's definitely going to play SS entire season if she aint injured. Sierra Daniel played one inning there I noticed and looked comfortable as well. Hodge just has more arm strength than her.

6) Daniel played 2B in second game. She and Jones looked pretty comparable to me defensively. But Daniel does have a year of experience over her there so she's probably more comfortable. Daniel bunted but was thrown out, popped up once and flew out to LF once. If she had another AB I missed it as I left before that game ended but in that game things were moving quicker. LSU wasn't hitting as well as they did in the first game it seemed but heard they went to their short game using speed after I left--which ticks me off as I would like to have seen that. They have a lot of speed on that roster.

7) Townsend looked good that night on offense. Walker and Bedell also looked solid. Outfield is going to be tough to figure out for Coach Torina. McKee is also primarily an outfielder it seems too so lots of competition out there.

8) No freshmen stood out big time to me that night but I noted some positives and negatives:
Heavener, if she can limit the walks, will likely have a solid role in the rotation as pitcher but Clopton and Vallejo just look more seasoned to me. Heavener also batted in the second game but that clearly is not why she is here. Didn't look terrible but she can't hit ahead of probably none of the kids in the dugout except maybe 1 or 2. But I think with Coach Torina working with her pitching she has a shot at being #2 or #3 in rotation. I was on the side much of the games but moved to behind the plate when she pitched and her ball moves A LOT and she has a really good change up. With those kind of tools I'd think Coach Torina could do something good with her.

I think Jones is going to be really good given the failure reps. Someone mentioned she couldn't throw, but I watched for that and the kid has a solid arm from what I saw. Played 2B all of game 1 and watched the middles in warmups and in a couple of near double plays she actually showed a really good arm. Kinda funky arm slot here and there but decent and accurate arm it seems. I recall that she had speed, but either she is gotten faster or I never paid close attention before--She is really really fast. Her, Calvez and Giglio are next level burners on this team (Jones stole 2B three times with ease while I was watching and dropped a bunt down 3B for bunt single once. She flew out to centerfield another AB, hit a hard groundball that ricocheted off the 2nd baseman, and got a bloop single to right I think. She was also the only freshman that played in the first game.

Phillips struck out and popped up. Seems she has a really steep approach to the ball but the pop is there. Defensively she threw a kid out trying to steal 3B but Bergeron is still much better behind the plate than her. Like another poster said, she'll play because its only 2 catchers on the roster but Bergeron will be the ace catcher.

Calvez is lightning fast too. Her and Jones just look different on the basepaths than everyone else to me. Calvez caused some defensive pressure with her speed putting ball on the ground and bunting and she too stole a base. Outfield is tough though. Lots of more powerful kids competing.

Harris is an athletic powerful kid but she has a really really long swing, almost awkward sometimes at the plate. Don't think she'll factor in this year but that is just a guess. Haven't seen much of her.

The Franklin kid didn't play. Actually, haven't seen or heard if she's played all fall.

Thanks for the feedback TigerByAss!!! Doesn't sound like Casual likes the freshmen at all for some reason LoL. But I agree with much of the assessment except the battling to play part and maybe 1st base. I think to start all those are easy calls except 1B mainly and maybe 2B and LF but I'd lean those Observer named.

Walker is likely there but sounds like several making noise now--Laneaux probably strongest competition to Walker. Bedell probably ahead of Mckee too. The big question is who will be DP which could impact 1B or LF. I also heard Townsend was showing well but don't recall if TigerAss mentioned how she did the other day.

As for 1B, Edwards has most potential but hearing she is a defensive liability. Not mobile but maybe they can give up some defense for some big offense. Assoc says she went yard twice the other day which is great but pitching wasn't great and its her only two HRs but probably best power we got. If it were me I'd put her at 1B and see until it is clear she is too much of a liability or isn't delivering at the plate. Manning definitely battling for that spot too and it will come down to offensive production. I see their battle being similar to Daniel/Jones except defensively the latter two are close and one is a freshman in the 2B spot.

I'd say Daniel probably has upper hand at 2B over the freshman but mainly because she is an upperclassman. Sounds like defensively they are pretty close and offensively they haven't shown too differently in the Fall but Daniel has that experience from last year and did reasonably well at the plate getting on base. I'd only put Jones there if she settled in and showed the talent she showed in travel ball leading one of the top teams in the country as an offensively gifted player. But she is a freshman.

I like the Calvez kid too but agree she probably isn't battling to play given the lack of power in the line up right now. But if they decide to embrace the speed approach she becomes part of the conversation. Bedell & Jones gets a boost too if speed became a priority.

Like Observer says, it's hard to judge in the fall, and we don't get to see what they do in practice or intrasquad scrimmages when they are facing top arms regularly.

Walker/Laneaux-LF
Lassiter-CF
Redoutey-RF
Coffey-3B
Hodge-SS
Daniel/Jones-2B
Edwards/Manning-1B
Bergeron-Catcher

DP: Anyone from Walker/Laneaux/Bedell, Edwards/Manning, Daniel/Jones (I think they'll play around with the DP spot a bit before they figure it out and any of these 7 could be DP when all said and done). NO WAY Mckee battling to be DP. That one makes no sense at all to me personally IMHO. Jones would be there before her. But we are all guessing right now I guess. Will be interesting to see how it shakes out.......

I was there for the Bellhaven game only.

This team has more speed than any LSU team that I've ever seen.

Bergeron threw out the only runner I remember trying to steal.

Nobody cares

Dumb arse... nobody listens to someone who joined this week and already has 65+ posts... your post number should've stayed at ZERO.

I logged in my softball america account to see the top 100 players, zero position players for LSU unless I missed someone. As I mentioned the talent level is significantly down from past years, it will be a difficult next couple of years

quote:

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. If Dobson is as bad as I think we should surprise a lot of people with new blood on the coaching staff.

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who replaced him on staff?