No. 10 LSU will face Jackson State at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday on SEC Network to begin its run in the Baton Rouge Regional.
Watch Listen Live Live Stats vs. JSU Regional Home Game Notes +0
Update: Due to the forecast, game times were moved up from 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT.
BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU (40-15), the No. 9 overall seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, will take on the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Champions (SWAC) in Jackson State (33-17) in the second game of the Baton Rouge Regional at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday, May 17, on ESPN+ at Tiger Park.
The first game of the double-elimination tournament will be between Cal (36-17) and the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament champions, Southern Illinois (42-9), at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN+.
The Tigers will host the Baton Rouge Regional for the 15th time and have hosted the regional round in eight of the last nine seasons dating back to 2015, excluding 2020 (COVID). Kevin Fitzgerald and Aleshia Ocasio will call each game in the Baton Rouge Regional, and fans can listen to the LSU games on 107.3 FM with Patrick Wright, The Voice of LSU Softball.
Last time out, LSU went 2-1 in the SEC Tournament and reached the semifinals for the first time since 2017. The Tigers have a .290 batting average behind 423 hits and have a 2.28 ERA in the circle with 13 shutouts, including one no-hitter this season.
Pitcher Sydney Berzon is 18-8 in the circle with a 1.64 ERA and has 169 strikeouts. Berzon has made 19 starts and has thrown 18 complete games, four saves, and three shutouts.
Utility pitcher Kelley Lynch has tossed five complete game shutouts, including the program’s first no-hitter against an SEC team since 2007, and has 86 strikeouts in 91.2 innings while holding opposing batters to a staff-low .190 average. Lynch also has 22 hits and 15 RBIs in the batter’s box.
Pitcher Raelin Chaffin is 10-5 on the rubber and has a 2.95 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 80.2 frames. Chaffin has also spun a couple of shutouts this season.
First baseman Raeleen Gutierrez leads the team with a .333 average at the plate and 24 extra-base hits, including 16 doubles, six home runs, and two triples. Gutierrez is second on the team with 55 hits and 38 RBIs and adds 27 runs and a .564 slugging percentage this season.
Outfield U has been making noise in the batter’s box this season, beginning with Ciara Briggs’ team-high 61 hits, 19 multi-hit games, and 13 stolen bases. Briggs is batting .326 and has 21 RBIs and 21 walks on the year. Ali Newland (left field) and McKenzie Redoutey (right field) enter the tournament with a .300 batting average. Newland leads the team with eight home runs and is third with 51 hits and 37 RBIs, and Redoutey collected 48 hits, including five home runs, and has scored 35 runs this season.
LSU has a record of 9-9 against the 2024 Baton Rouge Regional field, including a 6-0 record against Jackson State, a 3-8 record against Cal, and a 0-1 mark against Southern Illinois.
vs. Jackson State
JSU won its first SWAC Tournament title in 13 years and is currently on a six-game winning streak. Jackson State is batting .273 with 364 hits, and leads the nation with 3.24 stolen bases per game (163 total). JSU has a 4.39 ERA in the circle and 119 strikeouts in 328.1 innings.
Infielder Jace Jackson has a team-high .351 batting average and 45 RBIs and has logged 54 hits. Freshman outfielder Ka’Liyah Gipson follows with a .339 average but paces the team with 56 hits and 40 stolen bases.
Pitcher Victoria Salazar is the club’s ace with a 13-9 record and 3.65 ERA behind 70 strikeouts in 172.2 innings pitched and has four solo shutouts this season and one save.
LSU and JSU last played each other in 2014. In the last three meetings, LSU has won 8-0, and in the series, LSU has outscored JSU 62-1.
vs. No. 21 Cal
The Golden Bears are ranked No. 21 in the NFCA Poll and have won four of its last six games despite being on a two-game losing streak. Cal bats .306 on the year and has 431 hits, including an impressive 77 home runs. Cal has a 3.10 ERA on the mound and has struck out 273 batters in 361.2 frames. The defense has turned 30 double plays this season.
Infielder Tatum Anzaldo leads the team with a .408 batting average, 69 hits, and 19 stolen bases. Five other batters follow her with a .310 batting average or better, including infielder Acacia Anders’ .364 average on 60 hits and 40 RBIs that leads the team. Infielder Elon Butler (.361) and catcher Lagi Quiroga (.311) lead Cal with 16 home runs each.
Pitchers Haylei Archer (11-6) and Randi Roelling (13-7) pitch most of the innings for the Golden Bears. Archer has a 2.86 ERA with a team-high 96 strikeouts in 122.1 frames, and Roelling has a 3.41 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 121.0 innings.
All 11 games played between LSU and Cal have been at neutral locations, including three in the Women’s College World Series. LSU won the last meeting, a 5-1 decision in Feb. 2020 in Fullerton, Calif.
vs. Southern Illinois
SIU will make its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance and has reached the Big Dance for the second consecutive season and the third time in four seasons. The Salukis enter the tournament on a nine-game winning streak and have a dominant 1.58 ERA, ranking No. 4 in the nation. They have 15 shutouts, which ranks No. 10 in NCAA Division I softball. Offensively, SIU has a .278 average on 361 hits.
Pitcher Maddia Groff is 29-3 in the circle with a 0.81 ERA, has gathered 239 strikeouts in 206.1 innings, and holds opposing batters to a .198. She also has nine shutouts and two saves this season.
Five Salukis bat .300 or better, beginning with infielder Jackie Lis, who has a .353 average with 51 hits, 34 RBIs, 34 walks, and 16 home runs, all leading the team. Infielder Sidney Jones (.321) and outfielder Emma Austin (.310) have 45 hits, and outfielder Bailey Caylor (.304) has 34 hits.
LSU and SIU met once in 2007 when the Salukis defeated the Tigers 1-0 in Tallahassee, Fla.
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The deciding game for a trip to the Women's College World Series will be at 8:30 p.m. CT Sunday night on ESPN2.
