LSU 2007 Season Review INTRO THIS IS LSU COACHES TIGERS REVIEW HISTORY RECORDS LSU MEDIA Total Tiger Effort TIGERS EARN SECOND TRIP TO SUPER REGIONALS LSU POSTS SECOND-MOST WINS; THIRD-BEST PCT. After sweeping through the NCAAPalo Alto Regional, the Tigers earned their second- In just its 11th year since reinstatement in 1997, the LSU softball program has proven to straight trip to the NCAA Super Regionals. LSU, the top seed in its region and 10th overall be among the elite in the nation. The Tigers have averaged 52.5 wins per year in its national seed, faced seventh-seeded Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. In the first game, the previous 11 years, which is also the best in the SEC in that span (Alabama - 49.0). In the pair played to a scoreless tie through nine innings. In the bottom of the 10th, the Sun nation, LSU is second to only Arizona, which has averaged 55.53 wins a season over the Devils put together two of their only five hits in the game to score the lone run of the past 11 years. The Tigers also are third with a .789 winning percentage behind only Arizona contest for the walk-off win. While facing elimination and despite a valiant comeback at .867 and UCLA at .804. attempt, the Tigers saw their season come to an end with a 7-4 loss to Arizona State in the second game. LSU was put in a hole early after a grand slam by the Sun Devils. The Tigers LSU DOMINATES SEC SERIES used three home runs to edge back into the game, but could not overcome outstanding Dating back to 1997, LSU has competed in 108 series against conference foes and has pitching by Katie Burkhart. only lost 15. The Tigers have swept 30 three-game series since the SEC adopted the three- game format in 2001 and taken 21 more series wins in that time period. In 2007, LSU is 2-0 LSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT in mid-week doubleheader series since the SEC changed to a 28-game schedule. Prior to For the ninth time in 11 years, the Tigers earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. LSU 2001, the league played four game series against divisional opponents and doubleheaders has advanced through the NCAA Regionals to the Women’s College World Series on two against cross divisional rivals. LSU swept nine four-game series and 15 doubleheaders occasions (2001 & 2004). The Tigers swept through the 2007 NCAARegionals in Palo while taking six series, 3-1. LSU now has an SEC series record of 83-15-10 (.815). Alto, Calif., to earn a bid in the NCAA Super Regionals at Tempe, Ariz., against Arizona State. LSU is 31-18 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, the fifth best all-time winning LSU VS. RANKED TEAMS percentage in tournament play in NCAA Division I history. LSU played 17 games against seven nationally ranked teams, including seven games against two teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2. The Tigers finished 11-6 against ranked teams, LSU WINS FIFTH SEC TOURNAMENT TITLE including a pair of wins over No. 1 Tennessee and a trio of wins over No. 2 Alabama. For the fifth time in the last nine seasons, the Tigers advanced through the SEC Tournament to claim the tournament championship. LSU knocked off Florida, 1-0, in nine LSU AMONG THE ELITE IN THE POLLS innings to earn the title. Back-to-back doubles by Rachel Mitchell and Leslie Klein scored LSU finished the season at NO. 10 in the NFCA/USA Today coaches poll, the fifth final the only run of the game to give the Tigers the victory. In the single-elimination format, the top 10 ranking in the program’s history. The Tigers have now been ranked for 31 straight Tigers used wins over South Carolina, 2-1 in 10 innings, and No. 2 Alabama, 4-1, to weeks after having been ranked for 103 straight weeks from Feb. 28, 1998 until March 30, advance to the title game. 2005. In all, LSU has been ranked in 134 of the 155 polls (.865) that have been released Having qualified for all 11 SEC Tournaments, LSU is 33-11 all-time, with the best since the program was reinstated in 1997. The Tigers have been ranked in the top 10 for 88 winning percentage of any school in the league. No other team has won the tournament total weeks, including all 15 weeks of the 2007 season. title or appeared in the championship game more than three times, while LSU has won five Since ESPN/USA Softball began its softball poll on Feb. 25, 2003, LSU has been times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007) and made eight appearances in the title game ranked in 70 of the 79 polls (.886). The final ranking of No. 10 last season was the third (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007). top 10 finish for the Tigers. LSU has also been ranked in the top 10 for 39 total weeks. 52 2008 LSU SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE 2007 Season Review LSU ...THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME The Tigers opened the 2007 home schedule with a 20-0 mark before falling to No. 2 INTRO Alabama on March 24, the second best home start in school history and five shy of the THIS IS LSU school record of 25-straight that began the 1997 season. Factoring in the 10 wins that COACHES completed the 2006 home schedule, LSU won a school record 30 consecutive home games TIGERS dating back to April 12, 2006. REVIEW HENDERSON BREAKS STOLEN BASE RECORD HISTORY A gainst Texas-San Antonio on March 13, Dee Dee Henderson broke the LSU single- RECORDS game record for stolen bases with four. The designated player stole second in the bottom LSU of the first after reaching on a single. Her second stolen base came with a swipe of second MEDIA in the third inning after also reaching on a single. After reaching on an infield single in the fifth, she stole second and third, giving her the school record. Henderson broke the previous record of three, which was accomplished 10 times, including once by Henderson. WALK IT OUT! KLEIN INKS NAME IN LSU RECORD BOOK A gainst Missouri State on Feb. 16, Rachel Mitchell broke the LSU single-game record Leslie Klein made her mark in the LSU record books with five offensive career for walks with four. She recorded her first walk on six pitches, taking a full count walk in records, the most of any player in Tiger history. She ranks in the top 10 in almost the first inning. Her second walk came courtesy of a four-pitch at-bat in the second. Her every hitting category, and finished with the school records for slugging percentage, third at-bat was the longest with nine pitches. The record walk came in the fifth as Mitchell doubles, home runs, RBIs and total bases. In addition, Klein finished third in batting again took a full count for a walk, using six pitches to reach for the fourth time. The four average, tied for second in sacrifice flies, third in runs scoredand tied for third in hits. walks broke the previous record of three, done 19 times, including once by Mitchell. In addition to her career feats, she added to her legacy in the single-season record book. With a double against Florida on May 12, the game-winning RBI shot in ROESSNER POSTS NCAA-RANKED FEAT the ninth to win the SEC Tournament, she broke the LSU single season record for Recording hits in 10 consecutive at-bats, Killian Roessner tied for the third most consecutive hits in NCAA history. Over the course of five games, beginning with LSU's final doubles. She recorded 22 doubles on the year, pushing her past former Tiger All- game of the Easton Purple & Gold Challenge against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 25, Roessner American Ashlee Ducote, who had 20 in 1999. In addition, Klein finished tied for recorded hits in 10 consecutive at-bats before having the streak stopped in her first at-bat second in single season doubles in SEC history, one shy of tying the record. against No. 14 Washington on March 3. During her streak, she recorded five singles, four With a two-RBI home run against Stanford in the NCAARegional Championship doubles, a home run, a walk, a sacrifice bunt and was hit by a pitch. The record of 12 on May 19, Klein broke the LSU single-season record for multiple-RBI games. For the consecutive hits was set this year by Brooke Marnitz of Kentucky. Lindsey Cameron of year, she had 17 multiple-RBI games, including seven games with three or more RBIs. Florida recorded 11 consecutive hits in 2005, while Dominique Lastrapes of Washington She broke the previous record of 16 multiple-RBI games by Ducote in 2000. had 10 consecutive hits in 2004. With two RBIs against Portland State on March 2, Klein broke the LSU career record for multiple-RBI games. She finished her career with 52 multiple-RBI games, ROESSNER BREAKS SINGLE-SEASON RECORD including 22 games with three or more RBIs. She broke the previous record of 42 Throwing out Tennessee’s Liane Horiuchi in the second game of the doubleheader on multiple-RBI games by Tara Asbill from 1997-2000. April 28, Killian Roessner broke the LSU single-season caught stealing record for a catcher with her 17th. Roessner broke her own record of 16, done in 2006, and by Jennie Reeves in 2002.