Da Boot Sports
5/17/2026
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


​   BATON ROUGE, La. – For the second time in three years, LSU is crowned the Baton Rouge Regional Champions and will advance to the 2026 NCAA Super Regionals after a come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech, 7-2, on Sunday at Tiger Park.
 
   LSU trailed 2-0 through two innings, but a four-spot in the third sparked seven unanswered runs to send the Fighting Tigers to Supers. The rally was ignited by Jalia Lassiter’s solo shot and Maci Bergeron’s two-run go-ahead single in the third. It was Bergeron’s second game-winning hit in as many games. The four-year LSU Tiger finished the regional round with a .600 batting average behind six hits, including a home run, and had four RBI after going 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI on Sunday.
 
   No. 18 LSU improves to 40-17 this season, marking the club’s fourth consecutive 40-win season, and will make its 11th Super Regional appearance. The Tigers are now 69-33 all-time in the NCAA Regionals and have 13 regional championship titles – nine under Head Coach Beth Torina. Virginia Tech concludes its season with a 48-12 record.
 
   “I want to say congratulations to Virginia Tech on an incredible season. I can hardly remember an opponent that was that classy and that well put together,” said Head Coach Beth Torina.  “They do what they do at a really high level. They just win softball games. It was an incredible year for them, and they’re an honorable opponent.
 
   “I don’t even know where to start on our team,” Coach Torina continued. “I’m so proud of this entire group. I’m proud of their growth and the senior leadership. Every time our senior class decides that it’s time to go, those are the ones that go the best. This senior class has been incredible this weekend. There are so many cool stories in here, too - the day that Alix Franklin had, the weekend Maci Bergeron had, Jalia [Lassiter] always has a good weekend. Paytn Monticelli’s story - it makes me feel super emotional to think about what she just did out there and the journey that took her to LSU. Avery Hodge isn’t up here, but our senior class was incredible in making this happen. It was a total team effort. We executed the plan beautifully. We knew the plan was not going to be won in one moment, but by death by a thousand cuts. We did exactly that, pressure throughout the whole weekend. I couldn’t be prouder of this team, and I’m excited for what’s in front of us.”
 
   Alix Franklin (3-for-4) matched a career-high three hits and scored two runs in the win, and Lassiter joined Bergeron with two hits, a run, and two ribbies.
 
   Paytn Monticelli improves to 9-3 in the circle, claiming her sixth consecutive win as the pitcher of record. Monticelli struck out two batters in the game and allowed five hits, one earned run, and one walk in 3.0 innings.  Monticelli and company retired the final 16 batters faced, beginning with the last out of the second inning.
 
   Virginia Tech’s starting pitcher, Bree Carrico, falls to 15-2 on the season after giving up four runs on eight hits and walking one in 2.2 innings. She had no strikeouts on the day.
 
   The Hokies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first two innings. A leadoff double by Addison Foster, followed by an RBI single from Jordan Lynch, gave VT an early 1-0 advantage in the first inning, and the Hokies manufactured another run in the second inning, a two-out run-scoring single by Foster, to take a 2-0 lead.
 
   LSU broke through in the top of the third inning with four runs on five hits and forced a pitching change. Lassiter put the Tigers on the board with a leadoff home run for her ninth homer of the season, and Bergeron hit a two-run go-ahead single through the left side that put LSU on top, 3-2. Ally Hutchins drove in the fourth run on a bloop single down the right field line to give LSU a 4-2 lead.
 
   The Tigers’ defense did not allow a single baserunner for the remainder of the game, and the offense continued to provide run support. LSU added two runs in the fifth for a 6-2 margin. After Char Lorenz and Hutchins opened the inning with walks, Lassiter hit a RBI single to the shortstop, and Sierra Daniel was credited with an RBI on a fielder’s choice for the four-run lead.
 
   Adding extra insurance, Franklin hit a leadoff double down the right field line, and Tori Edwards singled through the left side. Three batters later, Franklin scored an unearned run thanks to a fielding error, pushing the lead to the eventual final score, 7-2.      
 
Up Next
   LSU will take on the nation’s top seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Alabama, which won the Tuscaloosa Regional. The best-of-three series will take place on May 21-24 at Rhoads Stadium.  
 

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​*John 3;16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Da Boot Sports
5/16/2026
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU battery had a game on Saturday afternoon in the 8-0 shutout over Virginia Tech at Tiger Park. Cece Cellura registered LSU’s second shutout of the regional, and her first career complete-game shutout, and Maci Bergeron matched a career-high with three hits, including a go-ahead home run, her third homer of the season.
 
   LSU (39-17), which increases its total to 12 shutouts this season, will await its opponent for Sunday’s regional final at 1 p.m. CT. Virginia Tech (47-11) will face the winner of the Baton Rouge Regional’s first elimination game between Akron (34-24) and South Alabama (32-26) at 5 p.m. CT today.
 
   “We’ve talked all year about searching for our best game, a complete game. I think that was about as close to it as we could be,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “I thought we got things from all areas, and we executed our plan beautifully. To do that against a quality opponent like Virginia Tech is special. We know they [Virginia Tech] are a good team from top to bottom, so it was a great day to execute the way we did. I cannot say enough about the performance from Cece [Cellura], who controlled a dominant offense, and it is easy to celebrate someone like Maci [Bergeron]. For her [Bergeron] to have a day as she did makes my heart want to explode. She is the ultimate Tiger and special to all of us.”
 
   Cellura (9-5) opened the game with three hitless innings, featuring two one-two-three frames and two strikeouts. The junior finished with three strikeouts and allowed two hits and one walk in 6.0 innings. The defense was solid behind her, securing eight fly outs and six groundouts, including the club’s 28th double play of the season, which ties for the second-most in a single season in program history.
 
   Bergeron went 3-for-3 at the dish, including her fourth career home run in the NCAA Tournament, scored one run, and had two RBI. Kylee Edwards continued her tear in the regional. She batted 2-for-3, scored one run, and had two RBI. Char Lorenz also had two hits in three at-bats, scored a run, and had an RBI in the win.
 
   Virginia Tech’s Emma Mazzarone falls to 16-6 this season after surrendering three runs on two hits and walking five batters in 1.0 inning.
 
   LSU put together its third three-run inning of the regional, had one hit, and drew four walks in the second inning. Bergeron put the first runs on the board with a two-run shot to center field, and Jalia Lassiter logged a sacrifice fly that made the score 3-0 through two innings.
 
   The Fighting Tigers extended their lead in the fourth, 4-0, with a two-out RBI double down the left field line by K. Edwards for her third extra-base hit of the weekend, and got the party started in the four-run sixth inning with an RBI single up the middle.
 
   Alix Franklin reached on an error, and Sierra Daniel scored her second run of the day after reaching via a walk, and Tori Edwards tallied the game’s second sacrifice fly that plated K. Edwards. With two outs on the board, Lorenz ended the game early with a single through the left side that scored Franklin, giving LSU the 8-0 advantage in six  
 

Da Boot Sports
5/15/2026
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   BATON ROUGE, La. – Jayden Heavener twirled her fifth shutout of the season and 10th in her career, as LSU opened the 2026 Baton Rouge Regional by blanking Akron, 8-0, in six innings, on Friday night at Tiger Park.
 
   With the victory over Akron (34-24), No. 18 LSU (38-17) will advance in the winner’s bracket, where it will face No. 11/14 Virginia Tech (47-10) at noon CT on Saturday. The Tigers recorded their 14th run-rule and 11th shutout of the season.
 
   Heavener (13-8) delivered a season-high 11 strikeouts, marking her fourth game this season with 10 or more strikeouts. The sophomore allowed three hits and walked three batters in the win. Heavener set the tone early, with the first seven outs of the game being strikeouts, and she fanned eight of the first 12 batters she faced.
 
  “We wanted to come out and set a tone today, and start the postseason on the right foot,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “We knew we had a quality opponent in Akron. We respect them, so we wanted to make sure we showed up for this game. I think we did just that. Jayden’s [Heavener] three strikeouts in the first inning really set the tone, and our offense came out and scored early. I think that was a big lift for us. Then we continued scoring throughout the game. It was a great display of who we are. It was a very complete game and a great way to start this tournament. We did exactly what we set out to do.”
 
   The Tigers have logged double-digit hits in four of their last six games after turning in 11 hits on Friday, marking their 13th double-digit hit game of the season. Eight LSU batters recorded a hit, highlighted by Sierra Daniel’s 3-for-4 outing that included two doubles. Kylee Edwards went 2-for-4 at the dish with a double and a triple and led the team with three RBI. Both Daniel and K. Edwards scored two runs. Avery Hodge matched a season-high with two hits, and Alix Franklin hit her sixth home run of the season.  
 
   Akron’s Madie Jamrog falls to 18-7 in the circle after surrendering seven runs on 11 hits and walking four batters. Jamrog finished the game with three strikeouts.
 
   LSU got off to a fast start in the opening frame. Heavener retired the Zips three-up and three-down with three strikeouts in the top of the inning, and the Tigers put up three runs in the bottom, highlighted by a two RBI double by K. Edwards, and a run-scoring single by Char Lorenz.
 
   Heavener continued to deal, sitting down six of the next nine batters, featuring five strikeouts, before LSU added another three runs on four hits in the third. Franklin started the scoring with a solo blast to centerfield, and Ally Hutchins and Hodge logged RBI singles to right and left center field, respectively, to build a 6-0 advantage.
 
   After the LSU retired the Akron hitters in order for the second time in the game in the top of the sixth, Daniel hit a leadoff double in the bottom, and K. Edwards brought her home with a triple to left field, making the count 7-0. K. Edwards went on to score the game-sealing run, capitalizing on a wild pitch to end the game, 8-0.  

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​*John 3;16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Da Boot Sports
5/10/2026
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The LSU softball team will make its 27th NCAA Tournament appearance and host the Baton Rouge Regional May 15-17 as the No. 16 overall seed. 
 
   The 2026 Baton Rouge Regional features Virginia Tech as the No. 2 seed, Sun Belt Conference Tournament Champions South Alabama as the No. 3 seed, and Mid-American Conference Champions Akron as the fourth seed. The Tigers will take on Akron at 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, May 15.
 
   Dating back to the 2015 season, LSU will host an NCAA Tournament Regional for the 10th time over the last 11 years, excluding 2020, which had no tournament due to COVID-19. It will be the 17th time LSU has hosted a regional. LSU holds a 66-33 record in the NCAA Tournament Regional round.
 
   The Tigers received a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the 20th consecutive season and have a record of 88-60 in the Big Dance with six NCAA Women’s College World Series appearances (2001, 2004, 2012, 2015-2017). Head Coach Beth Torina has led LSU to the Women’s College World Series four times, including three consecutive seasons, 2015-2017.
 
   LSU enters the 2026 NCAA Tournament with a 37-17 overall record and has won nine of its last 12 games. 

Da Boot Sports
5/6/2026
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 18 LSU bows out of the 2026 SEC Tournament with a 7-3 loss to No. 17/13 Georgia on Wednesday night at John Cropp Stadium.
   
​    LSU falls to 37-17 on the season, while Georgia advances to the quarterfinals with a 37-17 record.

   Jayden Heavener (12-8) received the loss after 3.1 innings with five strikeouts and allowed five runs on six hits.

   UGA pitcher Randi Roelling improves to 17-9 in the circle after throwing her 11th complete game of the season. Roelling tallied a season-high 10 strikeouts and gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits. She also walked three batters.

    Heavener struck out four of the first seven batters she faced through two innings, including three swinging strikeouts in the opening frame. Georgia adjusted and pushed across two runs in the top of the third with a run-scoring double by Natalie Ray and an RBI single from Jaydyn Goodwin. However, the Tigers responded in the bottom half-inning, tying the game 2-2 with LSU’s first hit of the game, a two-run blast to right field by Sierra Daniel.

   The Bulldogs went on to score five unanswered runs to build a 7-2 advantage. Emily Digby put UGA back on top in the fourth, 5-2, with a three-run dinger to center field, and Sarah Gordon and Tyler Ellison cashed in on RBI singles in the top of the seventh.

   LSU put the game-tying run on deck in the home half. Char Lorenz led off the inning with a single to left, and Ally Hutchins followed with a double to right. Lorenz scored on that play, advancing home on a throw. Daniel reached on a fielding error, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Roelling ended the threat with her 10th strikeout of the game.

Up Next
   LSU will await its seeding for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The 2026 NCAA Selection Show will be at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 10.

​

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​*John 3;16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Da Boot Sports
5/2/2026
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 20/19 LSU recorded its second SEC sweep of the season after defeating Auburn in the doubleheader, 25-0 and 7-2, on Saturday at Tiger Park.  
 
   LSU’s (37-16, 13-11 SEC) 25 runs on 24 hits in game one mark program-best totals in both categories against an SEC opponent. It also marked the second-most hits and runs in a single game in program history (LSU had 30 runs on 27 hits at Louisiana Tech in 2016).
 
   LSU last swept Auburn (25-27, 4-20 SEC) in 2018 in Tiger Park and earned its first series win since 2024. Overall on the day, LSU outscored Auburn 32-2 and had a .554 batting average on 36 hits with only three home runs.
 
   “The offense was incredible,” said Head Coach Beth Torina.  “There is always concern when you have a big game that you are going to take the foot off the gas in game two. We understood the importance of the game and did a great job of executing.”
 
   Sierra Daniel (.857 avg.) and Jalia Lassiter (.667 avg.) led LSU with six hits and scored four runs each. Three of Lassiter’s hits were doubles, and she had three RBI. Maci Bergeron (.571 avg._ and Franklin (.500) had four hits on the day. Bergeron scored two runs and had four RBI, while Franklin scored four runs, had a team-high seven RBI, and hit two home runs, including her first career grand slam.
 
   The LSU pitching staff had a solid showing as well, holding Auburn to a .182 batting average on the day and registering a 1.17 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 12.0 innings.  
 

Game One
   Jayden Heavener (12-7) tossed her fourth complete game shutout of the season and ninth in her career to open the day for the LSU Tigers. Heavener tallied five strikeouts and allowed three hits and three walks in the win, which served as the staff’s third consecutive shutout.
 
   Lassiter (4-for-5) and Daniel (4-for-4) had career-highs of four hits and three runs scored. Lassiter added three RBI. Franklin was 2-for-4 at the dish, including her first career grand slam. Franklin scored two runs and had a career-best five RBI, and Jada Phillips hit her first career homer and finished 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. Overall, LSU had eight batters register multiple hits.  
 
   Auburn’s Abby Herndon (12-7) received the loss and was pulled with 0.1 innings pitched after surrendering eight runs on seven hits, one walk, and no strikeouts.
 
   LSU scored eight runs on nine hits, and Auburn committed two errors in the first inning. The Bayou Bengals logged six runs on seven hits with just one out in their first time through the order. LSU had a stretch of six consecutive hits in the frame, highlighted by two-run doubles by seniors Bergeron and Lassiter.
 
   The Fighting Tigers struck again in the third with seven runs on six hits. After loading the bases with singles from Lassiter, Daniel, and Kylee Edwards, Franklin cleaned it up, hitting the game's first home run and LSU’s second grand slam of the season. A few batters later, Phillips recorded her first collegiate home run, a two-run blast, that made the score 15-0.
 
   LSU had its biggest offensive output of the season with 10 runs on another nine hits in the fourth inning. Franklin started it off, driving in her fifth RBI of the game with a single through the left side, and Rylie Johnson capped the inning with a two-RBI pinch-hit double.
 
Game Two
   Cece Cellura moved to 8-5 in the circle and matched a career-high seven strikeouts in her seventh complete game of the season. Cellura allowed five hits, two runs, and handed out one walk.
 
   LSU totaled 12 hits in the regular season finale, with four players recording two hits. Franklin was 2-for-2, including her second homer of the day, and had two RBI to lead the team. Bergeron (2-for-3, RBI), Daniel (2-for-3, one run), and Lassiter (2-for-4, one run) also picked up multiple hits.
 
   Auburn’s Ella Harrison (11-14) was charged with the loss after giving up 10 hits, seven runs, two walks, and a pair of strikeouts.
 
   In the opening inning, Lassiter opened the game with a leadoff double, and two batters later, Franklin launched an 0-1 pitch to the berm in left field to give LSU a 2-0 lead.
 
   Auburn scored its first run of the series with a solo shot by Ma’Nia Womack in the top of the second, but LSU extended its lead with two runs in the fourth. After loading the bases on a hit and two walks, Hodge plated one runner with a single up the middle, and Tori Edwards scored an unearned run on the play after an Auburn fielding error, giving the home team a 4-1 advantage.
 
   LSU added three more runs in the fifth. K. Edwards hit an RBI double down the left field line, T. Edwards hit an RBI single to the shortstop, and Bergeron followed with another RBI double down the left field line to build a 7-1 lead.
 
   Cellura worked a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth, retiring seven of eight batters beginning with the final out in the fourth. Cellura gave up another solo shot to Womack in the seventh but went on to sit down the next three batters, including two strikeouts to end the game.
 
Up Next
   Postseason play begins with the 2026 SEC Tournament on May 5-9, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky. LSU is the No. 8 seed and will face the No. 9 seed in Georgia on Wednesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. CT.
 

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​*John 3;16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.