Of the eight teams in the 2015 Women’s College World Series (WCWS), five of them were from the SEC; and five of the top 10 programs ranked in the NCAA Women's Softball RPI on June 10 are SEC schools as well.

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LSU softball could have had the storied past of programs like UCLA and Arizona. The team formed in 1979, a few years after historical powerhouses on the West Coast began, but it disbanded after only three years.

Despite the lost opportunity of having been a pioneering softball school, the Tigers have emerged as a legitimate national championship contender since the softball program’s rebirth in 1997 in compliance with Title IX. The program boasts five SEC regular season titles, five SEC tournament titles, and four WCWS appearances, making it one of the most successful SEC programs regardless of its short history.


As the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, LSU poses a serious threat
to spoiling Florida's hope of a three-peat 

The 2015 season was LSU’s first trip back to the Women’s College World Series since 2012 and they made it count. The Tigers made it to the final four before being knocked out by national runner-up Michigan. Though the Tigers lose three to graduation, they bring back their record number of five All-Americans for the 2016 season.

First team All-American Bianka Bell returns for her senior season after playing for the USA National Team this summer. After changing her batting stance last season Bell went off, cranking 18 homers to lead the LSU in home runs. The power-hitting shortstop already owns the all-time home run record at LSU with 44 career dingers and has a whole season to collect even more. She also paced the Tiger offense in 2015 with 70 runs scored and a whopping .790 slugging percentage. 


Bianka Bell broke LSU's all-time home run record as a junior.
Expect her to be an offensive threat again her senior year.  

The Tigers also return two second team All-Americans. Junior outfielder Bailey Landry led the Tiger offense in both batting average and hits while junior catcher/infielder Sahvanna Jaquish returns after having had the honor to play for the Puerto Rico National Softball Team this past summer. Jaquish is yet another offensive threat for the LSU, leading the Tigers in runs batted in (76) last season and blasting 17 home runs, one shy of Bell's impressive number.

If you're unimpressed with LSU's offensive threat, wait until you hear about what pitchers they're bringing back. The Tigers return two sophomore pitchers and third-team All-Americans Carly Hoover and Allie Walljasper  As freshmen, Hoover and Walljasper pitched every inning for the Tigers, boasting 1.78 and 1.83 earned run averages, respectively. Let me say that again — they were freshmen pitching in the most dominant softball conference in the nation and they put up ERAs under two. 

Speedy sophomore outfielder Emily Griggs, who played on the USA Junior National Team this summer, also returns to the lineup and will likely be a threat on the base paths again in 2016, having stole 14 bases last year as a freshman. 

Adding to the stellar list of returners, LSU brings a strong freshman class of six to Tiger Park this season. Shemiah Sanchez brings valuable experience to the team as a freshman having already played on the international level. Sanchez played on the Junior Puerto Rico National Team and was the teams’ leading hitter. She is also ranked as FloSoftball’s No. 52 player in the 2015 Hot 100.


Freshman Shemiah Sanchez brings international playing experience 
to LSU, having already played with Junior Puerto Rico National Team
this summer

Pitcher and FloSoftball No. 31 player Sydney Smith, FloSoftball No. 81 player Taylor Satchell, FloSoftball No. 85 player Amber Serrett, Akiya Thymes, and Elyse Thornhill round out LSU’s incoming freshman class.

The Tigers hold the No. 2 ranking in the NCAA Women's Softball RPI right now and it's not hard to understand why. Expect them to advance deep into the WCWS bracket come June.