LSU will play Alabama in a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa from May 22-24, with the winner earning a berth in the Women’s College World Series.
The first game is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on Friday, May 22, on ESPN2, with Game 2 set for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 23, on; Sunday’s time will be determined only if a game three is necessary. Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed and will host the series.
Beth Torina, who has led LSU to nine NCAA Super Regional appearances as coach, kept the calculus simple when asked about the matchup: "The most competitive team wins this weekend," she said.
The series carries history. LSU leads the all-time matchup 49-44, has won six of the last 10 meetings and has taken three of the last four. Last season the Tigers beat Alabama 2-1 in a three-game series, and LSU holds a 2-0 record against Alabama in NCAA Tournament play — both wins coming in the Women’s College World Series, a 5-3 victory in 2015 and a 6-4 victory in 2016 in Oklahoma City.
LSU arrives with clear momentum, having won eight of its last nine games and 12 of its last 15 entering the weekend. Offensively the Tigers are batting.291 with 431 hits and 57 home runs, and they have outscored opponents 347-165 this season. The offense is especially dangerous early; LSU has outscored foes 185-73 in the first three innings.
On the mound and in the field LSU brings consistency: a 2.65 team ERA, 12 shutouts, 279 strikeouts in 375.2 innings and a.976 fielding percentage with 28 double plays and 37 errors. Senior Jayden Heavener is 13-8 with 15 complete games, five shutouts and 120 strikeouts in 132.1 innings; she produced her 10th career shutout in an 8-0 win over Akron in the Baton Rouge Regional. Paytn Monticelli is 9-3 and riding a six-game winning streak when she is the pitcher of record.
The LSU lineup is deep and hot. Jalia Lassiter has 63 hits, 61 runs and a.348 batting average. Kylee Edwards is batting.349 with 60 hits, 10 home runs, 43 runs and 40 RBI and notably hit for the cycle on April 3. Sierra Daniel is at.341 with 59 hits, 45 runs, 31 RBI and 34 walks.
For alabama softball, the weekend is about converting home-field advantage and No. 1 overall seeding into two wins. That is the friction point: Alabama hosts and carries the top seed, but LSU brings form, depth and recent postseason success against the Tide. Torina underlined that uncertainty: "It might not be the most talented, the best, any of those things, it's the team that plays the best. I think we saw that this past weekend from our group."
The matchup will likely come down to pitching matchups and how quickly each team can score. If LSU’s early-inning edge — the 185-73 margin through three innings — holds, it hands the Tigers a decisive advantage against a top-seeded host. If Alabama can disrupt that start and force late-game decisions, the home crowd and seed will matter most.
This weekend will tell which narrative prevails: a top seed protecting home turf or a tournament-season LSU that has repeatedly translated balance and timing into wins under Torina. Whichever team is the most competitive over the next three games will be headed to the Women’s College World Series.
