The 2025 LSU Softball team comes into the season as the 9th ranked team in the nation. The Tigers are coming off of a 44 win season, which is an improvement from the 42 win season before that. LSU faces 10 top 25 opponents this year. Coach Beth Torina is known for her tough scheduling. This team lost some big names last year, but the Tigers have names stepping up in those places. Coach Torina is entering her 14th season as the head coach of the Tiger Softball team. She has over 500 wins as the head coach at LSU and over 600 wins in her head coaching career. Get familiar with this entire roster, as Coach Torina likes to use a true team effort approach with her teams. RETURNING STARTERS Maci Bergeron, JR, C, 2 year letter winner. Maci brings plenty of experience to the catcher position, and she will come into the season as LSU’s all-time leader with a .996 fielding percentage on 530 chances. Danieca Coffey, R-SR, IF, 3 year letter winner. 2023 NFCA South All-Region 1st Team, 2022 NFCA South All-Region 2nd Team, 2022 All-SEC 2nd Team, 2022 LSWA All-Louisiana 2nd Team. Danieca had a great start before suffering a season ending injury last season. Danieca will be a leader on and off the field for this team. Mckenzie Redoutey, SR, OF, 3 year letter winner. 2023 All-SEC 2nd Team and 2023 SEC All-Defensive Team. Mckenzie had a .303 batting average and an amazing 1.000 field percentage last season. Sydney Peterson, R-JR, IF, 1 year letter winner. Sydney suffered a season ending injury early on last season. Sydney started 50 games at 2nd base in 2022. RETURNING CONTRIBUTORS Jadyn Laneaux, SO, OF, 1 year letter winner. Jadyn appeared in 6 games last season, and she will provide outfield depth as well as speed on the basepaths for the Tigers. Mckaela Walker, JR, IF, 2 year letter winner. Mckaela has appeared in 30 games over 2 seasons for the Tigers. She will provide quality depth in the infield for the Tigers. Tori Edwards, R-FR, Utility. Tori made 3 appearances before her season was cut short due to an injury. She will provide quality depth for the Tigers. Abigail Savoy, JR, IF, 2 year letter winner. Abigail has appeared in 10 games over 2 seasons for the Tigers. She finished last season with a .333 batting average. Maddox Mckee, SO, Utility, 1 year letter winner. Maddox played in 32 games last season, while starting in 17 games at 3rd base. She came up big for this team last season. I would expect to see a lot of Maddox this season. Madyson Manning, SO, IF, 1 year letter winner. Madyson started in 18 games last season. She had a .320 batting average, .452 OBP, and .946 fielding percentage. Madyson should see a lot of playing time this season. Savanna Bedell, SO, Utility, 1 year letter winner. Savanna appeared in 20 games last season. Savanna will provide speed on the basepaths and quality for the Tigers. Maia Townsend, JR, OF, 2 year letter winner. Maia appeared in 25 games last season. She will provide outfield depth for the Tigers. Sierra Daniel, SO, Utility, 1 year letter winner. Sierra appeared in 40 games last season, and she made 32 starts at 2nd base, 3rd base, and designated hitter. She finished the season with a .300 batting average. I expect to see Sierra all over the field for the Tigers. Madilyn Giglio, SR, OF, 3 year letter winner. Madilyn will provide speed on the basepaths as well as quality outfield depth this season. PITCHING STAFF Sydney Berzon, JR, 2 year letter winner. 2024 NFCA All-American 2nd Team, 2024 NFCA South All-Region 1st Team, 2024 All-SEC 1st Team, 2024 SEC All-Tournament Team, 2023 NFCA All-American 3rd Team, 2023 NFCA South All-Region 1st Team, 2023 All-SEC 2nd Team. Sydney is the clear leader of the pitching staff, in and out of the circle. Sydney’s calm demeanor while pitching is fun to watch. She always seems to be having fun. She has 34 wins, 7 saves, and a 1.84 ERA in her LSU career. Emilee Casanova, R-SR, 3 year letter winner. Emilee brings a strong arm to the Tiger rotation. She is sporting a 4-0 record and a 1.75 ERA in her Tiger career. Tatum Clopton, R-JR. Tatum was forced to sit out the last 2 seasons, but while at Oklahoma State, she made 2 Women’s College World Series appearances. TRANSFERS Ashley Vallejo, R-SR, P, 4 year letter winner at McNeese. Ashley won 3 straight SLC championships with the Cowgirls. She was named the SLC Pitcher of the Year in 2022, and she is a 2 time All-SLC pitcher. She has 45 career wins, a 2.44 ERA, 306 strikeouts, 6 career shutouts, and two saves. Avery Hodge, JR, IF, 2 time National Champion at Oklahoma. Avery has a career .278 batting average. Jalia Lassiter, JR, OF. 2 time NFCA South All-Region selection. Jalia has a .302 career batting average and a .994 career fielding percentage. INCOMING FRESHMEN Jayden Heavener, Pitcher/Utility. 2024 Florida 6A State Championship, 2024 Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, 2024 Max Prep National Player of the Year, 2024 Florida 6A 1st Team, 2023 FACA 6A Player of the Year and 1st Team All-American Sa’mya Jones, IF. MaxPreps #2 prospect and was the offensive MVP during her sophomore and junior seasons, and 1st Team All-District as a junior. Zoe Calvez, OF. 3 time FSHAA 7A All-State selection, 4 time FHSAA 7A All-Metro/District Softball Team, and West Orange Female Player of the Year, was ranked #9 in the class of 2024 by Extra Innings Softball and was ranked #4 at her position. Jada Phillips, Catcher/Utility. 3 time Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive MVP, and 2 time All-State selection. Alix Franklin, IF. 3 time Louisiana 5A State Champion, 4 time All-State selection, and 2024 5A District 5 MVP. Destiny Harris, OF. 2024 Regional Player of the Year, 2-time Eastern District Player of the Year, and 2-time All-State and All-Region selection. The Tigers are looking to hit the ground running this season. This will be an exciting team to watch! Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Team Stats (Jazz @ Pelicans) Final Score: 123-136 Rebounds: 40-56 Assists: 30-34 Blocks: 8-8 Steals: 7-9 Turnovers: 15-13 Stat Leaders (Jazz/Pelicans) Scoring Leaders: Keyonte George, 26; CJ McCollum, 26 Rebound Leaders: Isaiah Collier, Drew Eubanks, 7; Zion Williamson, 14 Assist Leaders: Isaiah Collier, 11; Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado, Dejounte Murray, 6 My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson Chrissy's Takeaways: * The New Orleans Pelicans have won four of their last five games and their only loss came against the Boston Celtics by one point. * If you were hoping for the Pelicans to tank to get a high draft pick, then you are are going to be disappointed. * Zion has to be at his lowest weight in years. He looks great and was explosive the whole night. * Yves Missi did not play because he was sick with the flu, according to Joel Myers. * This team can keep going on a run with so many guys healthy, and Brandon Ingram is close to returning too. That will leave Herb Jones as the only main player who is still hurt. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Team Stats (Timberwolves @ Pelicans) Final Score: 104-97 Rebounds: 53-46 Assists: 26-23 Blocks: 8-5 Steals: 9-12 Turnovers: 16-14 Stat Leaders (Timberwolves/Pelicans) Scoring Leaders: Anthony Edwards, 32; Dejounte Murray, 29 Rebound Leaders: Rudy Gobert, 14; Yves Missi, 9 Assist Leaders: Donte Divencenzo, 7; Dejounte Murray, 6 My Player of the Game: Dejounte Murray Chrissy's Takeaways: * Zion was back on the court and looked great and full of energy and a spring in his step. * Dejounte Murray played exceptionally well, leading the team in points and assists. * Jose Alvarado brought a spark after the Pelicans started the game down 7-0. * If the Pelicans would have Trey Murphy able to play then I think they could have won this game. * Herb Jones hit two big corner three's so it's nice to see him get back in a rhythm. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Team Stats (Pelicans @ Wizards) Final Score: 110-98 Rebounds: 49-46 Assists: 26-25 Blocks: 8-4 Steals: 7-6 Turnovers: 11-15 Stat Leaders (Pelicans/Wizards) Scoring Leaders: CJ McCollum, 24; Kyle Kuzma, 28 Rebound Leaders: Dejounte Murray, 10; Alex Sarr, 11 Assist Leaders: Dejounte Murray, 12; Malcolm Brogdon, Jared Butler, 5 My Player of the Game: Dejounte Murray Chrissy's Takeaways: * CJ McCollum was still hot following his previous game where he hit 50 points. * Dejounte Murray has had two games in a row where he has had 12 assists and only three turnovers so it' s nice to see him become the PG that the team needs. * The Pelicans have won two games in a row. * Trey Murphy sprained his ankle in the game and his status is to be determined. * Yves Missi had two blocks against the Wizards and continues to be a bright spot on this Pelicans squad. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Team Stats (Wizards @ Pelicans) Final Score: 120-132 Rebounds: 48-37 Assists: 28-36 Blocks: 0-6 Steals: 6-10 Turnovers: 21-7 Stat Leaders (Wizards/Pelicans) Scoring Leaders: Jordan Poole, 29; Christian James McCollum, 50 Rebound Leaders: Jonas Valanciunas, 10; Yves Missi, 11 Assist Leaders: Jordan Poole, 7; Dejounte Murray, 12 My Player of the Game: CJ McCollum Chrissy's Takeaways: CJ McCollum dropped 50 points on the Wizards in a spectacular performance where he made 10 three-pointers in the game. He was cooking from the first quarter and you could tell something special was going to happen that night. The Pelicans snapped their 11-game losing streak by beating Washington, who had six wins coming into the game. One of the biggest keys to the victory for New Orleans was that the team only had seven turnovers the entire game. Rookie Yves Missi was spectacular again, finishing the game with 11 rebounds and one block. Jose Alvarado was back on the court after being sidelined for six weeks from a hamstring injury, and he immediately brought energy and a defensive presence to the team. Dejounte Murray had 12 assists, which was great, because he struggled offensively. The Pelicans look to get another win against the Wizards on Sunday on the road. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Team Stats (Pelicans @ Heat) Final Score: 108-119 Rebounds: 31-38 Assists: 25-34 Blocks: 7-1 Steals: 4-6 Turnovers: 10-10 Stat Leaders (Pelicans/Heat) Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 34; Tyler Herro, 32 Rebound Leaders: Yves Missi, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins, Brandon Boston Jr., CJ McCollum, 4; Bam Adebayo, 9 Assist Leaders: Dejounte Murray, 7; Bam Adebayo, 10 My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III Chrissy's Takeaways: The New Orleans Pelicans have lost 20 of their last 21 games. The Pels have also lost 11 games in a row. In this game against the Heat, the rebounding was divided up evenly among six players, which was a strange thing to see in the stat sheet. Trey Murphy III is turning into a full-blown starter for this team and it's great to see. He's not just a three-point shooter anymore. Yves Missi is SPECIAL!! This guy has a legitimate shot to win Rookie of the Year. It's rough to think about how good the Pelicans might have been this year if everyone would have been healthy plus the team has a ROY center. What could have been....time to focus on the special spots of the season. Follow The Kneaux on X, and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

Spread: Baylor -4 O/U: 60.5 Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX Date and TV: December 31, 2024, 2:30 PM, ESPN For the 1st time since 1985, LSU and Baylor will be meeting on the gridiron. LSU leads the all time series 8-3. The 1st meeting between the 2 schools came in 1907, and the Tigers won by a score of 48-0. Baylor, 8-4, 6-3, comes into the contest as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning the final 6 games of the season. The Bears' offense ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in total yards per game (434.5), 7th in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (246), and 6th in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (188.5). Quarterback Sawyer Robertson is the leader of this offense. Robertson has 2626 passing yards, 26 passing TDs (4th in the Big 12), 7 INTs, 227 rushing yards, and 4 rushing TDs on the season. Running back Bryson Washington has had a great season. Washington has 1004 rushing yards (8th in the Big 12), 12 rushing TDs (7th in the Big 12), 217 receiving yards, and 1 receiving TD. Josh Cameron and Ashtyn Hawkins are the leading pass catchers on the team. Cameron has 44 receptions, 643 receiving yards, and 9 TDs. Hawkins has 41 receptions, 512 receiving yards, and 4 TDs. The Bears defense ranks 10th in the Big 12 in total yards per game given up (382.8), 11th in the Big 12 in passing yards per game given up (227.6), and 11th in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game given up (155.2). Linebackers Keaton Thomas and Matt Jones are in the top 4 in the Big 12 in total tackles. The leaders in the defensive back room are Lorando Johnson and Devyn Bobby. Bobby has 3 INTs this season. Johnson ranks 3rd in the Big 12 with 10 PBUs. The leaders on the defensive line are Treven Ma'ae and Jackie Marshall. Ma'ae has 3.5 sacks this season, and Marshall has 3 sacks this season. Baylor has zero opt outs for the NFL Draft, but they have lost 4 players to the transfer portal. LSU, 8-4, 5-3, enters this game having won the final 2 games of the regular season. The Tiger offense ranks 5th in the SEC in total yards per game (431.9), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (315.3), and 16th in the SEC in rushing yards per game. The Tiger offense is led by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Nuss ranks 2nd in the SEC in passing yards (3739) and passing TDs (26). He has the 2nd most INTs in the SEC with 11. The running back room is led by Josh Willams and Caden Durham. Williams has 108 carries, 440 yards, 5 TDs, 29 receptions, and 249 receiving yards on the season. Durham has 127 carries, 693 yards, 6 TDs, 27 receptions, 257 receiving yards, and 2 TDs on the season. The leading pass catchers for the Tigers are Kyren Lacy, Mason Taylor, and Aaron Anderson. Lacy has 58 receptions (5th in the SEC), 886 yards (5th in the SEC), and 9 TDs (1st in the SEC) on the season. Taylor has 55 receptions (7th in the SEC), 546 yards, and 2 TDs on the season. Anderson has 53 receptions (10th in the SEC), 784 yards (11th in the SEC), and 5 TDs on the season. The LSU defense ranks 11th in the SEC in total yards per game given up (352.5), 7th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up (205.9), and 13th in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up (146.6). The linebacker room is led by Whit Weeks and Greg Penn III. Weeks ranks 3rd in the SEC with 114 total tackles this season. GP3 has 80 total tackles this season. The defensive line is led by Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones. Swinson ranks 5th in the SEC with 8.5 sacks this season. Jones has 4.5 sacks this season. The defensive back room is led by Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander. Stamps ranks 5th in the SEC with 9 PBUs on the season. Alexander has 2 INTs on the season. The Tigers will be without Will Campbell, Emery Jones, Mason Taylor, and Kyren Lacy, who are all getting ready for the NFL Draft. Sage Ryan, CJ Daniels, Rickie Collins, Da'Shawn Womack, Shelton Sampson, Jr., Kylin Jackson, Xavier Atkins, Jyaire Brown, and Jordan Allen, among others, have entered the transfer portal for the Tigers. Fun Fact: Baylor head coach, Dave Aranda, was the LSU defensive coordinator from 2016-2019. Thank you for reading my article. Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro