Tigers trying to use same script in SEC tournament

• By WILLIAM WEATHERS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: May 8, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:55 a.m.

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The pace of the Southeastern Conference’s postseason softball tournament changed dramatically a year ago from a potential marathon to a less grueling sprint.

The thought process among the SEC’s coaches was that after a 28-game league schedule — the most in the country — the grind of the double-elimination tournament was too taxing on teams headed to NCAA regional play.

One team that found the new-fangled single-elimination format to its liking was LSU, which emerged unscathed after three games to hoist its league-best fifth tournament trophy. That turned out to be a catalyst for the Tigers, who advanced undefeated out of NCAA regional play into super regional competition.

It’s a familiar path LSU would like to follow when the third-seeded Tigers (41-15) host sixth-seeded Auburn (37-19) at Tiger Park at 7:30 p.m. today in the final of four first-round games in the SEC tournament.

The game will be carried locally by WNXX-104.5/104.9-FM.

“That’s the best times to play,” LSU senior shortstop Tayl’r Hollis said of the single-elimination system. “There’s no looking back or forward. You’re in that moment. That first game is the only one that matters.

“If you don’t win that game, then there is no second game. Our team thrives on that because you put all of your energy and focus into winning and winning every pitch of every inning.”

The other first-round games are: No. 4 Tennessee (46-13) facing No. 5 Georgia (43-15) at  11 a.m., followed by No. 1 Florida (59-2) meeting No. 8 Ole Miss (26-27) at 1:30 p.m. and No. 2 Alabama (49-5) and No. 7 Mississippi State (40-19) at 5 p.m.

Winners move into semifinal action Friday, set for 5 and 7:30 p.m.. The championship game to follow at 12:30 p.m. Saturday with the winner receiving the league’s automatic berth into next week’s NCAA tournament.

“They’re all excited to be here and be playing at our field,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard after a one-hour workout Wednesday afternoon. “We kept it real light and loose. They’ve been in finals and this was a nice distraction. … let them sweat just a little bit, let them cut up for a while. Anything to relax them.”

Auburn finds itself back in the tournament following a pressure-filled year that resulted in a 26-30 record. The visiting Tigers had their streak of seven straight trips snapped last season, when they hosted the tournament.

“We have a great, strong class of juniors and seniors that have been to the conference tournament before and they were able to tell those sophomores and freshmen, ‘let’s get there, it’s worth going’,” Auburn coach Tina Deese said. “That leadership showed them what they needed to do and I was real proud of them for getting us here.”

Auburn had dropped eight of its last nine games until sweeping a three-game series from Kentucky. Junior outfielder Taryn Gray (.295, one homer, 24 RBIs) is the team’s leading hitter while the Tigers pitching ace Anna Thompson (12-10, 1.86 ERA, 219 strikeouts) has not pitched since April 23.