University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Friday, February 21
Baton Rouge, La. / Tiger Park
1 p.m.
Southern Miss
vs
Nicholls
Softball Set to Compete in LSU Invitational
2/20/2025 12:34:00 PM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball (3-7, 0-0 Sun Belt) heads to Baton Rouge, La. this weekend for the LSU Invitational, starting Friday with a 1 p.m. match versus Nicholls, followed by a 6 p.m. contest at the No. 5 LSU Tigers.
LSU Invitational Schedule
Friday, Feb. 21
Southern Miss vs. Nicholls @ 1 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
Southern Miss at No. 5 LSU @ 6 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
SEC Network+: es.pn/4k78XVy
Saturday, Feb. 22
Southern Miss vs. Penn State @ 11 a.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
Southern Miss at No. 5 LSU @ 4 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
SEC Network+: es.pn/4gUvTEy
Sunday, Feb. 23
Southern Miss vs. Penn State @ 11 a.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
After a weekend trip to Ruston, La., where the Golden Eagles faced a nationally-ranked Arkansas team, and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Southern Miss returned home to secure a 5-4 victory over Jackson State Wednesday evening
Head coach Natalie Poole reached a milestone 600th career win in the victory, as the Golden Eagles powered ahead 5-0 through the first four innings and survived a late comeback by the Lady Tigers.
Poole on reaching 600 career wins:
"Reaching 600 [wins] means so much," Poole said. "It means I have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to continue to coach this great sport. It means I have been blessed to work alongside some amazing coaches and student-athletes. It means perseverance, determination, drive, resiliency, and passion. I am so thankful to God and feel blessed."
Southern Miss was led by a combined effort in the circle from freshman Kayla Giardina and junior Natalie Herrington. Giardina sealed the victory against Jackson State, recording a career-high seven strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief. Herrington, a Petal, Miss., native, earned her first career win in front of a home crowd of 561, allowing four hits and one earned run while recording a career-high four strikeouts.
In her first career start, junior Madison Moak, a former Co-Lin standout, produced two hits, including a pivotal 3 RBI triple in the first inning. Moak followed with a single on a bunt and also stole second in the bottom of the fourth.
Southern Miss Notes
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Scouting the Competition
Nicholls
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Series History
Nicholls leads the all-time series 44-18, with the Golden Eagles taking the last meeting 5-3 in Hattiesburg on April 3, 2024, last season.
No. 5 Louisiana State
LSU is led by head coach Beth Torina, who is in her 14th season at the helm of the program. Torina, the program's all-time wins leader, has led the Tigers to four trips to the Women's College World Series. The Tigers have made 18 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
LSU has started with a 10-0 record for the third straight season and is ranked in the top five of the USA Softball poll for the first time since March 19, 2024.Â
Danieca Coffey leads the Tigers with 15 hits and 11 runs, maintaining a .536 average and 1.203 OPS through ten games. LSU has hit six home runs, with Tori Edwards and Maci Bergeron recording three apiece.
Jayden Heavener has earned the SEC Freshman of the Week award for two consecutive weeks. Heavener ranks eighth in the SEC with 30 strikeouts, including a season-high of 12 against Northwestern. Pitcher Sydney Berzon leads the Tigers with 24 innings pitched in four complete games, maintaining a 1.17 ERA allowing 18 hits and just four earned runs with 25 strikeouts.
Series History
LSU leads the all-time series 25-5, winning the last six meetings. The Golden Eagles last won against LSU on March 16, 2011, at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. The last time Southern Miss won against LSU on the road was May 21, 2000, in a 1-0 shutout.
Penn State
Penn State is led by fifth-year head coach Clarisa Crowell, who led the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 last season.
Penn State enters the weekend 3-7 after participating in the NFCA Leadoff Classic and The Fonseca Memorial Tournament at USF.
Brooke Klosowicz leads Penn State with 12 hits, seven runs and nine RBI, maintaining a .429 batting average.
The Nittany Lions' bullpen has maintained a 3.50 ERA, led by Mady Volpe's 1.84 ERA through 26.2 innings pitched in eight appearances. Abigail Britton, who has also thrown 26 innings, leads the team with 15 strikeouts.
Series History
Southern Miss will meet Penn State for the first time since the 2008 season. The Nittany Lions have won all three meetings against the Golden Eagles.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
LSU Invitational Schedule
Friday, Feb. 21
Southern Miss vs. Nicholls @ 1 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
Southern Miss at No. 5 LSU @ 6 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
SEC Network+: es.pn/4k78XVy
Saturday, Feb. 22
Southern Miss vs. Penn State @ 11 a.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
Southern Miss at No. 5 LSU @ 4 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
SEC Network+: es.pn/4gUvTEy
Sunday, Feb. 23
Southern Miss vs. Penn State @ 11 a.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/Stats
After a weekend trip to Ruston, La., where the Golden Eagles faced a nationally-ranked Arkansas team, and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Southern Miss returned home to secure a 5-4 victory over Jackson State Wednesday evening
Head coach Natalie Poole reached a milestone 600th career win in the victory, as the Golden Eagles powered ahead 5-0 through the first four innings and survived a late comeback by the Lady Tigers.
Poole on reaching 600 career wins:
"Reaching 600 [wins] means so much," Poole said. "It means I have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to continue to coach this great sport. It means I have been blessed to work alongside some amazing coaches and student-athletes. It means perseverance, determination, drive, resiliency, and passion. I am so thankful to God and feel blessed."
Southern Miss was led by a combined effort in the circle from freshman Kayla Giardina and junior Natalie Herrington. Giardina sealed the victory against Jackson State, recording a career-high seven strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief. Herrington, a Petal, Miss., native, earned her first career win in front of a home crowd of 561, allowing four hits and one earned run while recording a career-high four strikeouts.
In her first career start, junior Madison Moak, a former Co-Lin standout, produced two hits, including a pivotal 3 RBI triple in the first inning. Moak followed with a single on a bunt and also stole second in the bottom of the fourth.
Southern Miss Notes
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- Along with Moak's first-inning triple, freshman Carrie Green also recorded her first career triple against Jackson State, marking the first time the Golden Eagles have hit two triples in a game since doing so last season against Belmont on Feb. 24, 2024.Â
- Freshman outfielder Hannah Christian leads the Golden Eagles with eight hits through her first ten games. Christian also leads the team with four stolen bases, stealing two last week in the team's match at Louisiana Tech.
- Giardina leads Southern Miss' pitchers with 18 strikeouts, 12 of which came in her appearances that helped secure the Golden Eagles' two home victories against Ole Miss and Jackson State.Â
Scouting the Competition
Nicholls
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- Nicholls is led by first-year head coach Ron Frost. After serving as an assistant coach with the Colonels for three years, he was promoted to head coach following the 2024 season.
- Nicholls enters the weekend 5-6, off of a doubleheader sweep against Alcorn State at home. The Colonels produced 24 hits for a combined 27 runs in those two wins.
- Riley Rutherford, a Preseason All-Southland First Team selection, leads Nicholls with 13 hits this season, while Ally Mooneyham and Claire Sisco have each recorded 12 hits.Â
- Averi Paden leads the Colonels with a 3.75 ERA through 18.2 innings pitched, giving up 30 hits and 10 earned runs with 13 strikeouts.Â
Series History
Nicholls leads the all-time series 44-18, with the Golden Eagles taking the last meeting 5-3 in Hattiesburg on April 3, 2024, last season.
No. 5 Louisiana State
LSU is led by head coach Beth Torina, who is in her 14th season at the helm of the program. Torina, the program's all-time wins leader, has led the Tigers to four trips to the Women's College World Series. The Tigers have made 18 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
LSU has started with a 10-0 record for the third straight season and is ranked in the top five of the USA Softball poll for the first time since March 19, 2024.Â
Danieca Coffey leads the Tigers with 15 hits and 11 runs, maintaining a .536 average and 1.203 OPS through ten games. LSU has hit six home runs, with Tori Edwards and Maci Bergeron recording three apiece.
Jayden Heavener has earned the SEC Freshman of the Week award for two consecutive weeks. Heavener ranks eighth in the SEC with 30 strikeouts, including a season-high of 12 against Northwestern. Pitcher Sydney Berzon leads the Tigers with 24 innings pitched in four complete games, maintaining a 1.17 ERA allowing 18 hits and just four earned runs with 25 strikeouts.
Series History
LSU leads the all-time series 25-5, winning the last six meetings. The Golden Eagles last won against LSU on March 16, 2011, at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. The last time Southern Miss won against LSU on the road was May 21, 2000, in a 1-0 shutout.
Penn State
Penn State is led by fifth-year head coach Clarisa Crowell, who led the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 last season.
Penn State enters the weekend 3-7 after participating in the NFCA Leadoff Classic and The Fonseca Memorial Tournament at USF.
Brooke Klosowicz leads Penn State with 12 hits, seven runs and nine RBI, maintaining a .429 batting average.
The Nittany Lions' bullpen has maintained a 3.50 ERA, led by Mady Volpe's 1.84 ERA through 26.2 innings pitched in eight appearances. Abigail Britton, who has also thrown 26 innings, leads the team with 15 strikeouts.
Series History
Southern Miss will meet Penn State for the first time since the 2008 season. The Nittany Lions have won all three meetings against the Golden Eagles.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
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/ Softball
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