The Tigers will travel to Lafayette, Louisiana, for the 32nd Annual Louisiana Classic softball tournament. The Tigers are 4-4 after going 3-1 opening weekend and 1-3 last weekend.
The Tigers have many new players, and Natalie Poole, head coach, described her team as experiencing “growing pains.”
“We have been moving some people around trying to figure what our best defense is going to look like,” Poole said.
Areas of improvement
Following last weekend’s second loss to Stephen F. Austin State University, Poole said her team has the potential to win games like this, but they “give games” to their opponents.
“We need to execute plays we are capable of making,” Poole said.
In Memphis’ first two of three losses last weekend against Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin, they had one RBI in each game.
In their final loss to Stephen F. Austin, Memphis had six hits but was only able to get three runs. Stephen F. Austin was able to get six hits and execute five runs. Memphis had seven errors in their losses this weekend.
A look at the opponents
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The Tigers will face the Retrievers on Friday. UMBC is 1-4 this season and has not won at a neutral site. The Retrievers are coming off a win against American Athletic Conference opponent East Carolina. UMBC was able to produce six hits off eight runs.
The Retrievers have a 6.77 ERA, and opponents are averaging 7.8 runs per game off 8.6 hits against UMBC.
University of North Florida
The Ospreys are 6-6 this season. They average about five runs per game. They have four players with a batting average above .310 and have a .954 fielding percentage.
Southeastern Louisiana University
The Lions are 7-2 this season. They have a .284 batting average as a team but have two players who have played in all nine games and have a batting average of at least .400. They have two players that have more than 10 hits this season and have another two players that have stolen at least six bases.
In the Lions’ loss to Omaha, they had four errors. They are 7-1 when they have two errors or less.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The Ragin’ Cajuns are 7-2 this season. In a three- game series against No. 2 University of Florida, the Ragin Cajuns’ saw two games where they were unable to get a run against the Gators, but in the last game, the Ragin’ Cajuns topped the Gators 4-3 in 11 innings.
The Ragin’ Cajuns have a batting average at .303 and have two players with a batting average over .400. Each of those players also has 10 hits this season.
Players to watch
Memphis shortstop Kyler Trosclair Klatt
Trosclair Klatt has 10 hits this season, the most of any player on the team. She also has five RBIs for the season, the third-highest on the team behind Brooke Lee and Regan Hadley.
Last weekend, Trosclair Klatt had six hits, one RBI and one stolen base in the Tiger’s four games.
“She’s a silent leader,” Poole said. “She is one of the hardest workers on the field every day. She believes in her role to be aggressive, to be a lead off, to set the tone for us offensively.”
Poole said Trosclair Klatt is “analytical” about the game, and if she starts out with a weaker at bat, “she’s determined to find adjustments.”
Memphis pitcher Mariah Nichols
Freshman Mariah Nichols pitched in three games last weekend and had no errors in two of the games. She had nine strikeouts last weekend and only allowed one walk last weekend.
“When I recruited Mariah, I anticipated for her to be impactful right away,” Poole said. “She is stoic on the mound … I am pleased with the potential I see in her.”
Kyler Trosclair throws the ball. She earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the first time in her career after her performance in the Blues City Classic.
Brook Lee runs the bases against Arkansas last season. She has eight hits and eight RBIs this season.
