How to watch LSU at Texas in NCAA college softball series

Two Top 10 ranked SEC teams seeking to bounce back from rough series last weekend collide starting Thursday afternoon. LSU, ranked No. 9 in the latest ESPN/USA Softball poll, takes on No.

3 Texas, which tumbled from the top spot after last weekend, in a three-game Southeastern Conference set in Austin. The Tigers (35-8, 8-7), who are currently eighth in the conference, were swept last weekend at Texas A&M, the new No. 1 team in the nation.

As for Texas, the Longhorns (39-5, 11-4) dropped to second place a half-game back of Texas A&M after losing a home series to Tennessee. About the Tigers LSU enters the series with Texas having lost four of its last five ballgames. But the Tigers still bring to Austin one of the league’s most potent offenses, having a .

353 team average (second-best in the SEC) and a .460 on-base percentage, which tops the conference. Infielder Tori Edwards, a redshirt freshman, leads the Tigers with a .

435 average along with an .895 slugging percentage. She also has 15 home runs and 61 RBIs, and is making a case to be the top freshman in the country .

Another infielder, senior Danieca Coffey, is hitting .432 and leads the team with 44 runs scored. Junior catcher Maci Bergeron is also hitting over .

400, at .403, along with nine homers and 43 RBIs. In the circle, LSU’s staff has a 2.

43 earned run average along with 12 shutouts and 261 strikeouts. Junior right-hander Sydney Berzon is the ace of the staff with a 15-3 record and a 2.25 ERA, striking out 85 in 102 2/3 innings.

Jayden Heavener, a freshman left-hander, has already won 11 games and has 123 strikeouts, good for fifth in the SEC. Beth Torina, LSU’s coach since 2012, recently won her 700th career game . About the Longhorns The two losses at home against Tennessee snapped a seven-game win streak for Texas.

The Longhorns are now 17-2 at home entering Thursday’s series opener as they also seek to rebound from a rough weekend. Texas still leads the conference in hitting with a .370 team average along with 420 hits.

The Longhorns are also second in the conference in pitching with a 2.01 ERA, with opponents hitting - ironically enough - .201.

Five players are hitting over .400, led by junior outfielder Ashton Maloney’s .460 average.

She also tops the team in hits (63) and runs scored (48). Catcher Reese Atwood, a junior, is batting .419 with a team-leading 14 home runs and an .

895 slugging percentage, also a team high. Teagan Kavan leads the pitching staff as she is 18-3 on the season along with a 1.54 ERA.

The sophomore righty has struck out 167 in 122 1/3 innings. About the Series Texas leads the all-time series 8-6, and the Longhorns are also 6-1 all-time in Austin. LSU defeated Texas, 7-4, in a non-conference game last season.

Here’s everything you need to know about watching the LSU-Texas softball series this weekend. LSU at Texas start times •. Thursday, April 17: 4:30 p.

m. CT/5:30 p.m.

ET •. Friday, April 18: 4:30 p.m.

CT/5:30 p.m. ET •.

Saturday, April 19: 11 a.m. CT/Noon ET The LSU-Texas series will take place at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas.

How to watch LSU at Texas softball •. Thursday, April 17: SEC Network+ •. Friday, April 18: SEC Network+ •.

Saturday, April 19: ESPN2.