By Sam Walters
After another stellar season, Clemson Softball (34-17) has made its fifth straight postseason appearance since the program’s origination. For the Regional Round of the NCAA Softball Championship, the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to face the Southeastern Lousiana Lions (45-13) in the first round.
The Tigers advanced to the ACC Tournament Semifinals to wrap up their regular season, barely falling to the Duke Blue Devils 3-4 in the tenth inning. While not the ideal ending to their conference tournament run, Clemson has talent and numbers to back them up heading to the regional. Additionally, their season-long play placed them into the Tuscaloosa Regionals as the No. 2 seed, a high achievement and a credit to their strength.
With a .297 batting average and a .389 on-base percentage, the Tigers have been consistent and dominant at all positions in getting onto base. Not only that, they finish off their opportunities well; Clemson has outscored their opponents 307-151, more than doubling their opponents' number of scores. Talent is abundant, with players like pitcher Valerie Cagle leading the team with 42 RBIs on the season, adding a significant amount to their team total of 279.
Clemson looks onto the Tuscaloosa Regional with optimism for success, as they have made the Super Regional Round in 2022 and 2023. However, they must fight likewise-powerful teams, starting with Southeastern Louisiana.
The Lions have an astounding .347 batting average and an ERA of 1.82 through 373.1 innings, which are stats that are hard to beat. With an impressive record and an all-around powerhouse, SLU will not go down without a fight, creating the anticipation for an exciting game.
The ROAR will broadcast Softball in progress after Baseball's 1 p.m. game.
