LSU Softball Coach Beth Torina Needs To Advance Deeper Into Postseason In 2026

By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter

The LSU softball team ended its 2025 season in the most disappointing way possible. After being named as the No. 10 national seed and one of 16 hosts, the Tigers dropped their opening NCAA postseason game to fourth-seeded Southeastern Louisiana. And the in-state Lions later eliminated LSU to finish what was another underwhelming season after so much early potential.

LSU coach Beth Torina said the Tigers will be trying to prevent such an ending from ever happening again as the 2026 season opens on Thursday against No. 16 North Carolina State at Tiger Park (6 p.m., SEC Network+).

“I think we’re constantly trying to bulletproof ourselves to avoid situations like what happened last year and to avoid any of those things,” Torina said in a recent interview with Tiger Rag.

“And make sure we have a team that’s built for every scenario,” she said. “So, I think just trying to find where the chinks in the armor were in the past and seal those up, and you try to have an answer for everything.”

On the bright side, LSU returns seven of its nine starters from last season. The Tigers lost senior third baseman Danieca Coffey and senior outfielder McKenzie Redoutey, who both graduated. LSU also lost junior starting pitcher Sydney Berzon to Oklahoma via the transfer portal.

Torina brought in several experienced transfers to help contribute toward a better ending in 2026. She added junior third baseman Ally Hutchins (Kentucky) and junior shortstop Kylee Edwards (Mississippi State), who each bring two years of SEC starting experience. LSU brought in red-shirt sophomore utility player Char Lorenz (Louisville) and junior and senior right-handed pitchers Cece Cellura (San Diego State) and Paytn Monticelli (Oklahoma).

“I think, although there are some new faces to LSU, it’s a pretty experienced lineup from top to bottom,” Torina said. “I also think it’s a lineup that lends itself to being really successful in Tiger Park by the way they’re built with the skills that they possess. They run well and have right-handed power, so it’s a little different look than we’ve had in the past.”

LSU brings back key returners to this year’s team in senior outfielder Jalia Lassiter, senior shortstop Avery Hodge, senior catcher Maci Bergeron, junior infielder Sierra Daniel, sophomore first baseman Tori Edwards and sophomore left-handed pitcher Jayden Heavener.

Tori Edwards at first and Bergeron at catcher are the only locked starters, leaving Kylee Edwards, Ally Hutchins, Sierra Daniels and Avery Hodge competing for playing time.

As for the outfield, Torina said Lorenz will move to either left or right field. Junior Jadyn Laneaux was injured in the fall and may not be able to return this season, which leaves one spot up for grabs.

Sophomores Alix Franklin and Destiny Harris as well as junior Maddox McKee and freshman Rylie Johnson will all see time.

In efforts to optimize her team’s performance at all times, Torina will not coach third base this season. Instead, assistant coach Sandra Moton will take over.

“I’m going to stay in the dugout, so she’s going to be making all those decisions over there,” Torina said. “She does our base running and just has a great pulse on that. I’m going to try to stay in and try to manage the offense from the dugout and manage the pitching a little bit better. Just kind of see the game a little more globally.”

LSU has not made the College World Series since 2017. But Torina feels that her team has all the tools to get back to Oklahoma City, where she took the Tigers four times from her first season in 2012 through ’17. But to do so, she believes the Tigers have to be more consistent when closing out the season.

“A more consistent team late in the season is something we’ve talked a ton about,” she said. “We’ve talked about just trying to position ourselves, maybe one or two spots higher in the SEC and get that favorable draw. Because there is a lot of luck at the end of the season, too, with who you draw and how you draw them and where it’s played. I think just one or two more games in the season going differently is big to put us in the best spot we can be at in the end.”