Auburn hoping to steal series at LSU
AUBURN | Less than halfway through her senior season, Victoria Draper is already closing on a school record.
Auburn’s leadoff hitter leads the nation with 28 stolen bases, just four short of the single-season mark set by Shannon Anderson in 2004. That record could be in jeopardy this weekend as the 10th-ranked Tigers visit 8th-ranked LSU.
“There’s no secret. You can put it on video, you can send it out across the country — if she gets on base, she’s going at some point,” said Auburn first-year head coach Mickey Dean.
Draper, the reigning SEC Co-Player of the Week, also leads Auburn with a .550 average, 30 runs scored and a .671 on base percentage. Draper has been caught stealing just twice and has struck out only three times in 60 at-bats.
“I think part of that is I’m just giving the season to something bigger than me and not myself. I think that’s coming through,” said Draper, one of Auburn’s two seniors. “I have my teammates with me too. It’s a team sport so a lot of my stuff happens because of them.”
Not surprisingly, Draper is also a key team leader and instrumental in the Tigers 23-2 start.
“She’s definitely someone you look up to being a freshman and her being her for five years already,” said Taylon Snow, who is second on the team with a .431 average. “It’s really cool being on the same team with her and seeing how incredible she really is.
“She just brings a lot of energy and a lot of positivity.”
LSU, 19-2 on the season, is led by the pitching duo of Carley Hoover and Allie Walljasper. Hoover is 7-1 with a 0.65 ERA and 65 strikeouts while Walljasper is 8-1 with a 0.92 ERA and 51 strikeouts.
First baseman Amanda Doyle leads the LSU at the plate with a .448 average, eight doubles, three home runs and 25 RBI.
“Anytime you get into conference play the intensity seems to go up a little bit, which is fun. That’s why you do this,” Dean said.
Game times this weekend are 6 p.m. CT Friday on SECN+ and WatchESPN, 7:30 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network and 4 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2.