MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team will try to extend its three-game win streak this weekend at the at the Tiger Invitational hosted by LSU in Baton Rouge, La.

Other than the Jaguars, the tournament field includes LSU, McNeese State and Alcorn State. USA opens the tournament Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with back-to-back games against the Lady Braves and the Tigers. Sunday at 10 a.m. the Jaguars will take on the Cowgirls followed by their second matchup with LSU at 3 p.m.

All games will be held at Tiger Park on LSU’s campus. The tournament schedule, directions to Tiger Park, ticket information and live stats can be found by clicking this link.

"We have been playing better the last three games and are starting to gain some momentum,” said USA head coach Becky Clark. “This weekend we will face some great competition and we know that we will be tested, but we look forward to the challenge."

Since opening the season 1-3 at the Mardi Gras Invitational, South Alabama has improved to 4-3 on the season after winning three straight. The Jags most recently topped Nicholls 8-2 in Thibodaux, La., on Feb. 21.

The USA pitching staff is led by senior Katy Neal and sophomore Hannah Campbell. Neal has a 0.91 ERA and a perfect 2-0 record, while Campbell has tallied a team-high 30 strikeouts so far this year. Junior Jessica Dobson adds depth in the circle and recorded the only South Alabama save this season against Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 17.

Offensively, freshman Alyssa Linn holds the No. 1 spot on the squad with a .500 batting average. This season, Linn is 8-for-16 with six runs and three RBI. She has recorded at least one hit and one run in every game since she got her first collegiate start against Memphis on Feb. 12.

Senior Christin Crocker, juniors Meghan Collins, Britany Campbell and Brittany Fowler and freshman Blair Johnson are right behind Linn with seven hits apiece.   

The Jaguars have never lost a game to the Lady Braves. USA shut out Alcorn State twice in 2007 giving the Jags the 2-0 advantage in the all-time series.

Alcorn State is 4-5 so far this season after losing to Nicholls 6-1 on Feb. 22 in Thibodaux, La.

The Lady Braves’ Sylvia Archuleta leads the squad with a .400 batting average. She’s 6-for-15 with one run and four RBI.

Alcorn State holds a team ERA of 3.82. Melissa Rubio leads the team with a 2.84 ERA and an even 2-2 record.    

South Alabama has yet to best the host team, LSU, in the three-game all-time series. In 2010, the No. 16 Tigers topped the Jags 11-0 in Baton Rouge.

LSU has recorded a 5-4 record including five shutouts so far this year. On Feb. 21 the Tigers downed Southeastern Louisiana 7-0 at Tiger Park.

Allison Falcon, who has started eight of LSU’s nine games, holds a team-high .455 batting average with 10 hits on 22 at-bats, seven runs and six RBI. Juliana Santos is right behind Falcon tallying a .389 batting average. Santos is 7-for-18 which includes three doubles.

Rachele Fico (3-1) and Brittany Mack (2-3) share time in the circle for LSU. Fico has an ERA of 0.58 in 24 innings of action while Mack has totaled a 3.55 ERA in 25.2 innings of play.  

The Jags have also not been able to overcome McNeese State trailing the all-time series 0-1. In the teams’ only meeting in 2010, the Cowgirls topped USA 7-0 at McNeese State.

The Cowgirls are 9-4 after defeating Houston Baptist twice in Lake Charles, La. on Feb. 21. McNeese State blanked Houston Baptist 4-0 before beating them 3-2 in the double header. Earlier this season, the Cowgirls downed the No. 1 hosts at Arizona State’s Kajikawa Classic 3-1.

McNeese’s Lauren Langner paces the squad with a .296 batting average. She has eight hits in 27 at-bats with three runs so far this year. Claire Terracina is right behind Langner with a batting average of .286 and a team-high 12 hits.

Meagan Bond, the Cowgirls’ ace, is 7-2 on 48.2 innings of work. She holds a 2.59 ERA with 54 strikeouts.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).