LSU softball has had an odd year with the transfer portal, but head coach Beth Torina has once again put up solid replacements in the high school recruiting class that will take the field in 2027.
There are three notable names that will be filling big shoes amid a huge portal class and a few graduates from the program.
Karmen Vazquez
Karmen Vazquez is the No. 4 catcher in her signing class and No. 3 overall in the state of California.
Vazquez will be critical to filling the shoes of graduated senior Maci Bergeron. Bergeron was mostly a four-year starter for the Tigers, meaning that Vazquez would have to bring her best game both offensively and defensively to match the numbers Bergeron put up during her career.
Offensively, Bergeron brought in power numbers batting .281 and hit 152 home runs during her time as a Tiger. Her freshman year alone she hit 18 home runs, while playing about 20 less games than the latter part of her career.
Defensively, Bergeron threw out 26 runners in her career on 57 stolen base attempts. In her freshman year, she had six caught stealing in 17 attempts.
While Vazquez will be stepping onto a larger playing field, it will be critical for her to match the numbers Bergeron put up her freshman season.
Ayla Tuua
Ayla Tuua is a RHP from Rancho Murieta, California. She is a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year and would make a great replacement for graduate Patyn Monticelli.
Monticelli’s game was overpowering the opposing team as a closer, and Tuua will match this energy while possibly filling another open role on the field. Tuua’s arsenal is very similar, meaning that she will most likely fill that roster spot with ease during her freshman year.
She will also bring value from the other side of the ball, as she makes a strong campaign for playing first base defensively after redshirt sophomore Tori Edwards entered the portal earlier in this summer.
As a two-way player, Tuua will be able to solve two of the biggest issues the Tigers have faced this offseason, with one of the key pitchers graduating and power hitters transferring.
Addie Rackley
Addie Rackley is another RHP, and she is from Buford, Georgia. Rackley’s skill set is versatile with a mix of several movement pitches. Although she’s right handed, she would make a great fit for the Jayden Heavener-sized hole in the Tigers’ pitching staff.
While she might not take over as the ace of staff that Heavener was, she may fill some of the demand LSU sees with the southpaw entering the portal. Heavener brought in a mix of spin and speed as she touched 70 mph with a nasty lefty curve-rise combo.
From the right side, Rackley brings in a curve-rise combo that she uses to miss the opponents’ bats, which will make her a nice compliment to Cece Cellura and her heavy drop ball style.
While these three young Tigers have yet to compete at Tiger park, they have big promises coming into the game with them, and that makes the 2027 roster already look better than in years prior.
