The day shortstop Taylor Pleasants arrived on LSU’s campus, it was apparent she was special. Since then, she has started 159 consecutive games never once casting any doubt on the truth of the assertion.
Pleasants, a junior from Fredericksburg, Texas, is having her best season yet in leading No. 14 LSU to a 20-1 record going into this weekend’s first SEC series at South Carolina. She is second in the nation and leads the SEC with 32 RBIs. She’s batting .358 and fielding brilliantly beyond her .930 percentage in a sport where reflexes are far more important than arm strength.
LSU coach Beth Torina knows — and reminds people often — that Pleasants is so much more than her numbers. Her leadership, attitude, work ethic and a smile that would have lit up the Dark Ages combine to make her the physical, mental and emotional center of a team that looks to be bouncing back nicely from a subpar season a year ago.
Her 159 consecutive starts isn’t going to threaten Baltimore Oriole legend Cal Ripken but Torina would like to give her the chance.
“I wish I could play every game with her at shortstop for the rest of my career,” Torina said.
“She has it all. She’s the leader. A great person, teammate, talented, she’s really got the whole thing. You can’t think of a better representative of your program than Taylor Pleasants.”
Pleasants’ multiple skills allows her to help LSU win games in the batter’s box, the infield and the dugout. She hit a three-run walk off home to beat Utah 6-4 earlier this season. Against Central Arkansas, her diving catch in short centerfield to end the game preserved a 3-1 victory with two runners on base.
And there are plays that are easily overlooked because she makes them look effortless. Against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, she ranged up the middle for a grounder that looked like it was through, snatched it up and flipped to first base almost in one motion to rob a batter of a hit.
“The RBIs have to do with the people who get on before me,” Pleasants said. “I can’t have as many RBIs if Ciara (Briggs) and Danieca (Coffey) don’t get on before me. I have to give that to them. I’m just continuing to see the ball, and have quality at-bats. If there’s a runner on second and third with nobody out, I can roll over a ball and get some RBIs.”
Pleasants said she has been motivated by a frustrating 2022 season in which she batted .295 and the team failed to advance to the super regionals for the first time since 2014. She didn’t do a lot of tinkering with her mechanics, but coming back after an offseason playing with the USA Softball national team affected her more than anything.
She learned from older teammates like Sis Bates and Hannah Flippin how to become a better leader. She made herself stronger and worked on keeping her hitting philosophy simple, but it’s what she does with her teammates that she first mentions as making a difference this season.
“I did a lot more with others, staying after practice and making it fun,” she said. “I did most of the same things as last year but doing it with someone else makes it fun. Like the spin ball machine is really hard to hit. I would bring someone with me to lighten me up and continue to compete with it.
“Physically, I did get stronger. The main thing was playing with USA this summer. It helped me see a different side of it. I’ve always been with the young people in college. You don’t think about what the pros think, seeing that side and taking that in.”
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