LAFAYETTE -- The tears seeped from beneath Britni Sneed's signature wrap-around sunglasses. As they slowly trickled down her left cheek, she tried to regroup and remain composed.
Sneed's dealt with plenty during her distinguished All-America career while at LSU. But finality, the end of her storied career, was difficult after the top-seeded Tigers were eliminated 4-1 by second-seeded Arizona State in Sunday's NCAA Region III softball championships at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
"I never imagined this would happen," Sneed said. "I wanted to go out a winner and win a national championship. I believed that would happen all year long. Unfortunately, it wasn't in God's plan."
For Sneed, one of five LSU seniors, it was an abrupt end to a season with high expectations.
The loss to Arizona State, the second in as many days, meant that Sneed, second baseman April Janzen, center fielder Trena Peel, left fielder Aleshia Perry and right fielder Erin Johnson would no longer put on an LSU uniform again.
"These five years have been the happiest times of my life," said Janzen, a product of Central High who redshirted at LSU in 2000. "I've loved every moment of it. It's been a matter of stepping to the plate and meeting a challenge. I've learned a lot through struggles and adversity. It's made me a better person and I will always come back to LSU to support them."
LSU's senior class, the winningest in the six-year history of the school, left a indelible impression on their coach. Yvette Girouard took over the Tigers' program two years ago after Glenn Moore left to take a similar position at Baylor.
"I'm privileged to have coached these seniors the last two years," Girouard said. "I'm sorry that their careers have to end like this. As I told the team, they've left LSU a better place and LSU softball a much better program.
"I told them thank you for what they've given LSU and for what they've given the program," Girouard said. "They've had phenomenal careers and some of them will be very hard to replace. We thanked them for what they've given to the program and to the university."
The Class of 2002 finished with a 230-45 record, four Southeastern Conference overall and Western Division championships, three postseason league titles and four NCAA Regional championship game berths. A year ago, they helped the program reach its first Women's College World Series, finishing in a tie for third with Stanford.
The departure of Sneed, with a career 120-25 record and the NCAA's fourth best strikeout total of 1,370 is a significant one when you consider the rise of LSU's program in four years. She's almost a certain first-team selection on the All-America team for the second straight year after being a second-team choice as a sophomore.
"Do I have to?" Girouard said in response to a question of having to tell Sneed goodbye. "There's no question she's a phenomenal talent. It's going to be a huge loss to the LSU softball program. We'll have to find different ways to win.
"I'm sorry that it had to end like this for her," Girouard said. "I had every intention of going out and getting her (against Arizona State) so she could come out. I've coached four first-team All-American pitchers and she's the best I've ever coached. She's going to wear red, white and blue (U.S. Olympic team). So her career's not over with yet."
Girouard tried to help her seniors alleviate the hurt and disappointment of Sunday's conclusion.
"It's a statement about how they'll lead the rest of their lives," she said. "That they're going to be people of character and be able to bounce back from a lot of situations. I told them if this is the worst thing that ever happens to you in your life, then you've led a good one.
"We've lost a ton in this class," she said. "I'm sure a lot of people are smiling right now that want to schedule us. But that's all right. We'll be back and we'll be good again."
