Pitcher Beth Provost, a two-time winner of the statewide Miss Softball award for high school players, said Friday she's committed to playing at LSU beginning with the 2003-2004 school year.
Provost, who will be a senior in the fall, led Teurlings Catholic High School in Lafayette to Class 3A state championships as a freshman and sophomore and was voted Miss Softball as a sophomore and junior.
Last season, Provost had a 26-2 record, an earned run average of 0.22 and 276 strikeouts in 159 innings. She allowed 30 walks and 31 hits.
The Lady Rebels lost 5-4 to Parkview Baptist in the state championship game after leading 4-0 through five innings. Provost took a perfect game into the sixth, but Parkview scored five runs with two outs.
Provost said numerous schools offered her scholarships, but she said she's always wanted to play for LSU.
"I think it's an awesome school," Provost said. "It's a good school academically and for sports."
NCAA rules prohibit LSU coach Yvette Girouard from commenting on a player's oral commitment. College coaches can't comment about recruits until they've received signed scholarship papers.
Provost would join former Teurlings teammate Lauren Delahoussaye at LSU.
Teurlings coach Kim Hebert had high praise for Provost in June when a Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel selected her as the Farm Bureau/Miss Softball award-winner for a second consecutive year.
"I think she got better this year," Hebert said. "She was so much stronger this year, and that made her even more overpowering. Her change-up really came around this year. The combination of that and her hitting her spots made her so tough."
Hebert said Provost doesn't get caught up in her individual feats. She said she's a team-oriented player, perhaps even a bit of a perfectionist.
"You'd never hear her talk to anyone about her accomplishments," Hebert said. "She was extremely disappointed, like we all were, when we didn't win state. She's very hard on herself. She never feels like she has a great game, no matter what she does."
