BATON ROUGE - The torch has finally been passed down. After an incredible run with All-Americans Allie Walljasper and Carley Hoover, LSU softball has a new ace inside the circle for 2019.

Junior Maribeth Gorsuch served as the third pitcher in the Tigers rotation last season appearing in 17 game while compiling a 9-3 overall record. This year, she's hoping the time spent sitting behind LSU's fire and ice combination will give her that Hoover like edge. 

"I feel like every pitch she competed," Gorsuch said at Tuesday's media day. "When she got two strikes, she became a different animal and she became that much more fierce. So, I've definitely learned a lot about to compete from her."

On Tuesday, LSU held their annual media day session before the kick start of the season. And, the one word her teammates used to describe her demeanor in the circle was "fierce."

In 80 innings pitched last season Gorsuch racked up 57 strike outs while throwing six complete games.

“I think Maribeth Gorsuch is going to do a really good job leading this team,” said head coach Beth Torina. “I think she’s prepared. I think she’s put in her time and waited. She had a really strong season last year, had some big SEC wins, some big performances against top teams. I think she’s ready.”

This offseason Gorsuch said she hasn't necessarily added any extra pitches, more so it's been focused on fine tuning her mechanics, stressing the importance of pitch location and changing speeds.

"You have to pitch to your spots, you have to spin the ball, especially when you're competing against hitters in the SEC," Gorsuch said.

The Tigers kick off the 2019 season on February 7 with the Tigers Classic. LSU will play host to Tulsa, Iowa and Bucknell in its first week of competition. LSU will host three nonconference tournaments, four SEC weekend series and six midweek contests against state and regional opponents.