BATON ROUGE — For the second-consecutive weekend, the third-ranked LSU baseball team takes on a highly-ranked non-conference opponent when Houston comes to town for the three-game series beginning tonight at 7 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium.
The Tigers (6-2), losers of back-to-back games to Arizona State and McNeese State, will go with Brian Tallet as its Friday night starter while Houston counters with right hander Kyle Crowell.
Tallet, who will be making his third start this season, is 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings of work. He has allowed four runs on 15 hits, striking out 14 and only walking three.
Crowell also holds a 2-0 record with a 1.77 ERA in three starts this season. Like Tallet, he has one complete game and has pitched 20 1/3 innings this season. He, too, has allowed four runs on 17 hits, while striking out 12 and giving four free passes.
The two teams haven’t met since 1995, when Houston defeated the Tigers, 4-3, in the Winn-Dixie Showdown before losing two in Baton Rouge just weeks later, 14-3 and 13-6. Houston holds a 14-7 lead in the series that dates back to 1975, however, LSU has won five-of-six since 1990.
The Cougars (8-3) are coming off a 14-12 win over No. 21 Rice Tuesday night in Houston. Rice scored six runs in the top of the ninth off of Houston relievers Nathan Mitchell and Matt Hooper to make the game close.
Offensively, Houston is led by Jarrod Bitter who bats .476 with 20 hits in 42 at bats.
Houston has only made six fielding errors in 11 games this season.
Saturday’s contest, originally set for 2 p.m., has been moved up one hour to accommodate fans who wish to attend the LSU men’s basketball game at 4 p.m.
The Tigers will start Ben Saxon (1-0, 2.70 ERA, 10 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 5 K, 3 BB) while Houston will start Shane Nance (2-1, 1.61 ERA, 22 1/3 IP, 16 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 24 K, 5 BB).
On Sunday, Billy Brian (1-1, 4.15 ERA, 13 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 13 K, 1 BB) will take the mound against Houston’s Duncan McAdoo (1-0, 10.57 ERA, 7 2/3 IP, 16 H, 9 ER, 4 K, 1 BB) at 1 p.m.