HOUSTON — Coming off their third one-run victory of 2002, LSU makes its first weekend road trip of the season starting Friday at 7 p.m. when the Fighting Tigers (7-1) visit the Houston Cougars (4-3) of Conference USA in a three-game series.
Game two is at 7 p.m. Saturday, with the series finale set for 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games can be heard statewide on the LSU Sports Network (WDGL-98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) and on LSU’s official website, www.lsusports.net.
Sunday’s contest will also be televised live throughout Louisiana and the south on the Jumbo Sports Network (WGMB-Fox 44 in Baton Rouge).
This marks the third consecutive year the Tigers and Cougars have gotten together for a February tilt. LSU swept Houston last year at Alex Box Stadium by scores of 9-4, 4-1 and 14-6, while the Cougars swept the Tigers in Baton Rouge in 2000, 10-2, 11-7 and 10-2.
Houston leads the all-time series, 17-10, and has an 8-5 edge in games played in Houston. The Tigers have not visited the UH campus since 1994, when they won 8-5 and 7-2 in a two-game set.
The Tigers (No. 3 ESPN/Baseball Weekly and Collegiate Baseball, No. 5 Baseball America) come in riding a four-game winning streak, including a 7-6 victory on Wednesday against Centenary in Shreveport. David Raymer won the game for LSU with his two-run double with two out in the top of the ninth.
LSU will use the same pitching rotation it has for the first two weekend series against Birmingham-Southern and Mercer, going with junior right-hander Bo Pettit (1-0, 2.63 ERA) on Friday, sophomore left-hander Lane Mestepey (0-0, 5.06) on Saturday and junior right-hander Jake Tompkins (2-0, 4.05) on Sunday.
Friday’s start will be a special one for Pettit, as he is a Houston native and pitched for Sharpstown High.
The Cougars’ rotation will feature sophomore right-handers Brad Sullivan (1-0, 0.00) on Friday and Gene Flores (0-0, 1.12) on Saturday. Houston coach Rayner Noble had not named a starter for Sunday’s game at press time.
This will be the Tigers’ last road game for more than three weeks, as LSU begins an 11-game homestand starting next weekend when it hosts Long Beach State in a three-game series.