MONROE, La. — LSU coach Smoke Laval returns to the school he led to three NCAA regional berths when the Fighting Tigers (26-15) visit Louisiana-Monroe (21-20) Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Indian Field.
The game will be broadcast on the full LSU Sports Network (WDGL-98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) and on the Internet at www.lsusports.net.
The contest will be the fourth meeting between the clubs in 2002. The Tigers swept a three-game set from the Indians in March at Alex Box Stadium by scores of 4-3, 7-1 and 8-7, and have won eight of the last nine meetings in the series to increase the all-time series edge to 31-8.
LSU will send freshman right-hander Clay Harris (2-0, 5.17) to the mound. Harris turned in the best performance of his brief career last Tuesday against Southern, giving up just two singles in five innings of work to earn his first victory in two months. Several other Tigers are also expected to see time on the mound in what will be the next-to-last non-conference game for LSU this season.
At the plate, the Tigers’ hottest hitter is junior third baseman and team captain Wally Pontiff. Pontiff is currently on a 10-game hitting streak that has raised his season batting average to a team leading .388, and he also leads LSU in home runs (5), doubles (15) and on-base percentage (.497). Other Tiger hitters to watch include sophomore shortstop Aaron Hill (.382-5-29) and senior right fielder Sean Barker (.360-3-37).
The Tigers will be facing a right-handed starting pitcher for the first time in 10 days, as ULM will start junior Josh Martinez (1-1, 4.71). Martinez, who did not pitch in the Indians’ series this past weekend at Sam Houston State, has appeared in 14 games this year, but Tuesday’s game will mark just his second start.
Leading the Indians at the plate are junior outfielder Jerad Doty (.354-2-9), senior outfielder Jaime Estrada (.323-7-27) and senior third baseman Ted White (.303-5-20), a four-year starter who originally played catcher for Laval’s clubs in 1999 and 2000. Since losing the series in Baton Rouge that dropped the Indians to 5-11 on the year, ULM has gone 16-9 and has played its way into the Southland Conference title race.
LSU won last year’s meeting at Monroe, 16-4, although the Indians won the first meeting of 2001 at Alex Box Stadium, 7-6 in 11 innings. The Tigers have won three meetings between the clubs in NCAA regional play, including a 1999 victory that featured current major league pitchers Ben Sheets of ULM (Milwaukee Brewers) and Kurt Ainsworth of LSU (San Francisco Giants). Sheets and Ainsworth would later become teammates on the 2000 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Sydney.
The Tigers return home this weekend for a three-game series against SEC West rival Arkansas. The series opens at 6:30 p.m. Friday, followed by games at 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. After the series with the Razorbacks, LSU will play seven consecutive games on the road, starting on April 30 against New Orleans at Zephyr Field, followed by SEC series at Tennessee and Florida. The Tigers close the 2002 regular season May 17-19 at home against current SEC leader Alabama.