BATON ROUGE — Top-ranked LSU (6-1) plays host to Southland Conference member Texas State (8-3) beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Alex Box Stadium.
Game 2 is set for 2 p.m. Saturday and Game 3 will be played at Noon Sunday.
The games on Friday and Saturday can be heard statewide on the LSU Sports Network (WDGL-FM 98.1 in Baton Rouge) and on the internet at www.LSUsports.net. Sunday’s game can be heard in Baton Rouge only on KLSU-FM 91.1.
Tickets are available for all three games of the series at www.LSUsports.net or by calling 225.578.2184 or 800.960.8587.
LSU is ranked No. 1 this week by Collegiate Baseball magazine. The top ranking marks the Tigers’ first No. 1 designation since April 30, 2001, when LSU was No. 1 in the ESPN/Sports Weekly poll.
LSU enters Friday’s contest riding a four-game win streak after the Tigers swept a three-game set from Jacksonville State last weekend in Alex Box Stadium. Texas State, guided by fifth-year coach Ty Harrington, defeated Louisiana-Lafayette in two of three games last weekend in San Marcos.
LSU’s scheduled game on Wednesday versus Southeastern Louisiana was postponed due to rain. The contest has been re-scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, at 7 p.m. at Zephyr Field in Metairie, La.
Texas State also experienced a rainout this week, as the Bobcats’ Tuesday game at Baylor was postponed due to inclement weather.
Sophomore right-hander Justin Meier (1-0, 2.13 ERA) will start Friday’s game on the mound for LSU, and Texas State will counter with senior left-hander Paul Schappert (1-1, 6.16 ERA).
Meier fired a career-high eight strikeouts in defeating Jacksonville State last Friday, as he allowed one run on four hits in 6.2 innings with one walk.
LSU swept Jacksonville State — the preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite — last weekend by a combined score of 39-4 in the three-game set. The Tigers out-hit the Gamecocks, 44-18, and batted .393 in the series. Meanwhile, the LSU pitching staff posted a 1.08 ERA for the weekend and limited JSU to a .196 batting average.
Sunday’s 19-1 victory marked the most runs scored by the Tigers since June 6, 2003, when LSU scored 20 in the NCAA Super Regional final versus Baylor. The Tigers had 20 hits in Sunday’s contest, marking the first time they reached the 20-hit mark since May 6, 2003, versus Loyola-New Orleans.
For the entire week – including a Feb. 17 win over UL-Monroe – LSU hit .374 (55-for-147) and outscored the opposition, 46-5, while recording a 1.06 ERA on the mound.
Preseason all-America center fielder J.C. Holt led the Tigers with a .533 (8-for-15) average last week, including one double, four RBI, six runs, two steals and a .611 on-base percentage. Holt hit .500 (6-for-12) in the Jacksonville State series, as did left fielder Ryan Patterson, who was 6-for-12 at the plate with three doubles, three RBI and six runs.
As a team, the Tigers are hitting .333 (89-for-267) on the year with eight home runs. LSU hit seven homers in its first two games; however, the Tigers have just one homer in their last five contests.
LSU’s pitching staff enters the Texas State series with a 2.31 cumulative ERA and a .210 opponents’ batting average.
Junior left-hander Lane Mestepey (2-0, 1.64 ERA), who will start Game 2 against Texas State, defeated Jacksonville State last Saturday (his 24th career win), limiting the Gamecocks to one run on six hits in six innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
Senior right-hander Nate Bumstead (0-0, 6.75) was scheduled to start Wednesday’s postponed contest against Southeastern Louisiana, so LSU coach Smoke Laval will send him to the mound for Sunday’s game versus Texas State. Bumstead, an all-SEC pitcher in 2003, is working himself back into shape after suffering a shoulder injury on Feb. 3 in an intrasquad game.
LSU has won 14 straight non-conference regular-season home games, as the Tigers last loss in a non-conference regular-season game in Alex Box Stadium came on Feb. 22, 2003, when Houston posted a 7-2 win.
Friday’s game marks the first meeting between LSU and Texas State, though the Tigers have a 193-69 (.737) all-time record versus Southland Conference schools. LSU is 49-16 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 42-10 vs. Northwestern State, 37-21 vs. Nicholls State, 34-8 vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 19-9 vs. McNeese State, 9-0 vs. Stephen F. Austin, 2-0 vs. Texas-Arlington and 1-5 vs. Lamar.
SERIES FACTS: Texas State (8-3) at #1 LSU (6-1)
DATES/TIMES: Feb. 27 – 6:30 p.m.; Feb. 28 – 2 p.m.; Feb. 29 – Noon
STADIUM: Alex Box Stadium (7,760)
TICKETS: Available at www.LSUsports.net and at Alex Box Stadium beginning two hours prior to first pitch
RANKINGS: LSU (#1 Collegiate Baseball, #3 Baseball America, #5 ESPN/Sports Weekly); Texas State (unranked)
RADIO: Feb. 27 and 28 — LSU Sports Network (WDGL-FM 98.1 in Baton Rouge) and at www.LSUsports.net; Feb. 29 — KLSU-FM 91.1 in Baton Rouge only
TV: None
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – So. RHP Justin Meier (1-0, 2.13 ERA, 12.2 IP, 3 BB, 13 SO) TSU – Sr. LHP Paul Schappert (1-1, 6.16 ERA, 19.0 IP, 9 BB, 16 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Jr. LHP Lane Mestepey (2-0, 1.64 ERA, 11.0 IP, 4 BB, 5 SO) TSU – Jr. RHP Brian Hurley (1-1, 6.91 ERA, 14.1 IP, 5 BB, 10 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Sr. RHP Nate Bumstead (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 2.2 IP, 3 BB, 3 SO) TSU – Sr. LHP Tom Robbins (2-1, 2.86 ERA, 22.0 IP, 10 BB, 13 SO)