BATON ROUGE — No. 2 LSU (21-4, 4-2 SEC) begins a four-game road stretch at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, as the Tigers travel to Maestri Field to face New Orleans (14-12, 3-0 Sun Belt Conference).
The game marks LSU’s first appearance at UNO’s on-campus facility — formerly known at Privateer Park — since 1997. From 1998-2003, UNO played its home game versus LSU at Zephyr Field in Metairie, La.
The game can be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network, including flagship WDGL-FM 98.1 in Baton Rouge. The radio broadcast may be also be accessed at www.LSUsports.net.
The contest will be televised live statewide by the Jumbo Sports Network, which includes KZUP-TV (Cable Ch. 13) in Baton Rouge.
The JSN telecast will be shown at 9 p.m. on a tape-delayed basis in the New Orleans area on WNOL-TV.
LSU, ranked No. 2 by Collegiate Baseball magazine this week after five consecutive weeks at No. 1, has won 10 of its last 12 games, including an SEC series victory over Mississippi State last weekend.
LSU resumes SEC action this weekend at Auburn in a three-game series at Plainsman Park.
UNO, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, has won five straight games, including an SBC series sweep of Arkansas State to begin league play.
Tuesday’s game marks the second meeting this season between the clubs, as LSU posted a 14-0 victory over the Privateers on March 16 in Alex Box Stadium.
LSU coach Smoke Laval will send sophomore left-hander Jason Determann (2-0, 1.72 ERA) to the mound Tuesday. Determann will be making his second start this season and the seventh of his career. He was the Tigers’ starter in last week’s 9-3 victory at Centenary, as he allowed two runs on four hits in four innings with no walks and two strikeouts.
UNO coach Randy Bush plans to counter with senior right-hander Chris Bourgeois (0-1, 9.64 ERA).
With two victories over No. 24 Mississippi State last weekend, LSU improved its record to 5-2 this year against Top 25 opponents. Seventeen of Tigers’ 21 wins have come by a margin of five runs or more, including the two victories over MSU (11-6, 14-3).
Senior third baseman Ivan Naccarata launched two homers and collected seven RBI in Sunday’s 14-3 victory over Mississippi. State. Naccarata’s seven-RBI output was the largest by an LSU player since March 3, 2001, when former Tiger first baseman Bryan Moore also recorded seven RBI in a game at Arizona State.
Junior right fielder Jon Zeringue led LSU in hitting over the weekend, batting .556 (5-for-9) with one homer, six RBI and six runs. Zeringue also walked three times, recorded one steal and posted a .667 on-base percentage. Zeringue is hitting .394 (37-for-94) this season, and he leads LSU in homers (seven) and doubles (12), and he is second on the club with 24 RBI.
As a team, the Tigers hit .333 (35-for-105) in the MSU series with six homers, six doubles and 28 runs. LSU collected a total of 31 hits in Games 2 and 3 after being held to just six hits in the Game 1 loss on Friday. The six-hit outing broke a string of 13 consecutive games in which the Tigers had reached double figures in hits.
LSU reached the 20-win mark this year in its 24th game (Saturday’s 11-6 victory over MSU); the Tigers didn’t reach the 20-win plateau last season until their 30th game.
The Tigers enter the UNO game Tuesday with 7-0 mark this season against Louisiana schools. LSU has won 10 straight games versus its in-state foes over the last two seasons.
LSU leads the all-time series with UNO, 42-30, and the Tigers have won 12 of the last 13 meetings with the Privateers. UNO’s only win in that span was a 5-4 victory last season at Zephyr Field.
Laval has a 7-7 career mark against the Privateers, including a 4-1 mark as LSU’s coach. Bush is 1-8 versus the Tigers during his five-year career.
LSU has a 35-8 (.814) record against Louisiana schools during Laval’s three-year tenure as head coach.
GAME FACTS: #2 LSU (21-4) at New Orleans (14-12)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, March 30 – 6:30 p.m.
STADIUM: Maestri Field – New Orleans, La.
RANKINGS: LSU (#2 Collegiate Baseball, #3 Baseball America); New Orleans (unranked)
RADIO: LSU Sports Network, including flagship WDGL-FM 98.1 in Baton Rouge
INTERNET: www.LSUsports.net
TV: Jumbo Sports Network, including KZUP-TV (Cable Ch. 13) in Baton Rouge
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU – So. LHP Jason Determann (2-0, 1.72 ERA, 15.2 IP, 2 BB, 10 SO)
UNO – Sr. RHP Chris Bourgeois (0-1, 9.64 ERA, 4.2 IP, 7 BB, 4 SO)