BATON ROUGE — Second-ranked LSU (7-0) plays away from Alex Box Stadium for the first time the season as the Tigers travel to Houston (2-6) this weekend for a three-game series at Cougar Field. Game 1 begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Game 2 is set for 3 p.m. Saturday and Game 3 will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Games 1 and 3 on Friday and Sunday can be heard statewide on the LSU Sports Network (WDGL-FM 98.1 in Baton Rouge). Game 2 on Saturday can be heard in Baton Rouge only on WTGE 107.3 FM.
The Saturday and Sunday games will be televised statewide by the Jumbo Sports Network. The Baton Rouge affiliates for JSN are WGMB Fox 44 (Cable Ch. 6) on Saturday and WVLA NBC 33 (Cable Ch. 3) on Sunday.
All three games can also be heard on the Internet at www.LSUsports.net.
LSU has a 7-0 record for the first time since 1997, when the Tigers began the season 19-0 and went on to win the NCAA title. The Tigers swept a three-game series last weekend from Arkansas-Little Rock of the Sun Belt Conference, collecting 30 runs on 38 hits.
Houston has lost six of its eight games; however, the Cougars have played five games against Top 25 clubs, including #7 Rice (twice), #9 Texas A&M, #10 Baylor and #23 Oklahoma State.
“We know Houston has a very talented club,” said LSU coach Smoke Laval, “because we tried to sign several of the players on their roster. It should be a great series, and our focus this weekend will be on how we handle the pressure of playing on the road.”
Laval will send senior left-hander Lane Mestepey (2-0, 0.66 ERA) to the mound on Friday. Mestepey defeated UALR last Friday, limiting the Trojans to one run on four hits in 6.2 innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
Mestepey has worked 395.1 innings during his career and needs just three innings to become LSU’s all-time leader in innings pitched. The LSU record for innings pitched is held by Scott Schultz (1992-95), who fired 398 innings in four seasons.
Last Friday’s win was the 31st of Mestepey’s career, and he is just seven wins shy of tying Schultz’ mark (38) for LSU career victories.
Houston coach Rayner Noble is expected to counter Friday with sophomore right-hander Brad Lincoln (0-1, 5.84 ERA), who has recorded five walks and eight strikeouts in 12.1 innings this season. Lincoln dropped an 8-2 decision to LSU last season (March 7) in Alex Box Stadium, surrendering five runs on 11 hits in five innings with one walk and one strikeout.
Sophomore left-hander Clay Dirks (2-0, 3.27 ERA) will start Saturday’s contest for LSU and junior left-hander Greg Smith (2-0, 3.38 ERA) takes the mound on Sunday. The remainder of Houston’s rotation will be announced this weekend.
LSU’s Harris brothers — Will and Clay — lead the Tigers in hitting through seven games — junior first baseman Will Harris is hitting .476 (10-for-21) with one double and six RBI, and senior second baseman Clay Harris is batting .417 (10-for-24) with four doubles, one homer and six RBI.
Senior outfielder Nick Stavinoha, who began his collegiate career as a Houston football player, hit .500 (6-for-12) in five games last week with one double, one homer, five runs and six RBI. He is hitting .389 (7-for-18) on the year with one double, two homers and a team-best 10 RBI.
Senior infielder Blake Gill extended his hitting streak to 20 games last weekend — he ended last season riding a 15-game streak, and he has hits in each of the five games he has played this year.
LSU and Houston have met each season since 2000, when the Cougars swept three games in Alex Box Stadium. LSU won two of three games over UH last season in Baton Rouge, and the series is even at 7-7 in the 14 meetings this decade. This weekend’s three-game set marks the Tigers’ first visit to Cougar Field since 2002, when UH posted a 2-1 series victory.
Houston leads LSU in the overall series, which began in 1975, 21-14.
SERIES FACTS — #2 LSU Fighting Tigers (7-0) at Houston Cougars (2-6)
DATES/TIMES: Friday, Feb. 25 — 7 p.m. CST; Saturday, Feb. 26 — 3 p.m. CST; Sunday, Feb. 27 — 1 p.m. CST
STADIUM: Cougar Field (3,500)
RANKINGS: LSU (#2 Baseball America, #2 ESPN/Sports Weekly, #3 Collegiate Baseball); Houston (unranked)
RADIO: Friday and Sunday statewide on LSU Sports Network (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge); Saturday in Baton Rouge only (WTGE 107.3 FM)
INTERNET: Radio broadcast and live stats of all three games at www.LSUsports.net
TV: Saturday statewide on Jumbo Sports Network (Cable Ch. 6 in Baton Rouge); Sunday statewide on Jumbo Sports Network (Cable Ch. 3 in Baton Rouge)
SERIES RECORD: Houston leads, 21-14 (series began in 1975)
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU — Sr. LHP Lane Mestepey (2-0, 0.66 ERA, 13.2 IP, 1 BB, 9 SO)
UH — So. RHP Brad Lincoln (0-1, 5.84 ERA, 12.1 IP, 5 BB, 8 SO)
Game 2
LSU — So. LHP Clay Dirks (2-0, 3.27 ERA, 11.0 IP, 3 BB, 9 SO)
UH — TBA
Game 3
LSU — Jr. LHP Greg Smith (2-0, 3.38 ERA, 10.2 IP, 3 BB, 15 SO)
UH — TBA