BATON ROUGE — Sixth-ranked LSU (23-8, 5-4 SEC) plays host to No. 4 South Carolina (25-5, 5-4) this weekend in a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Alex Box Stadium.
Game 1 of the series is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT Friday, Game 2 begins at 2 p.m. CDT Saturday and Game 3 starts at Noon CDT Sunday.
The games can be heard statewide on the LSU Sports Network (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge). The radio broadcast and live stats are also available on the LSU Athletics web site, www.LSUsports.net. None of this weekend’s games will be televised.
LSU and South Carolina enter the series trailing SEC leaders Florida (6-3) and Alabama (6-3) by one game in the league standings.
LSU has won two games this week, including an 8-2 victory over No. 11 Rice Wednesday at Zephyr Field in Metairie. South Carolina extended its win streak to six games Wednesday with a 9-4 win over The Citadel in Columbia. The Gamecocks’ streak includes a three-game SEC sweep of Georgia last weekend in Columbia.
LSU coach Smoke Laval will send senior left-hander Lane Mestepey (5-1, 2.93 ERA) to the mound in Friday’s series opener. Mestepey moved into second place on the all-time LSU wins list March 18 with a complete-game effort at Georgia; however, he has dropped his last two decisions to Auburn and Alabama. Mestepey, who has a 34-15 career mark, is four wins shy of the LSU all-time wins record (38) held by Scott Schultz (1992-95).
South Carolina coach Ray Tanner is expected to counter Friday with senior right-hander Jason Fletcher (3-1, 1.75 ERA). Fletcher, who has been used primarily as a reliever this season, will be making his second start of the season.
LSU’s victory over Rice Wednesday featured home runs by second baseman Clay Harris (.378, 5 HR, 29 RBI), right fielder Nick Stavinoha (.367, 7 HR, 27 RBI) and first baseman Will Harris (.232, 2 HR, 13 RBI) to pace the Tigers’ 12-hit attack.
Left fielder Ryan Patterson (.430, 13 HR, 34 RBI), contributed a single and an RBI double in the win over the Owls.
South Carolina outfielder Michael Campbell (.374, 4 HR, 22 RBI) had three hits, including a two-run home run, in Wednesday’s 9-4 win over The Citadel to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Designated hitter Jon Willard (.431, 6 HR, 25 RBI) has a hitting streak of eight games after a three-hit night against The Citadel. He had a single, double and home run and has at least one hit in 25 of the 28 games he has played this season.
LSU leads the overall series with South Carolina, 21-12-1, though the Gamecocks have defeated LSU in a College World Series elimination game in each of the past two seasons. South Carolina is 4-1 against LSU in postseason meetings since 2002 (2-1 in SEC Tournament and 2-0 in CWS).
LSU, however, has won eight of the nine SEC regular-season series between the schools since 1992. The Gamecocks’ only regular-season series victory over the Tigers came in 2002, when USC won two games in Columbia.
LSU has an 8-3-1advantage over South Carolina in games played in Alex Box Stadium since 1992.
SERIES FACTS
# 4 South Carolina Gamecocks (25-5, 5-4) at # 6 LSU Fighting Tigers (23-8, 5-4)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, April 8 — 6:30 p.m. CDT; Saturday, April 9 — 2 p.m. CDT; Sunday, April 10 — Noon CDT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium (7,760) in Baton Rouge, La.
TICKETS
$8 adults, $5 children ages 3-12 — available at Alex Box Stadium each day two hours prior to first pitch
RANKINGS
LSU (# 6 ESPN/Sports Weekly, # 8 Baseball America, # 9 Collegiate Baseball)
South Carolina (# 4 ESPN/Sports Weekly, # 10 Collegiate Baseball, # 12 Baseball America)
RADIO
statewide on LSU Sports Network (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge)
INTERNET
radio broadcast and live stats of all three games at www.LSUsports.net
TV
none
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads, 21-12-1
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU — Sr. LHP Lane Mestepey (5-3, 2.93 ERA, 55.1 IP, 11 BB, 31 SO)
USC — Sr. RHP Jason Fletcher (3-1, 1.75 ERA, 25.2 IP, 3 BB, 24 SO)
Game 2
LSU — So. LHP Clay Dirks (7-0, 3.02 ERA, 44.2 IP, 15 BB, 32 SO)
USC — Sr. RHP Zac McCamie (6-1, 2.27 ERA, 47.2 IP, 14 BB, 54 SO)
Game 3
LSU — Jr. LHP Greg Smith (4-1, 2.98 ERA, 48.1 IP, 16 BB, 47 SO)
USC — Sr. RHP Aaron Rawl (5-2, 2.80 ERA, 45.0 IP, 12 BB, 42 SO)