BATON ROUGE — LSU (14-9, 1-2) plays its first SEC home series of the season this weekend when the Tigers face 11th-ranked Kentucky (21-2, 1-2) in Alex Box Stadium.
Game 1 of the LSU-UK series is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Game 2 will start at 4 p.m. Saturday, and Game 3 begins at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Tickets for each game are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-12. Tickets are available at Alex Box Stadium each day two hours prior to first pitch, or they may be purchased and printed at www.LSUsports.net.
All three games will be carried by the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge).
The audio broadcasts and streaming video of all three games are available in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
LSU has won seven of its last 10 games, including a 5-3 victory over Southeastern Louisiana Tuesday night. The Tigers opened SEC play last weekend at third-ranked South Carolina, where the Tigers dropped two of three games.
Kentucky, the 2006 SEC co-champions with Alabama, lost two of three league home games to Arkansas last weekend after winning 19 straight games to begin the ’07 season. The Wildcats defeated Western Kentucky, 12-5, Wednesday in Lexington.
“I was happy we came away with a win against Southeastern, but we will have to play much better to have a chance to win against Kentucky,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We didn’t execute very well at the plate or on defense. Our focus will have to be much greater this weekend. Kentucky has a very powerful club; they won the SEC last year, and it appears they are just as strong this season.”
Kentucky is batting .352 as a team with 69 doubles, 14 triples, 20 homers and 33 stolen bases.
Junior left-hander Charlie Furbush (3-2, 2.89 ERA) will start Friday’s game on the mound for LSU. Furbush pitched effectively last Friday in a loss at South Carolina, limiting the Gamecocks to three earned runs in 6.1 innings with three walks and a season-high 10 strikeouts.
Kentucky coach John Cohen will counter on Friday with sophomore left-hander Chris Rusin (2-1, 4.88 ERA).
LSU right-hander Jared Bradford, scheduled to start Saturday’s game against Kentucky, limited South Carolina to three runs in 8.1 innings on March 17, and the Tigers withstood a late Gamecock charge to record a 6-5 victory. Bradford (4-1) allowed three runs on six hits in 8.1 innings, the longest outing by an LSU pitcher this season. The junior from Hueytown, Ala. fired 132 pitches, recording two walks and six strikeouts.
Freshman right-hander T.J. Forrest, Sunday’s scheduled starter versus Kentucky, pitched very effectively last weekend at South Carolina in his first career SEC appearance. Forrest, who had Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow just 11 months ago, worked the first five innings of last Sunday’s contest, limiting the Gamecocks to one unearned run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Forrest left the game after having thrown 57pitches ? he remains on a pitch count as he continues his recovery from the surgery.
LSU freshman leftfielder Blake Dean continues to lead the Tigers at the plate, batting .313 (25-for-80) with six doubles, two triples, two homers and 21 RBI.
Centerfielder Jared Mitchell is hitting .298 (28-for-94) with three doubles, one homer, 23 runs, 10 RBI and 11 steals. Catcher Sean Ochinko has a team-high five homers, and he is second on the club with 17 RBI.
Kentucky outfielder Mike Brown is hitting a sizzling .461 (35-for-76) with nine doubles, one homer and 20 RBI. Catcher Sean Coughlin is batting .410 (41-for-100) and leads the Wildcats in homers (four) and RBI (44).
LSU leads the overall series with Kentucky, 34-17, though the Wildcats posted a 2-1 series victory over the Tigers last season in Lexington. LSU has won seven of its last eight SEC series against Kentucky, and the Tigers have a 19-8 mark against the Wildcats over the past 12 seasons.
SERIES FACTS
# 11 Kentucky Wildcats (21-2, 1-2) at LSU Fighting Tigers (14-9, 1-2)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, March 23 ? 7 p.m. CDT; Saturday, March 24 ? 4 p.m. CDT; Sunday, March 25 ? 11 a.m. CDT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium (7,760) in Baton Rouge, La.
RANKINGS
Kentucky is ranked # 11 by Collegiate Baseball, #16 by USA Today/ESPN and # 25 by Baseball America
TICKETS
$8 adults, $5 children ages 3-12 — available at Alex Box Stadium each day two hours prior to first pitch; tickets may also be purchased and printed at www.LSUsports.net
SPECIAL EVENTS/PROMOTIONS
SUNDAY
All kids ages 12 and under can run the bases of Alex Box Stadium after the game
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
INTERNET
Streaming video and audio broadcasts of all three games in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net;
Live stats at www.LSUsports.net
TV
None
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads, 34-17
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU ? Jr. LHP Charlie Furbush (3-2, 2.89 ERA, 37.1 IP, 7 BB, 34 SO)
UK? So. LHP Chris Rusin (2-1, 4.88 ERA, 27.2 IP, 11 BB, 29 SO)
Game 2
LSU ? Jr. RHP Jared Bradford (4-1, 2.68 ERA, 37.0 IP, 7 BB, 34 SO)
UK ? Jr. LHP Andrew Albers (4-0, 2.63 ERA, 27.1 IP, 5 BB, 20 SO)
Game 3
LSU ? Fr. RHP T. J. Forrest (1-1, 0.82 ERA, 11.0 IP, 2 BB, 9 SO)
UK ? Jr. RHP Greg Dombrowski (3-1, 3.95 ERA, 27.1 IP, 3 BB, 21 SO)