BATON ROUGE — LSU (4-1) looks to extend its two-game win streak this weekend as the Tigers play host to Duquesne (0-3) in Alex Box Stadium.
First pitch for Game 1 of the series is 7 p.m. Friday, Game 2 begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, and Game 3 starts at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Tickets for each game are $8 for adults and $4 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.
The games on Friday and Saturday will be carried by the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network. There will be no radio broadcast of Sunday’s game due to conflicts with LSU men’s and women’s basketball games.
Live audio and video of the games on Friday and Saturday may also be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
LSU already has two victories this week, as the Tigers defeated Southern (6-1) on Tuesday and Mississippi Valley State (9-1) on Wednesday.
“Our objective this weekend is to play a complete nine innings each day, especially offensively,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. “We need to eliminate the offensive lapses we’ve experienced at times this season. This team is certainly capable of providing that kind of consistent effort each time we take the field.”
Mainieri said that senior right-hander Jared Bradford (1-0) will start Friday’s game on the mound for LSU. Bradford, who has been named to the preseason Watch Lists for the Golden Spikes Award and for the Brooks Wallace Award, defeated Indiana in LSU’s season opener last Friday, allowing one run on six hits in six innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Duquesne coach Mike Wilson will send junior right-hander Gary Pierpont (0-1) to the mound in Friday’s series opener. The Dukes opened their season last weekend with a three-game series in Tallahassee, Fla., where they were swept by Florida State.
Wilson is the uncle of former LSU infielder Brad Wilson, a member of the Tigers’ 1993 and 1996 NCAA Championship teams.
LSU has been led at the plate this season by four sophomores ? second baseman Ryan Schimpf, leftfielder Blake Dean, centerfielder Jared Mitchell and catcher Sean Ochinko ? all of whom started as true freshmen for the Tigers last season.
“It’s often been said that the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores,” Mainieri said. “We put those guys into the fire last year as true freshmen, and they really benefited from that experience. It’s been evident throughout preseason practice and now five games into the season that our veteran sophomores will be major contributors to our team this season.”
Schimpf is hitting .533 (8-for-15) with two doubles, one triple and one RBI; Mitchell is hitting .412 (7-for-17) with one double and two RBI; Dean is also batting .412 (7-for-17) with one double, one homer and six RBI; and Ochinko, coincidentally, is hitting .412 (7-for-17) with three doubles and three RBI.
Duquesne was led at the plate last weekend at Florida State by infielder Andrew Heck, who collected three hits including a double. Infielder Bill Torre also had three hits and an RBI against FSU.
LSU leads its series with Duquesne, 5-0, with all five games having been played in Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers swept the Dukes in a two-game series in 1996, and LSU captured all three games of the series played in 2001.
Duquesne Dukes (0-3) at LSU Fighting Tigers (4-1)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, Feb. 29 ? 7 p.m. CST; Saturday, March 1 ? 2 p.m. CST; Sunday, March 2 ? 11 a.m. CST
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium (7,760) in Baton Rouge, La.
PROMOTIONS
LSU will give out free schedule magnets at Saturday’s baseball game vs. Duquesne
TICKETS
$8 adults, $4 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
RADIO
Friday and Saturday games on LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates (Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL FM 98.1)
No radio broadcast on Sunday due to conflicts with LSU men’s and women’s basketball games
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net ? live video, audio and stats on Friday and Saturday; live stats only on Sunday
TV
None
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads, 5-0 (LSU swept a two-game series in 1996 in Baton Rouge; LSU swept a three-game series in 2001 in Baton Rouge)
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU ? Sr. RHP Jared Bradford (1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 1 BB, 8 SO)
DU? Jr. RHP Gary Pierpont (0-1, 9.64 ERA, 4.2 IP, 0 BB, 1 SO)
Game 2
LSU ? Jr. RHP Jordan Brown (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 SO)
DU ? Jr. RHP Ryan Juran (0-1, 27.00 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 BB, 4 SO)
Game 3
LSU ? Jr. LHP Ryan Verdugo (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 BB, 9 SO)
DU ? So. RHP Paul Bugajski (0-1, 18.90 ERA, 3.1 IP, 4 BB, 1 SO)