HOOVER, Ala. — The eighth-ranked LSU baseball squad engaged in a two-hour workout at Hoover High School as the Tigers prepare for Saturday’s SEC Tournament semifinal against Alabama, which defeated Kentucky 13-4 late Friday.
The Tigers and Crimson Tide meet at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. A win on Saturday will give the Tigers a berth in Sunday’s championship game.
Should the Tigers lose Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. game, LSU would play again at either 5 p.m. or 8 p.m. Saturday for the right to advance to Sunday’s 3 p.m. final.
NOTE: if Ole Miss wins the 10 a.m. game on Saturday, a second game between LSU and Alabama would begin at 5 p.m. rather than 8 p.m. should LSU lose the 1:30 p.m. game; if Ole Miss loses, a second game between LSU and Alabama would be played at 8 p.m. should LSU lose the 1:30 p.m. game. There will be a minimum of 45 minutes between games.
Saturday’s first game will be televised by Fox Sports Net (Cable Ch. 38 in Baton Rouge), and it can be heard on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network.
“We had a good workout today,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “It was similar to the workouts we have on Thursdays prior to weekend series during the regular season. We keep the guys loose and let them have a little fun during practice as we get ready for the weekend. We’re very excited to be in this position with a chance to get to the championship game.”
LSU enters Saturday’s game riding an 18-game winning streak. The Tigers’ 18-game streak is tied for the second-longest in LSU history. The 1986 LSU squad also won 18 consecutive contests, and the 1997 club posted a school-record 19 straight victories.
Fourteen wins in the Tigers’ 18-0 run have come against SEC teams. LSU finished the regular season with 12 straight SEC wins, and the Tigers have victories over South Carolina and Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament.
LSU is 2-0 in the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2003. The Tigers are seeking their fourth championship game appearance this decade. LSU won the title in 2000 with a victory over Florida, and the Tigers suffered championship-game losses to Mississippi State in 2001 and to Alabama in 2003.
Mainieri said he would decide upon LSU’s starting pitcher for Saturday after watching Alabama and Kentucky play Friday. Candidates for the starting assignment are right-hander Daniel Bradshaw, right-hander Jordan Brown, left-hander Ryan Byrd and right-hander Anthony Ranaudo.