BATON ROUGE — The third-ranked LSU baseball squad travels to Hammond, La. Tuesday to face Southeastern Louisiana at Alumni Field. First pitch is 6 p.m. for the game that marks the Tigers’ first appearance at SLU since 2002.
The game will be carried by the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network. The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM.
Live stats and audio of the game may be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
LSU, a consensus No. 1 in the polls last week, is ranked No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 4 by Baseball America and USA Today/ESPN after the Tigers lost two of three games to Illinois over the weekend.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri said true freshman left-hander Chris Matulis (2-0), will start Tuesday’s game on the mound for the Tigers. Matulis defeated UNO last Tuesday, allowing two runs on five hits in 5.2 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
SLU coach Jay Artigues will counter with junior left-hander Shawn Herring (0-1).
The game at SLU is the first of five contests this week for LSU. The Tigers play host to Louisiana-Lafayette at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday before opening a three-game Southeastern Conference series at 7 p.m. Friday versus Kentucky in Alex Box Stadium.
“We learned over the weekend that we have a lot of room for improvement,” Mainieri said, “and we have a very competitive week in front of us, beginning at Southeastern on Tuesday. The mark of a good team is one that has its character tested and responds in a positive way. We’ll have a real challenge on our hands playing on the road against a tough Southeastern club.”
LSU’s loss to Illinois on Friday ended the Tigers’ 25-game regular-season win streak that dated back to last season. The Tigers had not lost a regular-season game since April 19, 2008 versus Georgia.
LSU hit seven home runs, including three grand slams, in Saturday’s 22-10 win over Illinois. The Tigers’ three grand slams tied an NCAA single-game record achieved on eight previous occasions, most by recently by Southeast Missouri State versus Freed-Hardeman on March 28, 2007.
LSU became the first Southeastern Conference team to hit three grand slams in a single contest. The Tigers launched seven homers in a game for the first time since June 9, 2008, in Game 3 of the NCAA Super Regional versus UC Irvine.
The Tigers have launched 27 homers ? including five grand slams ? in 12 games this season.
Junior first baseman/catcher Sean Ochinko hit .500 (10-for-20) in five games last week with three doubles, four homers, 14 RBI and seven runs scored, Ochinko hit grand slams in consecutive games ? at New Orleans on Tuesday and versus Mississippi Valley State on Wednesda. The grand-slam against MVSU was the game-winning hit, as it erased a 4-3 deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Ochinko is hitting .458 (22-for-48) on the year with four doubles, four homers, 23 RBI and 12 runs.
Sophomore shortstop DJ LeMahieu saw his 25-game hitting streak ? dating back to last season ? end in Friday’s game versus Illinois. LeMahieu is off to a sizzling this season, batting .526 (20-for-38) with two doubles, three triples, two homers, 12 RBI, 17 runs and four steals.
Southeastern Louisiana is batting .319 as a team this season with eight homers and 15 stolen bases. The Lions are averaging over nine runs per game.
Cass Hargis is hitting .400 (20-for-50) for SLU with one homer, eight RBI and 16 runs scored. Brandon Street is batting .373 (19-for-51) and leads the Lions with two homers and 18 RBI.
LSU leads the overall series with Southeastern Louisiana, 57-17, though the Lions won last season’s meeting, 6-3, in the original Alex Box Stadium.
LSU has won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the schools, and the Tigers are 30-3 against SLU since 1990. The Tigers have won seven straight games over SLU in Hammond, including a 9-7 victory in 2002, the last time LSU visited Alumni Field
#3 LSU Fighting Tigers (10-2) at Southeastern Louisiana Lions (7-5)
DATE/TIME
Tuesday, March 10 ? 6 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Alumni Field in Hammond, La.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 4 by USA Today/ESPN and No. 4 by Baseball America
SLU – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM
Pregame show starts at 5:45 p.m.
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net ? live audio and stats in the Geaux Zone.
TV
None
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads, 57-17
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU ? Fr. LHP Chris Matulis (2-0, 2.53 ERA, 10.2 IP, 4 BB, 9 SO)
SLU ? Jr. LHP Shawn Herring (0-1, 11.57 ERA, 7 IP, 8 BB, 4 SO)
Baseball America Top 25
March 9, 2009
Rk. Team W-L Last Week Prev.
1. Texas 12-1 3-1 2
2. North Carolina 10-2 3-1 3
3. Texas A&M 11-3 4-1 4
4. LSU 10-2 3-2 1
5. Baylor 10-2 4-0 6
6. Cal State Fullerton 9-2 4-0 7
7. Arizona State 11-1 3-0 8
8. Georgia 12-0 4-0 10
9. Rice 8-4 3-2 9
10. UC Irvine 7-4 2-2 5
11. Pepperdine 9-3 4-1 12
12. Texas Christian 9-2 4-1 13
13. Miami 10-2 4-1 15
14. Mississippi 7-3 4-0 14
15. Oklahoma 12-3 5-0 16
16. Georgia Tech 9-1 3-0 18
17. Coastal Carolina 12-1 6-0 20
18. Arkansas 9-2 4-1 21
19. Oklahoma State 9-2 3-1 23
20. San Diego 8-6 2-3 11
21. Kent State 7-2 2-2 17
22. Clemson 6-4 2-3 19
23. Oregon State 7-3 3-1 24
24. Cal Poly 8-2 2-1 25
25. UC Santa Barbara 9-2 4-0 NR
Dropped Out: Florida State (22).
College Baseball Poll
March 9, 2009
Rank School (Record) Points Previous
1. Georgia (12-0) 496 2
2. North Carolina (10-2) 495 3
3. LSU (10-2) 492 1
4. Texas (12-1) 490 4
5. Arizona St. (11-1) 489 5
6. Georgia Tech. (9-1) 485 9
7. Cal. St. Fullerton (9-2) 482 12
8. Miami, Fla. (10-2) 479 10
9. Texas A&M (11-3) 477 8
10. Rice (8-4) 472 7
11. Texas Christian (9-2) 470 11
12. Oklahoma St. (9-2) 466 13
13. Baylor (10-2) 464 14
14. Coastal Carolina (12-1) 461 16
15. Cal Poly (8-2) 458 17
16. U.C. Irvine (7-4) 455 15
17. South Carolina (8-1) 450 18
18. Virginia (12-0) 447 ?
19. Florida (9-4) 445 20
20. Mississippi (7-3) 441 21
21. Illinois (7-2) 437 ?
22. Pepperdine (9-3) 436 22
23. Lamar (12-2) 435 23
24. U.C. Santa Barbara (9-2) 432 ?
25. San Jose St. (9-0) 430 ?
26. East Carolina (8-2) 429 24
27. Oklahoma (12-3) 427 27
28. Michigan (10-2) 426 28
29. Kentucky (9-2) 425 29
30. Ohio St. (9-2) 423 25
USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 Coaches’ Baseball Poll
March 9, 2009
Rank School (first-place votes) Record Points Last week
1 North Carolina (12) 10-2 730 2
2 Georgia (16) 12-0 727 3
3 Texas (2) 12-1 704 4
4 LSU (1) 10-2 640 1
5 Arizona State 11-1 627 5
6 Miami (Fla.) 10-2 568 8
7 Cal State Fullerton 9-2 559 10
8 Texas A&M 11-3 548 6
9 Georgia Tech 9-1 506 11
10 Rice 8-4 480 7
11 Baylor 10-2 446 14
12 Oklahoma State 9-2 440 13
13 Coastal Carolina 12-1 398 15
14 UC Irvine 7-4 300 12
15 TCU 9-2 288 18
16 Oklahoma 12-3 245 22t
17 Pepperdine 9-3 197 19
18 Florida State 7-5 182 9
19 Florida 9-4 150 20
20 Arkansas 9-2 132 NR
21 Mississippi 7-3 130 22t
22 Cal Poly 8-2 123 25t
23 Virginia 12-0 109 NR
24 Clemson 6-4 94 21
25 South Carolina 8-1 90 25t
Dropped out: No. 16 San Diego (8-6), No. 17 Stanford (3-8), No. 24 East Carolina (8-2).
Others receiving votes: San Diego 77; East Carolina 76; Oregon State 60; Michigan 54; UC-Riverside 46; Illinois 39; North Carolina-Wilmington 29; Kent State 27; Fresno State 25; Boston College 24; California 24; Stanford 22; UC-Santa Barbara 21; Vanderbilt 19; San Jose State 15; Nebraska 12; Kentucky 11; Ohio State 11; Saint Mary’s 11; Winthrop 11; College of Charleston 10; Georgia Southern 9; Western Kentucky 7; Oral Roberts 6; Rhode Island 6; Lamar 3; Tulane 3; Louisville 2; Mississippi State 1; Virginia Tech 1.
NCBWA Division I Top 30 Poll
March 9, 2009
Rk. School Conference Overall Week Pvs.
1. Georgia Southeastern 12-0 4-0 2
2. North Carolina Atlantic Coast 10-2 3-1 3
3. Texas Big 12 12-1 3-1 4
4. Arizona State Pacific-10 11-1 3-0 5
5. LSU Southeastern 10-2 3-2 1
6. Texas A&M Big 12 11-3 4-1 7
7. Miami Atlantic Coast 10-2 4-1 9
8. Georgia Tech Atlantic Coast 9-1 3-0 10
9. Cal State Fullerton Big West 9-2 4-0 12
10. Rice Conference USA 8-4 3-2 8
11. Oklahoma State Big 12 9-2 3-1 11
12. Coastal Carolina Big South 12-1 6-0 14
13. Baylor Big 12 10-2 4-0 15
14. Florida State Atlantic Coast 7-5 1-4 6
15. UC Irvine Big West 7-4 2-2 13
16. Pepperdine West Coast 9-3 4-1 19
17. TCU Mountain West 9-2 4-1 21
18. Florida Southeastern 9-4 4-1 17
19. Oklahoma Big 12 12-3 5-0 22
20. East Carolina Conference USA 8-2 3-1 20
21. Clemson Atlantic Coast 6-4 2-3 18
22. Mississippi Southeastern 7-3 4-0 25
23. San Diego West Coast 8-6 2-3 16
24. Arkansas Southeastern 9-2 4-1 26
25. Michigan Big Ten 10-2 3-0 28
26. Virginia Atlantic Coast 12-0 4-0 –
27. Fresno State Western Athletic 5-4 2-0 24
28. South Carolina Southeastern 8-1 4-1 –
29. Cal Poly Big West 8-2 2-1 30
30. Louisville Big East 8-4 4-1 29
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Alabama (8-3), Boston College (10-3), California (8-4), College of Charleston (9-2), Dallas Baptist (8-3), Georgia Southern (11-1), Illinois (7-2), Kent State (7-2), Kentucky (9-2), Lamar (12-2), Nebraska (10-3-1), Ohio State (9-2), Oregon State (7-3), Rhode Island (7-2), Sam Houston State (10-4), San Diego State (7-6), San Jose State (9-0), Southern Miss (8-4), Stanford (3-8), UC Riverside (10-3), UC Santa Barbara (9-2), UNC Wilmington (10-2), Vanderbilt (9-4), Western Carolina (8-2)
Dropped out: Stanford (23), Southern Miss (27)