BATON ROUGE — LSU (19-5, 4-2 SEC) continues Southeastern Conference action this weekend as the second-ranked Tigers play host to No. 11 Ole Miss (15-6, 4-2 SEC) in Alex Box Stadium.
Game 1 of the series begins at 7 p.m. CT Friday, Game 2 starts at 3 p.m. CT Saturday, and first pitch for Game 3 is 1 p.m. CT Sunday.
The games will be carried by the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network. The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM.
Saturday’s game will be televised by Fox Sports South (Cable Ch. 38 in Baton Rouge).
Live video, audio and stats of the games may be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
BATON ROUGE — Some grass lots east of Nicholson Drive that have been used by LSU baseball fans in recent weeks will not be available due to heavy rains the last several days.
The old front nine of the LSU golf course will be roped off to prevent cars from parking on that rain-soaked area and the lot next to Walk-On’s Restaurant is also unusable for this weekend’s games between LSU and Ole Miss.
Ample parking is available in the Hayfield Lot west of the new Alex Box Stadium and the Levee Lots on River Road as well as Lot D on Skip Bertman Drive across from the old Alex Box Stadium. (Parking Map)
LSU and Ole Miss are tied for second place in the SEC Western Division, two games behind league-leading Arkansas (6-0).
LSU has won seven of its past eight games, including the last four in a row. The Tigers won the final two games of their SEC series at South Carolina last weekend, and LSU defeated Harvard twice this week in non-conference action.
Ole Miss has dropped its last two games, including a 15-11 loss to Saint Louis on Tuesday in Oxford, Miss.
The Rebels own SEC series victories this season over Vanderbilt and Alabama.
“Ole Miss has another excellent ball club, and I think our guys will be ready for the challenges they’ll create for us,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “They have a tremendous pitching staff that features a lot of outstanding arms. We’ll have to be at our best to have a chance to win this series.
“Any type of competition between LSU and Ole Miss is always going to generate a lot of excitement, and we’re really looking forward to the weekend.”
Mainieri said sophomore right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (2-1, 2.01 ERA) will start Friday’s game on the mound for LSU. The remainders of the Tigers’ rotation is tentative, but probable starters on Saturday and Sunday are senior right-hander Louis Coleman (5-1, 1.21 ERA) and sophomore right-hander Austin Ross (3-2, 2.86 ERA).
Ranaudo leads the SEC with 51 strikeouts this season, while Coleman is No. 1 in the league in wins (5). Ranaudo, Coleman and Ross are Nos. 2, 4 and 9, respectively, in opponent batting average. Opponents are hitting just .178 against Ranaudo, .184 against Coleman and .229 versus Ross.
Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco, a former LSU catcher (1988-89) and assistant coach (1993-97), will counter with sophomore left-hander Drew Pomeranz (1-0, 3.44 ERA), junior right-hander Phillip Irwin (4-0, 1.82 ERA) and senior right-hander Scott Bittle (1-2, 5.06 ERA).
LSU enters Friday’s game batting .314 as a team with 43 home runs and 52 stolen bases. LSU is fourth in the SEC in batting average, third in homers and first in steals. The Tigers have a 3.37 team ERA, which ranks No. 3 in the league.
LSU junior first baseman/catcher Sean Ochinko is first in the SEC with a .434 (36-for-83) batting average, and he is No. 5 in the league in RBI with 31. Ochinko has a team-high seven doubles to go along with six home runs.
Sophomore shortstop DJ LeMahieu is hitting .380 (30-for-79) with two doubles, three triples, three homers and 15 RBI. Junior outfielder Jared Mitchell leads the SEC in stolen bases with 20 steals in 23 attempts. He is hitting .368 (21-for-57) with four doubles, one triple, four homers and 17 RBI.
The Rebels are batting .319 on the year with 20 homers and 42 stolen bases. Ole Miss is third in the league in batting average, eighth in home runs and third in steals. Ole Miss is No. 9 in the SEC in team ERA (4.90).
The Rebels are led by Logan Power, who is batting .405 (30-for-74) with seven doubles, three homers and 26 RBI. Jordan Henry is hitting .377 (26-for-69) on the year with five doubles, one triple and 14 RBI, and Jeremy Travis is batting .354 (17-for-48) with two doubles, one triple, five homers and 17 RBI.
LSU leads the overall series with Ole Miss, 158-136, and the teams split four games last season. Ole Miss won two of three games over LSU in Oxford during the regular season, and the Tigers posted an 8-2 win over the Rebels in the SEC Tournament championship game.
LSU has captured seven of its last 10 regular-season series with Ole Miss, and the Tigers have a 17-12 record against the Rebels this decade.
Bianco has a 13-15 career mark against LSU in his nine seasons as the Ole Miss coach. Mainieri is 4-3 against Ole Miss in his three seasons at LSU.
#11 Ole Miss Rebels (15-6, 4-2) at #2 LSU Fighting Tigers (19-5, 4-2)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, March 27 ? 7 p.m. CT; Saturday, March 28 ? 3 p.m. CT; Sunday, March 29 ? 1 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (9,200)
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 2 by Baseball America, No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 5 by USA Today/ESPN
Ole Miss ? No. 11 by Baseball America, No. 14 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 16 by USA Today/ESPN
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net ? live video, audio and stats
TV
Saturday’s game will be televised by Fox Sports South (Cable Ch. 38 in Baton Rouge)
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads, 158-136
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU ? So. RHP Anthony Ranaudo (2-1, 2.01 ERA, 31.1 IP, 9 BB, 51 SO)
UM ? So. LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-0, 3.44 ERA, 18.1 IP, 11 BB, 19 SO)
Game 2
LSU ? Sr. RHP Louis Coleman (5-1, 1.21 ERA, 29.2 IP, 6 BB, 40 SO)
UM ? Jr. RHP Phillip Irwin (4-0, 1.82 ERA, 29.2 IP, 5 BB, 20 SO)
Game 3
LSU ? So. RHP Austin Ross (3-2, 2.86 ERA, 28.1 IP, 2 BB, 28 SO)
UM ? Sr. RHP Scott Bittle (1-2, 5.06 ERA, 10.2 IP, 11 BB, 19 SO)