BATON ROUGE — Top-ranked LSU (26-9) opens a six-game homestand at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday as the Tigers meet New Orleans (13-21) in Alex Box Stadium.
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, video and audio of the game may be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
Tuesday’s game will also be televised by Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37 in Baton Rouge).
LSU returned to the top of three college baseball polls Monday as the Tigers are ranked No. 1 by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. LSU is No. 1 for the first since March 2, when the Tigers were ranked at the top of four different polls.
“It’s a significant accomplishment for our team to be No. 1 in the nation at this time of the season,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Our players have handled the expectations that come with a No. 1 ranking very well, and we’re looking forward to playing at an even higher level as we enter the latter part of the regular season.”
LSU won its ninth straight SEC series last weekend, capturing two of three games at Alabama. The Tigers last lost a conference series on April 18-20, 2008 to Georgia in Baton Rouge.
LSU has won a school-record 10 straight SEC series over two seasons on two previous occasions. The Tigers won 10 in a row over the course of the 1985-86 and 1990-91 seasons.
Mainieri said sophomore right-hander Jordan Nicholson (1-0, 10.64 ERA) will start Tuesday’s game on the mound for the Tigers. Nicholson, a native of Ruston, La., will make his first career collegiate start.
UNO coach Tom Walter will counter with sophomore right-hander Jake Henderson (3-3, 7.11 ERA).
The Tigers received more recognition Monday as outfielder/DH Blake Dean was named SEC Player of the Week by the league office.
Dean, a junior from Crestview, Fla., led LSU to the series victory at Alabama by hitting .500 (6-for-12) with one double, two homers, 10 RBI and two runs scored. His two-run double in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game broke a 3-3 tie and proved to be the game-winning hit in the Tigers’ 12-7 victory.
For the entire week, Dean hit .412 (7-for-17) in four games with one double, two homers, 11 RBI and two runs.
Dean becomes the sixth LSU player this season to earn either SEC Player of the Week or SEC Pitcher of the Week honors.
LSU recorded a season-high 19 hits in Sunday’s 12-7 win over Alabama. The Tigers batted .351 (40-for-114) in the Alabama series with six doubles, one triple and four homers. For the entire four-game week, LSU hit .352 (50-for-142) with nine doubles, one triple and six homers.
Junior second baseman Ryan Schimpf also enjoyed an outstanding series for the Tigers, batting .571 (8-for-14) in three games with two homers, four RBI, five runs and one stolen base. For the entire week, Schimpf hit .563 (9-for-16) in four games with three homers, six RBI, six runs and two stolen bases.
Freshman outfielder Mikie Mahtook hit .400 (4-for-10) in LSU’s series victory at Alabama with one triple, two RBI, three runs and one stolen base. For the entire week, he batted .417 (5-for-12) with one double, one triple, four RBI, four runs and one steal. Mahtook is LSU’s leading hitter in SEC games, batting .355 (11-for-31) with one triple, one homer, six RBI, eight runs and five stolen bases
UNO is hitting .293 on the year with 34 homers and 44 stolen bases. The Privateers are led by sophomore outfielder Jay Morris (.405, 0 HR, 18 RBI), junior infielder Jerad Comarda (.355, 6 HR, 25 RBI), and junior infielder Nick Schwaner (.313, 8 HR, 33 RBI).
LSU leads the overall series with UNO, 50-33, including a 19-3 victory earlier this season (March 3) at Maestri Field in New Orleans.
New Orleans Privateers (13-21) at #1 LSU Fighting Tigers (26-9)
DATE/TIME
Tuesday, April 14 ? 6:30 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (9,200)
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 1 by Baseball America, No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 1 by NCBWA
UNO – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net ? live video, audio and stats in the Geaux Zone.
TV
Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37 in Baton Rouge)
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads, 50-33 (second meeting this season; LSU defeated UNO, 19-3, on March 3 in New Orleans)
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU ? So. RH Jordan Nicholson (1-0, 10.64 ERA, 11.0 IP, 3 BB, 12 SO)
UNO ? So. RH Jake Henderson (3-3, 7.11 ERA, 38.0 IP, 12 BB, 25 SO)