BATON ROUGE — Top-ranked LSU (3-0) continues its season-opening 12-game homestand at 4 p.m. Wednesday when the Tigers play host to McNeese State (3-0) 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 video, audio and stats of the contest may be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net. The game will be not televised.
Defending national champion LSU is ranked No. 1 in the first regular-season Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA polls after sweeping three games from Centenary last weekend.
The Tigers took over the top spot when preseason No. 1 selection Texas dropped two of three at home last weekend to New Mexico.
McNeese State opened its 2010 season last weekend in Lake Charles with a three-game sweep of Valparaiso.
“(McNeese State coach) Terry Burrows has done a tremendous job with their program, and I know they will provide a very strong challenge for us,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I was pleased with the way we performed in our opening series against Centenary, but now all of our attention focuses upon a very tough McNeese club.
Mainieri said junior right-hander Daniel Bradshaw (1-0) will start Wednesday’s game on the mound for LSU. Bradshaw earned the win in relief in LSU’s 5-4 season-opening win over Centenary on Friday, allowing three runs on four hits in three innings with no walks and two strikeouts.
Burrows, who is in his third season at the helm of the Cowboys program, will counter with junior right-hander Dustin Lloyd, a transfer from Galveston College. Lloyd made one relief appearance in the Valparaiso series, firing two shutout innings with five strikeouts.
The Tigers were led at the plate in the Centenary series by senior designated hitter Matt Gaudet, who batted .600 (6-for-10) in three games with one double, two homers, six RBI and three runs. Gaudet launched two homers in the Tigers’ 25-8 win on Saturday, marking the first multi-HR game of his LSU career.
LSU first baseman Blake Dean tied his single-game career-high with six RBI in the Tigers’ win on Saturday. The senior from Crestview, Fla. was 4-for-6 in the contest and he scored two runs. Dean batted .417 (5-for-12) in the series with one homer and a team-best eight RBI.
McNeese State outfielder Andy Riche’ hit .500 (5-for-10) in the Valparaiso series with two doubles, one triple and seven RBI. Outfielder Blake Ellender homered twice in the series and drove in four runs.
LSU leads the all-time series with McNeese State, 22-9, including a 6-3 victory last season in Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers have won four straight games over the Cowboys; McNeese State’s last win over LSU came in 2000, a 4-3 decision in Lake Charles.
McNeese State Cowboys (3-0) at # 1 LSU Fighting Tigers (3-0)
DATE/TIME
Wednesday, February 24 – 4 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (10,150)
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 1 by NCBWA; No. 2 by Baseball America
McNeese State- 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
TV
None
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads the series, 22-9
Last Meeting: March 18, 2009 at Alex Box Stadium (LSU 6, McNeese State 3)
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU – Jr. RHP Daniel Bradshaw (1-0, 9.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 0 BB, 2 SO)
MSU – Jr. RHP Dustin Lloyd (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 BB, 5 SO)