BATON ROUGE – No. 5 LSU (15-1) hits the road for the first time this season as the Tigers face Nicholls State (7-7) Wednesday night in Thibodaux. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CDT at Ray Didier Field.
Live audio and stats of the games may be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net. The games can be also be heard on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network.
“We know we’re facing a great challenge at Nicholls State,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I distinctly remember Nicholls beating us in 2009, the year we won a national championship, in a game that they definitely deserved to win. They have an outstanding coach and a team that’s not going to lay down just because LSU is in town.”
Mainieri said that junior right-hander Tyler Jones (3-0) will start on the mound Wednesday for the Tigers. First-year Nicholls coach Seth Thibodeaux will counter with junior left-hander Mike Wisecarver (2-1).
LSU posted a three-game sweep of sixth-ranked Cal State Fullerton last weekend in Alex Box Stadium, and the series marked the first time Cal State Fullerton has been swept in three games since February 2008 versus Stanford. The series drew an actual attendance figure of 27,194 (an average of 9,065 per game), establishing a stadium record for a three-game set.
Junior third baseman Tyler Hanover led the Tigers at the plate in the Cal State Fullerton series, batting .455 (5-for-11) with four RBI, two stolen bases and five runs scored. Hanover drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2 Saturday with a bases-loaded walk.
Sophomore designated hitter Raph Rhymes batted .385 (5-for-13) in the series with five runs scored, and junior shortstop Austin Nola also hit .385 (5-for-13) with one double, three RBI and two runs scored.
LSU hit .307 as a team in the Cal State Fullerton series, while limiting the Titans to a .208 average. The Tigers were a perfect 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts and LSU executed four sacrifice bunts.
LSU already has 21 sacrifice bunts this season, one more than the 20 the Tigers recorded during the entire 2010 season.
LSU enters Wednesday’s game batting .318 as a team with 14 homers and 34 steals on the year. The Tigers are led at the plate by freshman second baseman JaCoby Jones, who is hitting .415 (22-for-53) on the year with three homers and 15 RBI. Rhymes is batting .385 (25-for-65) with seven doubles, one homer and 17 RBI while junior centerfielder Mikie Mahtook has a team-high six homers to go along with four doubles and a team-best 19 RBI.
Nicholls State is hitting .248 on the year with 13 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 14 stolen bases. The Colonels are paced offensively by senior infielder Chase Jaramillo, who is batting .411 (23-for-56) with two doubles, one triple, two homers and nine RBI. Junior outfielder Jeremy Hill is hitting .321 (17-for-53) with eight RBI, while junior first baseman Blake Bergeron is batting .273 (12-for-44) with one double, two homers and 11 RBI.
LSU leads the all-time series with Nicholls State, 45-22, including a 10-3 victory last season in Alex Box Stadium. LSU has won 18 of the last 19 meetings with Nicholls State – the Colonels’ only win in that span was a 3-1 victory over the Tigers on April 15, 2009 in Alex Box Stadium. Wednesday’s game marks the Tigers’ first trip to Thibodaux since April 5, 2005 when LSU posted a 3-2 victory over the Colonels.
#5 LSU Fighting Tigers (15-1) at Nicholls State Colonels (7-7)
GAME DATE/TIME
Wednesday, March 16 – 6 p.m.
STADIUM
Ray Didier Field in Thibodaux, La. (1,000)
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 5 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 7 by ESPN/USA Today; No. 8 by Baseball America
Nicholls State – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates/flagship station is WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net/live – live audio
www.LSUsports.net/livestats – stats courtesy of geauxcolonels.com
TV
None
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads the all-time series with Nicholls State, 45-22, including a 10-3 victory last season in Alex Box Stadium. LSU has won 18 of the last 19 meetings with Nicholls State – the Colonels’ only win in that span was a 3-1 victory over the Tigers on April 15, 2009 in Alex Box Stadium. Wednesday’s game marks the Tigers’ first trip to Thibodaux since April 5, 2005 when LSU posted a 3-2 victory over the Colonels.
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU – Jr. RHP Tyler Jones (3-0, 2.84 ERA, 19.0 IP, 8 BB, 14 SO)
NSU – Jr. LHP Mike Wisecarver (2-1, 4.40 ERA, 14.1 IP, 6 BB, 8 SO)