BATON ROUGE — The 11th-ranked LSU baseball squad (10-2) travels to New Orleans Tuesday to face Tulane (10-2) at 6:30 p.m. in Turchin Stadium.
The game will be carried by the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, with Baton Rouge affiliate WDGL 98.1 FM serving as the flagship station. Live audio and stats of the game may be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net/live, and the contest will be televised by Cox Sports Television.
The Tigers were undefeated in five games last week, batting .388 as a team with 23 doubles, four triples and three homers while scoring 65 runs.
“We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now, and we’re looking forward to playing in a very intense environment at Tulane,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Tulane is having a great year, and they’re an experienced club that is very well-coached. We have immense respect for their players and coaches, and it’s a tremendous rivalry that we really embrace.”
Mainieri said that freshman right-hander Aaron Nola (1-0, 3.60 ERA) would the start the game on the mound for the Tigers. Nola earned the win in his first collegiate start last Wednesday at McNeese State, working five innings and limiting the Cowboys to three runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Tulane coach Rick Jones will counter with junior right-hander Alex Byo (1-1, 4.91 ERA).
LSU first baseman Mason Katz was named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week Monday after he hit a remarkable .684 (13-for-19) in five games with five doubles, three homers, eight RBI, 12 runs, a 1.421 slugging percentage and a .760 on-base percentage. He was also recognized Monday as the SEC Player of the Week and the Louisiana Sportswriters Association Player of the Week.
Beginning with a walk in his final plate appearance on Feb. 26 versus Appalachian State, Katz reached base safely in 17 consecutive plate appearances, falling just one shy of the NCAA record of 18 straight set by Shaun Larkin of Cal State Northridge in 2002. During the streak of reaching base safely 17 straight times, Katz was 10-for-10 with three doubles, two homers, nine runs, seven walks and one stolen base.
On the year, Katz is hitting a sizzling .500 (20-for-40) with seven doubles, one triple, three homers, 14 RBI and 18 runs.
Rightfielder Raph Rhymes also enjoyed a phenomenal week, batting .609 (14-for-23) with three doubles, 13 RBI and eight runs scored. Shortstop Austin Nola hit .474 (9-for-19) in five games with three doubles, five RBI and eight runs, while third baseman Tyler Hanover batted .450 (9-for-20) with five doubles, 11 RBI and four runs. Nola produced a career-best four hits in Sunday’s win over Dartmouth, and he scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Hanover’s walk-off double.
Catcher Ty Ross batted .500 (5-for-10) in LSU’s series sweep of Dartmouth with two doubles and six RBI. Ross produced a career-high five RBI in Saturday’s 16-3 win over the Big Green
As a team, the Tigers are batting .323 on the year with 34 doubles, eight triples, five homers and eight steals in 14 attempts.
Tulane is led at the plate by junior infielder Brennan Middleton, who is hitting .525 (21-for-40) on the year with four doubles and 10 RBI. Senior infielder/outfielder Nick Schneeburger is batting .417 with three doubles, one triple, one homer and 13 RBI, and junior infielder Garrett Cannizaro is hitting .340 with one double, one triple, one homer and 14 RBI.
Tulane is batting .337 as a team with 23 doubles, five triples, seven homers and 17 steals in 23 attempts.
LSU leads Tulane, 173-125-3 , in a series that began with the first intercollegiate athletic event in LSU history, a 10-8 victory for the Fighting Tiger baseball squad over Tulane in 1893. LSU has won six of its eight meetings with Tulane over the past four seasons, including two wins last season – a 7-5 victory over the Wave on April 5 in New Orleans and a 6-2 triumph in Baton Rouge on May 3.
#11 LSU Fighting Tigers (10-2) at Tulane Green Wave (10-2)
DATE/TIME
Tuesday, March 6 – 6:30 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Turchin Stadium in New Orleans, La.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 11 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 13 by Baseball America; No. 15 by ESPN/USA Today
Tulane – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM
Pregame show starts 15 minutes prior to first pitch
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net – live audio and stats
TV
Cox Sports Television
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads Tulane, 173-125-3 , in a series that began with the first intercollegiate athletic event in LSU history, a 10-8 victory for the Fighting Tiger baseball squad over Tulane in 1893 … LSU has won six of its eight meetings with Tulane over the past four seasons, including two wins last season – a 7-5 victory over the Wave on April 5 in New Orleans and a 6-2 triumph in Baton Rouge on May 3.
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU – Fr. RHP Aaron Nola (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 10.0 IP, 1 BB, 14 SO)
TU – Jr. RHP Alex Byo (1-1, 4.91 ERA, 11.0 IP, 5 BB, 4 SO)