BATON ROUGE, La. — Top-ranked LSU (16-1) plays host to Ole Miss (9-7) this weekend in the Tigers’ opening series of Southeastern Conference competition at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Game 1 of the series begins at 7 p.m. CT Friday, Game 2 starts at 7 p.m. CT Saturday, and first pitch for Game 3 is 3 p.m. CT Sunday.
The games will be carried on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge, and live audio and stats for the contests may be accessed at www.LSUsports.net.
Friday’s LSU-Ole Miss game will be streamed live online on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. The games on Saturday and Sunday will be televised by the SEC Network.
“We are all very excited about the opportunity to finally begin SEC play,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Ole Miss went to the College World Series last season, so they certainly have our attention. We’ve played very well up to this point, but we realize we’ll have to perform at a very high level to enjoy success in this league. It’s a grinding, 30-game schedule over 10 weekends, but we are certainly embracing the challenge.”
LSU is ranked No. 1 in the Baseball America magazine poll released Monday, and the Tigers are riding a 13-game win streak, LSU’s longest since the 2013 Tigers won 15 straight games from late March through mid-April.
The 2015 LSU team is the sixth Tiger squad to earn the top ranking during Mainieri’s nine-season tenure. LSU has held the No. 1 position in at least one poll in six of the past seven seasons.
LSU has a 16-1 record through 17 games for the third time in five years; the Tigers were also 16-1 in 2011 and 2013.
Mainieri said LSU will pitch sophomore left-hander Jared Poche’ in Game 1 Friday, freshman right-hander Alex Lange in Game 2 Saturday, and freshman right-hander Jake Godfrey in Game 3 Sunday.
Poche’ improved to 4-0 last Friday as he defeated eighth-ranked Houston at the Houston College Classic in Minute Maid Park. Poche’ limited the Cougars to two runs on four hits in a season-high 7.2 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
Lange also improved to 4-0 this season with a brilliant performance against Baylor last Saturday in the Houston College Classic. Lange fired seven shutout innings, limiting the Bears to seven singles with two walks and four strikeouts as LSU posted a 2-0 win, the Tigers’ first shutout this season. Lange lowered his cumulative ERA to 1.57 , as he’s allowed just four earned runs in 23 innings with eight walks and 26 strikeouts, and opponents are hitting just .207 against him.
Godfrey delivered his best performance of the season in defeating Nebraska last Sunday, working a career-high seven innings. He limited the Cornhuskers to two runs on eight hits with two walks and a career-best four strikeouts while firing 104 pitches.
LSU is hitting an SEC-best .322 on the year with 11 home runs and 35 steals in 41 attempts. LSU hitters have struck out just 73 times, the fewest number of strikeouts in the league.
The Tigers are led at the plate by senior catcher Kade Scivicque, who is batting .395 (15-for-38) with four doubles, three homers, 11 RBI and 11 runs. Junior outfielder Mark Laird is batting .387 (24-for-62) with three doubles, five RBI, 18 runs and seven steals, while sophomore outfielder Jake Fraley is hitting .357 (15-for-42) with three doubles, three triples and seven RBI.
Senior third baseman Conner Hale was named SEC Player of the Week Monday as he helped lead LSU to three straight wins in the Houston College Classic, batting .400 (4-for-10) with one double, one homer, five RBI and two runs scored. Hale, who was named to the HCC All-Tournament team, saw his season-opening 16-game hitting streak end Wednesday in the Tigers’ 7-0 victory over McNeese State.
Junior shortstop Alex Bregman is hitting .400 (6-for-15) in LSU’s last four games with one double, one homer, four runs scored, four RBI and three steals in three attempts.
The LSU bullpen has worked 23 straight scoreless innings and has not allowed a run since Game 2 of a doubleheader versus Princeton on February 28.
Ole Miss is hitting .255 as a team with eight home runs and 18 steals in 24 attempts. Freshman infielder Kyle Watson is batting .350 (14-for-40) with six doubles, nine RBI and 13 runs, sophomore outfielder J.B. Woodman is batting .309 (17-for-55) with six doubles, one triple, one homer and 10 RBI, and junior outfielder Cameron Dishon is hitting .279 (12-for-43) with one double, one homer and five RBI.
LSU leads Ole Miss, 170-145, in a series that began in 1906. LSU has captured four in a row and 12 of its last 16 regular-season series with Ole Miss, including a 2-1 series victory last season in Oxford. LSU has won 17 consecutive regular-season series in Baton Rouge over Ole Miss. The Rebels’ last series victory over the Tigers in Alex Box Stadium came in 1982, when Ole Miss won two of three to close the season.
Ole Miss Rebels (9-7) vs. #1 LSU Fighting Tigers (16-1)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, March 13 – 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Saturday, March 14 – 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Sunday, March 15 – 3 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field (capacity: 10,326) in Baton Rouge, La.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 1 by Baseball America; No. 2 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 4 by USA Today
Ole Miss – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
LSUsports.net – live audio and live stats
ONLINE VIDEO
Live streaming of Friday’s game on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app
TV
The Saturday and Sunday games will be televised on the SEC Network
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads Ole Miss, 170-145, in a series that began in 1906. LSU has captured four in a row and 12 of its last 16 regular-season series with Ole Miss, including a 2-1 series victory last season in Oxford. LSU has won 17 consecutive regular-season series in Baton Rouge over Ole Miss. The Rebels’ last series victory over the Tigers in Alex Box Stadium came in 1982, when Ole Miss won two of three to close the season.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Game 1
LSU – So. LHP Jared Poche’ (4-0, 2.08 ERA, 26.0 IP, 8 BB, 17 SO)
UM – Jr. LHP Christian Trent (3-0, 2.96 ERA, 24.1 IP, 7 BB, 23 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Fr. RHP Alex Lange (4-0, 1.57 ERA, 23.0 IP, 8 BB, 26 SO)
UM – So. RHP Brady Bramlett (2-1, 2.05 ERA, 22 IP, 3 BB, 34 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Fr. RHP Jake Godfrey (3-0, 1.69 ERA, 21.1 IP, 11 BB, 11 SO)
UM – TBA