BATON ROUGE, La. – Top-ranked LSU (22-3, 4-2 SEC) plays host to Kentucky (16-9, 2-4 SEC) this weekend in a three-game SEC series at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
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 may be accessed at www.LSUsports.net.
All three games may be viewed online on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app
LSU is No. 1 in the Baseball America poll for the third straight week, and the Tigers are also No. 1 this week in the USA Today and D1 Baseball rankings. LSU has won three straight games, including a 13-7 win at Tulane on Tuesday night.
LSU is batting .440 (55-for-125) in its last three games with eight doubles, two triples and four homers, while outscoring the opposition, 36-14.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri said LSU will use its customary rotation against Kentucky – sophomore left-hander Jared Poche’ (5-1) on Friday, freshman right-hander Alex Lange (5-0) on Saturday and freshman right-hander Jake Godfrey (5-0) on Sunday.
“Kentucky is always a very talented, hard-nosed ball club, and we have to play at a high level to have success against them,” Mainieri said. “We’ve been swinging the bats very well this season, but Kentucky will certainly challenge us with their arms. They also have an excellent lineup that put up some impressive numbers in their series win last weekend over Mississippi State, and they had a chance to win their series at South Carolina two weeks ago. Kentucky definitely has our attention, and we’re looking forward to a great series against them.”
Lange defeated Arkansas on Friday in his first career SEC road start. He worked seven innings, limiting the Razorbacks to one run on four hits – all singles – with two walks and six strikeouts. Lange is 5-0 this season with a 1.42 ERA, and he has 45 strikeouts in 38 innings while holding opponents to a .183 batting average. In his two SEC starts this season against Ole Miss and Arkansas, Lange has allowed just two earned runs on seven hits in 15 innings with two walks and 19 strikeouts.
Godfrey earned a win in his first career SEC road start, defeating Arkansas on Saturday. Godfrey limited the Razorbacks to one run on five hits in five innings with three walks and five strikeouts, as he improved to 5-0 on the year with a 2.25 ERA.
LSU is hitting a nation’s-best .332 as a team with 20 homers and 39 steals in 53 attempts. The Tigers have struck out just 108 times, the best mark in the SEC. The Tigers’ pitching staff has the third-best ERA in the SEC at 2.62.
Senior catcher Kade Scivicque is LSU’s leading hitter this season, batting .423 (30-for-71) with seven doubles, three homers and 16 RBI. Junior centerfielder Andrew Stevenson is batting .407 (35-for-86) with two doubles, five triples and 10 RBI, while junior rightfielder Mark Laird is hitting .392 (38-for-97) with four doubles, one triple, one homer and 10 RBI.
Kentucky is hitting .299 as a team – fifth in the SEC – with 10 homers and 30 steals in 38 attempts. Kentucky is 13th in the league in team ERA (4.29).
The Wildcats are led at the plate by junior outfielder/second baseman Ka’ai Tom, who is hitting .402 with eight doubles, one triple, two homers and 25 RBI. Junior outfielder Kyle Barrett is batting .391 with five doubles, one homer and 13 RBI, and sophomore infielder/outfielder JaVon Shelby is hitting .322 with four doubles, one triple, two homers and 19 RBI.
LSU leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 46-25-1, and the Tigers have won 11 of their last 15 SEC series with the Wildcats, including a three-game sweep of UK in 2013 in Baton Rouge. LSU has won seven straight games over UK in Alex Box Stadium; the Wildcats’ last win in Baton Rouge came on March 15, 2009, a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of the series. LSU won Game 3 in ’09 and posted three-games sweeps over Kentucky in 2011 and 2013.
Kentucky Wildcats (16-9, 2-4 SEC) at #1 LSU Fighting Tigers (22-3, 4-2 SEC)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, March 27– 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Saturday, March 28 – 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Sunday, March 29 – 11 a.m. CT (SEC Network +)
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field (10,326) in Baton Rouge, La.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 1 by Baseball America; No. 1 by USA Today; No. 1 by D1 Baseball; No. 2 by Collegiate Baseball
UK- unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
LSUsports.net – live audio and live stats
ONLINE VIEWING
All three games may be viewed online on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 46-25-1, and the Tigers have won 11 of their last 15 SEC series with the Wildcats, including a three-game sweep of UK in 2013 in Baton Rouge. LSU has won seven straight games over UK in Alex Box Stadium; the Wildcats’ last win in Baton Rouge came on March 15, 2009, a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of the series. LSU won Game 3 in ’09 and posted three-games sweeps over Kentucky in 2011 and 2013.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – So. LHP Jared Poche’ (5-1, 3.37 ERA, 34.2 IP, 13 BB, 23 SO)
UK – So. RHP Zack Brown (2-2, 2.43 ERA, 33.1 IP, 15 BB, 31 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Fr. RHP Alex Lange (5-0, 1.42 ERA, 38 IP, 10 BB, 45 SO)
UK – Jr. RHP Dustin Beggs (3-2, 3.44 ERA, 36.2 IP, 10 BB, 28 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Fr. RHP Jake Godfrey (5-0, 2.25 ERA, 32 IP, 18 BB, 18 SO)
UK – Jr. RHP Kyle Cody (2-2, 4.88 ERA, 31.1 IP, 7 BB, 30 SO)