HOOVER, Ala. – Third-ranked LSU (24-5, 5-4 SEC) resumes Southeastern Conference play at 7 p.m. CT Thursday as the Tigers face Alabama (15-12, 4-5 SEC ) in Game 1 of a three-game series in Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
Alabama is playing its home games at the Hoover Met this season while Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa undergoes a renovation.
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 maybe be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app
LSU is ranked No. 3 in the Baseball America poll, No. 4 in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 5 in the Collegiate Baseball poll this week. The Tigers have appeared in the Top 5 of at least one poll in all seven weeks of this season.
“We always enjoying competing against Alabama – they have great players and they play the game with a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “They have a core of veteran players who have grown up in their program and know how to succeed at this level. We’re expecting a tremendous challenge, and we look forward to playing in Hoover, where we’ve enjoyed a lot of success recently.
Hoover Metropolitan Stadium is the site each season for the SEC Tournament, which LSU has won in five of the past seven seasons.
LSU enters its series versus Alabama batting .329 as a team with 27 homers and 44 steals in 60 attempts. LSU entered the week No. 2 in the nation in team batting average, trailing only Arizona.
The Tigers posted an 8-6 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Tuesday night in Metairie, La., in the annual Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic.
Alabama is hitting .282 as a team with 11 homers and 37 steals in 47 attempts. The Crimson Tide defeated UAB, 7-2, in Birmingham on Tuesday night.
LSU is led at the plate by senior catcher Kade Scivicque, who is hitting .407 with eight doubles, four homers and 20 RBI. Junior centerfielder Andrew Stevenson is batting .379 with three doubles, five triples and 10 RBI, while junior rightfielder Mark Laird is hitting .374 with five doubles, one triple, one homer and 12 RBI.
LSU’s Game 2 starting pitcher, freshman right-hander Alex Lange, delivered another brilliant performance on the mound in last Saturday’s win over Kentucky. Lange worked seven innings, allowing just one unearned run on six hits in seven innings with five walks and a career-best 13 strikeouts.
Alabama is led at the plate by sophomore outfielder/infielder Casey Hughston, who is hitting .392 with 10 doubles, two triples, four homers and 27 RBI. Junior infielder Mikey White is hitting .367 with nine doubles, five triples, two homers and 21 RBI, and junior infielder/catcher Kyle Overstreet is batting .314 with seven doubles, one triple and 21 RBI.
Alabama leads LSU, 194-163-3, in a series that began in 1906. The Tigers, however, have a 39-14 overall mark against Alabama over the previous 15 seasons (2000-14). LSU has won 11 of its last 15 and eight of its last 10 SEC regular-season series versus the Tide, and LSU has won eight of the 10 games played between the schools over the previous three seasons. Last season, the teams split a pair of games in Baton Rouge, and Game 3 of the series was rained out.
#3 LSU Fighting Tigers (24-5, 5-4 SEC) at Alabama Crimson Tide (15-12, 4-5 SEC)
DATES/TIMES
Thursday, April 2 – 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Friday, April 3 – now 3 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Saturday, April 4 – 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
STADIUM
Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 3 by Baseball America; No. 4 by USA Today; No. 5 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 5 by D1 Baseball
UA – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
LSUsports.net – live audio and live stats
ONLINE
All three games maybe be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app
SERIES RECORD
Alabama leads LSU, 194-163-3, in a series that began in 1906. The Tigers, however, have a 39-14 overall mark against Alabama over the previous 15 seasons (2000-14). LSU has won 11 of its last 15 and eight of its last 10 SEC regular-season series versus the Tide, and LSU has won eight of the 10 games played between the schools over the previous three seasons. Last season, the teams split a pair of games in Baton Rouge, and Game 3 of the series was rained out.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – So. LHP Jared Poche’ (5-1, 3.48 ERA, 41.1 IP, 13 BB, 26 SO)
UA – Sr. LHP Taylor Guilbeau (2-2, 3.07 ERA, 41.0 IP, 23 BB, 44 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Fr. RHP Alex Lange (5-0, 1.20 ERA, 45.0 IP, 15 BB, 58 SO)
UA – Jr. RHP Will Carter (1-3, 5.91 ERA, 35.0 IP, 21 BB, 18 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Fr. RHP Jake Godfrey (5-0, 3.21 ERA, 33.2 IP, 19 BB, 20 SO)
ULL – So. RHP Geoffrey Bramblett (4-1, 3.67 ERA, 41.2 IP, 14 BB, 24 SO)