BATON ROUGE, La. – Top-ranked LSU (31-6) plays host to Lamar (17-18) at 6:30 p.m. CT Wednesday in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
The game 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.
The LSU-Lamar game may be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.
LSU is ranked No. 1 in the Perfect Game poll this week, marking the fifth week this season the Tigers are No. 1 in at least one poll. LSU was 4-1 in its games last week, including an SEC series victory over Auburn last weekend.
“We’ve played some very good teams from the Southland Conference this season, and Lamar certainly is another very capable ball club,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “(Lamar coach) Jim Gilligan is one of the winningest coaches in college baseball history, and he will have his team prepared to play us. This weekend’s series at Georgia marks the beginning of the second half of league play, so it’s important we continue to improve and play at a high level beginning with the game Wednesday against Lamar.”
Gilligan is No. 6 all-time among NCAA Division I active coaches in victories with 1,314 wins in 39 seasons. Mainieri is No. 9 all-time with 1,256 wins in 33 seasons.
LSU is No. 4 in the nation with a .318 team batting average, and the Tigers have launched 34 home runs, just seven shy of the 41 they hit for the entire 2014 season. LSU also has 62 stolen bases, already 13 more than the 49 steals it had in all of 2014.
Senior left-hander Kyle Bouman will make his fourth start this season on the mound for the Tigers. Bouman worked 4.1 innings as a starter last Tuesday against New Orleans, limiting the Privateers to two runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
LSU senior catcher Kade Scivicque batted .421 (8-for-19) in five games last week with two doubles, four RBI and one run. Scivicque extended his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest by an LSU player since 2013, when shortstop Alex Bregman had a 23-game hit streak. Scivicque is batting .382 (34-for-89) during the 20-game streak with seven doubles, one homer and 16 RBI. Scivicque is LSU’s leading hitter on the year, batting .386 (49-for-127) with 11 doubles, four homers and 27 RBI.
Senior leftfielder/DH Chris Sciambra hit .400 (8-for-20) last week with two doubles, two homers, five RBI and eight runs. Sciambra, who had just one career homer entering the 2015 season, launched dingers in back-to-back games last week versus New Orleans and Northwestern State.
Junior rightfielder Mark Laird was the Tigers’ leading hitter in the Auburn series, batting .455 (5-for-11) with two doubles, two RBI, three runs and two stolen bases.
Lamar is hitting .298 as a team, and it has collected 14 homers and 27 steals in 40 attempts. The Cardinals are led at the plate by junior infielder Stijn van der Meer, who is batting .320 with nine doubles, two triples and 15 RBI. Senior catcher Kyle Markum is hitting .307 with seven doubles, one homer and 23 RBI, while senior infielder Kevin Santana is batting .263 with six doubles, a team-high five homers and 18 RBI.
Lamar leads the all-time series with LSU, 5-4; however, the Tigers have won the last four meetings between the clubs. The teams have met in each of the past three seasons in Baton Rouge – LSU defeated Lamar, 5-4, on April 18, 2012; the Tigers posted an 8-1 win over the Cardinals on February 19, 2013; and LSU blanked Lamar, 5-0, on April 9, 2014.
Lamar Cardinals (17-18) at #1 LSU Fighting Tigers (31-6)
DATE/TIME
Wednesday, April 15 – 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field (10,326)
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 1 by Perfect Game; No. 2 by Baseball America; No. 2 by USA Today; No. 2 by D1 Baseball; No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball
Lamar – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
LSUsports.net – live audio and live stats
ONLINE
The game may be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app
SERIES RECORD
Lamar leads the all-time series with LSU, 5-4; however, the Tigers have won the last four meetings between the clubs. The teams have met in each of the past three seasons in Baton Rouge – LSU defeated Lamar, 5-4, on April 18, 2012; the Tigers posted an 8-1 win over the Cardinals on February 19, 2013; and LSU blanked Lamar, 5-0, on April 9, 2014.
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU – Sr. LHP Kyle Bouman (0-1, 7.53 ERA, 14.1 IP, 8 BB, 15 SO)
LU – Jr. RHP Billy Love (0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4.0 IP, 2 BB, 4 SO)