BATON ROUGE, La. – Sixth-ranked LSU (13-3) opens Southeastern Conference play at 7 p.m. CT Friday when the Tigers play host to Alabama (11-5) in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Game 2 of the series starts at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday, and first pitch for Game 3 is set for 1 p.m. CT Sunday.
The games can be heard on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including Baton Rouge flagship WDGL-FM 98.1 FM. The games may be viewed live online via SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.
Live audio of the games may be accessed at www.LSUsports.net/live with live stats at www.LSUstats.com.
LSU, the reigning SEC regular-season champion, has won nine of its last 10 games, including a 9-4 win over New Orleans on Wednesday night in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU is 42-41 all-time in SEC-opening games — including a 5-4 mark under coach Paul Mainieri – and the Tigers have won four consecutive league openers. Friday’s game marks the first time LSU will open SEC play with Alabama since 1977.
“Anytime you put teams from LSU and Alabama together in any sport, you know that it’s going to feature tremendous competition,” Mainieri said. “We have great respect for (Alabama coach) Mitch Gaspard and his program, and we’re looking forward to starting conference play with a lot of electricity in our stadium.”
Mainieri said that sophomore right-hander Alex Lange (2-0, 4.24 ERA) will start Friday’s game on the mound for the Tigers, followed by junior left-hander Jared Poche’ (2-1, 2.49 ERA) on Saturday and senior left-hander John Valek III (4-0, 1.99 ERA) on Sunday.
Lange defeated Ball State last Saturday, limiting the Cardinals to three runs on five hits in six innings with four walks and five strikeouts. Valek earned his fourth win in four starts by defeating Ball State last Sunday. Valek has recorded just one walk this season with 18 strikeouts in 22.2 innings.
The Tigers will face an Alabama pitching staff that is No. 2 in the league in team ERA (2.01) with 130 strikeouts in 143 innings. The Tide’s Friday night starter, junior right-hander Geoffrey Bramblett, is No. 7 in the SEC with a 1.05 ERA.
LSU is No. 7 in the SEC in hitting with a .312 team batting average, and the Tigers are second in the league in stolen bases with 35. Freshman rightfielder Antoine Duplantis is riding a 16-game hitting streak and batting .417 with five doubles, two triples, nine RBI, 13 runs and five steals.
Junior centerfielder Jake Fraley is hitting .397 with two doubles, three triples, one homer, 10 RBI, 23 runs and 13 stolen bases. Fraley is presently riding an 11-game hitting streak, and he has reached base safely in all 16 of the Tigers’ games this season.
Alabama is No. 14 in the SEC in hitting with a .241 team batting average. The Crimson Tide is led at the plate sophomore infielder Connor Short, who is batting .364 with four doubles, one homer and five RBI. Freshman outfielder Keith Holcombe is batting .313 with one triple and five RBI, and senior infielder Chance Vincent is hitting .300 with eight RBI.
Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU,194-166-3, and the first meeting between the squads occurred in 1906. LSU swept three games from the Crimson Tide last season in Hoover, Ala. – the series was played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium while Alabama’s home stadium in Tuscaloosa was being renovated.
LSU a 42-14 mark against Alabama over the past 16 seasons (2000-15). LSU has won 12 of its last 16 and nine of its last 11 SEC regular-season series versus the Tide, and LSU has won 11 of the 13 games played between the schools over the past four seasons.
Alabama Crimson Tide (11-5, 0-0 SEC) at #6 LSU Fighting Tigers (13-3, 0-0 SEC)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, March 18 – 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 19 – 6:30 p.m. CT
Sunday, March 20 – 1 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field in Baton Rouge, La.
PROMOTIONS
Saturday
Giveaway – USB Flip Ports
1986 team honored for earning LSU’s first College World Series appearance
Sunday
Giveaway – Gold T-Shirts
Kids Run The Bases after the game
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 6 by Perfect Game; No. 7 by Baseball America; No. 7 by D1 Baseball; No. 8 by USA Today; No. 10 by Collegiate Baseball
UA – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
LSUsports.net – live audio and live stats
ONLINE
SEC Network + – accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app
SERIES RECORD
Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU,194-166-3, and the first meeting between the squads occurred in 1906. LSU swept three games from the Crimson Tide last season in Hoover, Ala. – the series was played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium while Alabama’s home stadium in Tuscaloosa was being renovated. LSU a 42-14 mark against Alabama over the past 16 seasons (2000-15). LSU has won 12 of its last 16 and nine of its last 11 SEC regular-season series versus the Tide, and LSU has won 11 of the 13 games played between the schools over the past four seasons.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – So. RHP Alex Lange (2-0, 4.24 ERA, 23.1 IP, 13 BB, 30 SO)
UA – Jr. RHP Geoffrey Bramblett (1-0, 1.05 ERA, 25.2 IP, 10 BB 22 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Jr. LHP Jared Poche’ (2-1, 2.49 ERA, 25.1 IP, 8 BB, 22 SO)
UA – So. RHP Jake Walters (1-2, 3.32 ERA, 21.2 IP, 9 BB 31 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Sr. LHP John Valek III (4-0, 1.99 ERA, 22.2 IP, 1 BB, 18 SO)
UA – Jr. RHP Nick Eicholtz (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9.0 IP, 2 BB 7 SO)