BATON ROUGE, La. – Tenth-ranked LSU (14-5) begins a four-game road swing at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday when the Tigers meet the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns (12-8) at Zephyr Field in Metairie, La., in the annual Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic.
The game will be carried on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge, Live audio of the game may be accessed at www.LSUsports.net/live with live stats at www.LSUstats.com.
The game will be televised by Cox Sports Television, and it may be viewed online on ESPN3.com. The ESPN3 online streaming will be blacked out in the Cox Sports Television markets.
Wally Pontiff Jr., an all-SEC third baseman at LSU, died in 2002 at the age of 21 due to a heart abnormality. Proceeds from Tuesday’s game will go to the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation, which benefits charitable organizations throughout Louisiana.
LSU is 10-2 in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic, which began in 2004 when the Tigers posted a 9-3 win over Southeastern Louisiana. The Tigers are 1-0 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 1-1 vs. Rice, 1-1 vs. New Orleans, 2-0 vs. UL-Lafayette, 4-0 vs. Southern Miss and 1-0 vs. Southern University in Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic games.
Last season, the Tigers posted an 8-6 win over UL-Lafayette in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic.
“We’re honored each season to participate in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic because of the tremendous impact the foundation has made upon our community,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Wally’s parents, Wally Sr. and Terry, have continued their son’s legacy through the work of the foundation, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this event every year.
“There should be a big crowd and an electric atmosphere, as we’re facing a great opponent in UL-Lafayette. I know we are all looking forward to the experience.”
Mainieri said that freshman right-hander Cole McKay will mark his first collegiate start in Tuesday’s game. McKay has made four relief appearances this season, allowing two runs on five hits in 3.1 innings with four walks and two strikeouts.
UL-Lafayette coach Tony Robichaux will counter with sophomore right-hander Evan Guillory (1-2, 2.95), who will make his fifth start of the season.
LSU freshman rightfielder Antoine Duplantis extended his hitting streak to 19 games last weekend, marking the third-longest streak by an LSU freshman over the past 20 seasons. Duplantis, who has at least one hit in each of the Tigers’ 19 games this season, is batting .397 during with six doubles, two triples, 10 RBI, 14 runs and seven steals in seven attempts. Duplantis batted .438 (7-for-16) in the Tiger’s four games last week with one double, one triple, three RBI, three runs and three stolen bases.
Sophomore leftfielder Beau Jordan enjoyed a productive weekend at the plate against Alabama, batting .429 (6-for-14) in three games with two RBI. Jordan produced an RBI single during LSU’s six-run eighth inning on Sunday that erased a 4-1 deficit and led to a 7-5 LSU victory over the Crimson Tide.
The Cajuns are hitting .285 as a team with 14 home runs and 16 steals in 29 attempts. Junior shortstop Joe Robbins leads ULL at the plate, batting .370 with three doubles, three triples, five homers and 16 RBI. Junior second baseman Brenn Conrad is batting .318 with three doubles, two homers and 12 RBI.
LSU leads the all-time series with UL-Lafayette, 53-24, as the squads first met in 1912. LSU has won three in a row and 13 of the 18 meetings with ULL since 2000. The teams’ most recent meetings came last season in the NCAA Super Regional in Baton Rouge, where the Tigers defeated the Cajuns by scores of 4-3 and 6-3 to advance to the College World Series. Mainieri has a 9-3 career coaching mark against UL-Lafayette.
LSU’s first game at Zephyr Field occurred in 1998 versus Tulane, and the Tigers have an all-time record of 23-12 at the minor league facility that is home to the New Orleans Zephyrs, the AAA affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (12-8) vs. #10 LSU Fighting Tigers (14-5)
DATE/TIME
Tuesday, March 22 – 7 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Zephyr Field in Metairie, La.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 10 by D1 Baseball; No. 10 by Perfect Game; No. 13 by Baseball America; No. 15 by Collegiate Baseball
ULL – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
LSUsports.net – live audio and live stats
TV
Cox Sports Television
ONLINE
ESPN3.com (online streaming blacked out in Cox Sports Television markets)
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads the all-time series with UL-Lafayette, 53-24, as the squads first met in 1912. LSU has won three in a row and 13 of the 18 meetings with ULL since 2000. The teams’ most recent meetings came last season in the NCAA Super Regional in Baton Rouge, where the Tigers defeated the Cajuns by scores of 4-3 and 6-3 to advance to the College World Series. LSU also posted an 8-6 win during the 2015 regular season (March 31) over the Cajuns in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic. LSU coach Paul Mainieri has a 9-3 career mark against UL-Lafayette.
ABOUT THE WALLY PONTIFF JR. BASEBALL CLASSIC
Wally Pontiff Jr., an all-SEC third baseman at LSU, died in 2002 at the age of 21 due to a heart abnormality. Proceeds from Tuesday’s game will go to the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation, which benefits charitable organizations throughout Louisiana.
LSU is 10-2 in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic, which began in 2004 when the Tigers posted a 9-3 win over Southeastern Louisiana. The Tigers are 1-0 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 1-1 vs. Rice, 1-1 vs. New Orleans, 2-0 vs. UL-Lafayette, 4-0 vs. Southern Miss and 1-0 vs. Southern University in Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic games. Last season, the Tigers posted an 8-6 win over UL-Lafayette in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic.
LSU’s first game at Zephyr Field occurred in 1998 vs. Tulane, and the Tigers have an all-time record of 23-12 at the AAA minor league facility.
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU – Fr. RHP Cole McKay (0-0, 5.40 ERA, 3.1 IP, 4 BB, 2 SO)
ULL – So. RHP Evan Guillory (1-2, 2.95 ERA, 21.1 IP, 5 BB 16 SO)