BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 14 LSU (19-9, 4-5 SEC) opens a three-game SEC series at 6 p.m. CT Thursday against second-ranked Vanderbilt in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Game 2 of the series is set for 7:30 p.m. CT Friday, and first pitch for Game 3 is 2 pm. CT Saturday.
The games will be carried on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge, Live audio of the games may be accessed at www.LSUsports.net/live with live stats at www.LSUstats.com.
Thursday’s game will be televised on the SEC Network, Friday’s game will be televised on ESPNU, and Saturday’s game may be viewed online on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.
LSU enters the series tied for third place in the SEC Western Division, while Vanderbilt is tied for third in the SEC East. LSU won two of three SEC games last weekend at Auburn, marking the Tigers’ 16th series victory in its last 20 SEC series on the road. Vanderbilt posted a 2-1 series victory over South Carolina last weekend in Nashville.
“We’re facing a very talented Vanderbilt club this weekend,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “They employ a very aggressive offense, and they lead the SEC in runs scored and stolen bases. Of course, their pitching staff is loaded with power arms that are going to challenge our hitters. We’re looking forward to this opportunity to play against a highly-ranked opponent in what should be an electric atmosphere in our stadium.”
Mainieri said that junior left-hander Jared Poche’ will start for the Tigers in Game 1, with sophomore right-hander Alex Lange getting the call in Game 2 and senior left-hander John Valek III taking the mound in Game 3.
Poche’ earned the win for the Tigers in Game 2 at Auburn last weekend with a magnificent effort. Poche’ limited the potent Auburn lineup to one run on five hits in 6.1 innings with four walks and six strikeouts. Valek picked up his first career SEC win on Sunday, holding Auburn to four earned runs on six hits in 5.1 innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
The LSU staff will face a Vanderbilt lineup with a .289 team batting average, which ranks No. 9 in the SEC. Freshman infielder Ethan Paul leads the Commodores with a .343 average, and he has collected five doubles, one triple, two homers and 17 RBI. Sophomore outfielder Jeren Kendall is batting .333 with eight doubles, two triples, five homers and 31 RBI, and freshman infielder Alonzo Jones is hitting .309 with eight doubles, two triples, one homer and 27 RBI.
LSU is hitting .296 as a team, the eighth-best mark in the SEC. The Tigers are led at the plate by sophomore infielder Beau Jordan, who is batting .354 with six doubles, two homers and 23 RBI. Freshman rightfielder Antoine Duplantis is hitting .349 with six doubles, three triples and 13 RBI, and junior catcher Jordan Romero is batting .327 with a team-best five homers and 18 RBI.
Vanderbilt’s pitching staff is No. 2 in the SEC with a 2.77 staff ERA, and the Commodores have recorded 319 strikeouts, the second-best mark in the league. LSU’s hitters, however, have struck out only 118 times this season, by far the best mark in the SEC. Mississippi State’s hitters have the next-fewest number of strikeouts with 168.
LSU has a 55-40 all-time mark against Vanderbilt, and Thursday’s game marks the first meeting between the teams since the opening round of the 2014 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. (an 11-1 LSU win). This week’s series marks the first regular-season meeting between the schools since the opening weekend of SEC play in 2014, when Vanderbilt won two of three games over LSU in Nashville. This week’s series also marks Vanderbilt’s first visit to Baton Rouge since 2012, when the Commodores posted a 2-1 series win in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Vanderbilt has won the last six regular-season series between the schools and has a 14-4 mark in those regular-season contests. LSU’s last SEC series victory over the Commodores came in Nashville in 2005, when the Tigers won two of three games. LSU, however, has won five of its last six SEC Tournament games against Vanderbilt, beginning with the second round of the 2008 tournament. The Tigers defeated the Commodores in SEC Tournament championship games in 2009 and 2013.
#2 Vanderbilt Commodores (24-5, 6-3 SEC) at #14 LSU Fighting Tigers (19-9, 4-5 SEC)
DATES/TIMES
Thursday, April 7 – 6 p.m. CT
Friday, April 8 – 7:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, April 9 – 2 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field in Baton Rouge, La.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 14 by USA Today; No. 15 by D1 Baseball; No. 15 by Baseball America
VU – No. 2 by D1 Baseball; No. 3 by USA Today; No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge); live audio and live stats at www.LSUsports.net
TV
Thursday – SEC Network
Friday – ESPNU
Saturday – No TV; online on SEC Network + (accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app)
ONLINE
All three games are accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app
SERIES RECORD
LSU has a 55-40 all-time mark against Vanderbilt, and Thursday’s game marks the first meeting between the teams since the opening round of the 2014 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. (an 11-1 LSU win). This week’s series marks the first regular-season meeting between the schools since the opening weekend of SEC play in 2014, when Vanderbilt won two of three games over LSU in Nashville. This week’s series also marks Vanderbilt’s first visit to Baton Rouge since 2012, when the Commodores posted a 2-1 series win in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Vanderbilt has won the last six regular-season series between the schools and has a 14-4 mark in those regular-season contests. LSU’s last SEC series victory over the Commodores came in Nashville in 2005, when the Tigers won two of three games. LSU, however, has won five of its last six SEC Tournament games against Vanderbilt, beginning with the second round of the 2008 tournament. The Tigers defeated the Commodores in SEC Tournament championship games in 2009 and 2013.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – Jr. LHP Jared Poche’ (3-3, 2.38 ERA, 41.2 IP, 17 BB, 36 SO)
VU – So. RHP Jordan Sheffield (4-1, 2.27 ERA, 43.2 IP, 20 BB, 60 SO)
Game 2
LSU – So. RHP Alex Lange (2-2, 5.02 ERA, 43.0 IP, 26 BB, 53 SO)
VU – So. RHP Kyle Wright (4-1, 1.60 ERA, 33.2 IP, 11, BB, 40 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Sr. LHP John Valek III (5-1, 2.92 ERA, 40.0 IP, 4 BB, 30 SO)
VU – Jr. RHP Hayden Stone (0-1, 3.44 ERA, 18.1 IP, 12 BB, 21 SO)