BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 2 LSU (4-1) plays host to Maryland (1-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in Game 1 of a three-game series in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Game 2 will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and first pitch for Game 3 is 11 a.m. on Sunday.
The games on Friday and Sunday may be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge). Saturday’s game will be carried on WTGE 100.7 FM in Baton Rouge. All three games may be heard at www.LSUsports.net/live, and live stats are available at www.LSUstats.com.
All three LSU-Maryland games may be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.
LSU has split two games this week, dropping an 11-8 decision at New Orleans on Tuesday before posting an 8-1 home win over Hofstra on Wednesday.
Maryland hasn’t played since last weekend, when it lost two of three games at the Clearwater Tournament in Clearwater, Fla. The Terrapins lost to Ball State and Louisville before recording a 9-7 win over Alabama State to conclude the tournament.
LSU leads the all-time series with Maryland, 3-0, as the only prior series meeting between the schools came in 2013, when the Tigers opened the season with a three-game sweep of the Terrapins by scores of 1-0, 5-1 and 14-3 in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Maryland has advanced to an NCAA Super Regional in two of the past three seasons, making back-to-back appearances in 2014 and 2015.
“We opened the season with Maryland four years ago, and they were tough, hard-fought ball games, and I think the Maryland program has improved from that point,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “They’ve recently been to a Super Regional in consecutive seasons, and they have a number of players who are regarded as excellent prospects. It’s going to be a very challenging series, and it’s going to feel like an SEC weekend.”
LSU will employ the same pitching rotation it used during the season-opening weekend – junior right-hander Alex Lange on Friday, senior left-hander Jared Poche’ on Saturday and freshman right-hander Eric Walker on Sunday.
Lange improved his LSU career record to 21-4 with a win over Army last Saturday. He limited the Black Knights to no runs on four hits in five innings with no walks and six strikeouts.
Poche’ was named a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and the SEC Pitcher of the Week on Monday after firing the sixth individual no-hitter in LSU history, as he recorded a seven-inning gem against Army in the second game of a doubleheader last Saturday. Poche’ worked seven hitless frames, recording no walks and four strikeouts over 79 pitches in LSU’s 6-0 win.
Poche’s no-hitter was the first by an LSU pitcher since 1979, when Bobby Landry accomplished the feat in a seven-inning game against Southern Mississippi.
Walker earned a win over Air Force in his collegiate debut last Sunday, limiting the Falcons to one earned run on two hits in five innings with one walk and six strikeouts.
The Tigers are hitting a robust .340 as a team with eight home runs, and LSU’s hitters have struck out only 14 times in five games. Senior shortstop Kramer Robertson is hitting .500 with three doubles, one triple, one homer and six RBI to lead the Tigers’ offense.
Senior second baseman Cole Freeman is batting .471 with two doubles and four RBI, and freshman first baseman Jake Slaughter is hitting .438 with one homer and four RBI. Junior rightfielder Greg Deichmann has team-highs of three homers and eight RBI.
Maryland is hitting .294 as a team through its first three games with four doubles, one triple, one homer and eight stolen bases in 11 attempts.
The Terrapins are led at the plate by sophomore outfielder Marty Costes, who is hitting .500 with one triple and two RBI. Senior infielder Brandon Gum is hitting .500 with one double and two RBI, and sophomore infielder Nick Dunn has team-highs of one homer and three RBI.
Maryland Terrapins (1-2) at #2 LSU Fighting Tigers (4-1)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, February 24 – 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, February 25 – 2 p.m. CT
Sunday, February 26 – 11 a.m. CT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field (10,326) in Baton Rouge, La.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 2 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 4 by Baseball America; No. 5 by D1 Baseball
UM – unranked
RADIO
Friday and Sunday – LSU Sports Radio Network; in Baton Rouge on WDGL 98.1 FM
Saturday – in Baton Rouge on WTGE 100.7 FM
Radio broadcast and live stats for all LSU baseball games are available at www.LSUsports.net
ONLINE
SEC Network + – all three games may be viewed at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads the all-time series with Maryland, 3-0, as the only prior series meeting between the schools came in 2013, when the Tigers opened the season with a three-game sweep of the Terrapins by scores of 1-0, 5-1 and 14-3 in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – Jr. RHP Alex Lange (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 0 BB, 6 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Brian Shaffer (0-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Sr. LHP Jared Poche’ (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 0 BB, 4 SO)
UM– Jr. RHP Taylor Bloom (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Fr. RHP Eric Walker (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 1 BB, 6 SO)
UM – Fr. LHP Tyler Blohm (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 2 BB, 4 SO)