BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 3 LSU (7-1) plays host to Nicholls at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field
The game may be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) and at www.LSUsports.net/live. Live stats for the contest are available at www.LSUstats.com.
The LSU-Nicholls game may be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.
LSU won four of five games last week, including a three-game sweep of Maryland, which was ranked in the Top 25 preseason polls. LSU batted .370 (37-for-100) in the Maryland series with five doubles, four triples, two homers and 29 runs. The Tigers were also 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts against the Terrapins, and LSU committed just one error in the three-game series
LSU coach Paul Mainieri said the Tigers should face a strong challenge from Nicholls starting pitcher Mike Hanchar, a senior left-hander who is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 12 innings.
“We have a lot of respect for (Nicholls coach) Seth Thibodeaux and his program, and we’re going to have our hands full on Tuesday night,” Mainieri said. “Nicholls beat us here just two years ago, so we certainly are aware of the talent level of their players. Their starting pitcher has put up some very impressive numbers against two excellent teams in UL-Lafayette and Wake Forest, so we’ll need to play with a high level of focus to beat them.”
LSU will counter on the mound with freshman right-hander Zack Hess, who is 1-0 this season with a 1.50 ERA and eight strikeouts in six innings. He defeated Hofstra last Wednesday, limiting the opposition to just two hits in five shutout innings with two walks and six Ks.
Junior catcher Michael Papierski helped lead LSU to four wins last week, batting .455 (5-for-11) with one double, one homer, seven RBI, two runs and a .538 on-base percentage. He also threw out three of four baserunners attempting to steal in last week’s games.
In the Tigers’ three-game sweep of Maryland, Papierski collected six RBI, including a three-run homer in the eighth inning on Friday night that broke open a tight 3-1 game and gave the Tigers a 6-1 lead they would not relinquish. Papierski is batting .389 on the year with a .476 on-base percentage.
Freshman first baseman Jake Slaughter batted .444 (8-for-18) in five games last week with one double, one run and six RBI. He was the Tigers’ leading hitter in their three-game sweep over Maryland, batting .500 (5-for-10) with one double, four RBI and a .455 on-base percentage.
Slaughter is the only LSU player to hit safely in each of the Tigers’ eight games this season. On the year, he is hitting .462 (12-for-26) with one double, one homer and eight RBI.
Freshman Rankin Woley earned two starts against Maryland as the Tigers’ designated hitter, and he responded by going 4-for-10 at the plate with one double, one triple, two RBI and four runs scored.
Nicholls is hitting .207 as a team through its first seven games with seven doubles, four homers and five stolen bases in 10 attempts.
The Colonels are led at the plate by junior infielder Joey Morales, who is hitting .318 with one double and seven runs scored. Junior outfielder Gavin Wehby is hitting .286 with three doubles and six RBI, and senior catcher Alex Tucker is batting .263 with one double and three RBI.
LSU leads the all-time series with Nicholls, 52-23, including a 9-4 win for the Tigers over the Colonels last season in Thibodaux. The Colonels defeated LSU in their last visit to Alex Box Stadium, a 6-3 victory on February 18, 2015.
The Tigers have won 25 of the last 27 meetings with the Colonels. Nicholls’ only wins in its last 27 games versus LSU were the 6-3 victory in 2015 and a 3-1 win over the Tigers on April 15, 2009, in Alex Box Stadium.
Nicholls Colonels (4-3) at #3 LSU Fighting Tigers (7-1)
DATE/TIME
Tuesday, February 28 – 6:30 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field (10,326) in Baton Rouge, La.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball; No. 4 by Baseball America; No. 4 by D1 Baseball
Nicholls – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network; in Baton Rouge on WDGL 98.1 FM
Radio broadcast and live stats for all LSU baseball games are available at www.LSUsports.net
ONLINE
SEC Network + – the game may be viewed at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads the all-time series with Nicholls, 52-23, including a 9-4 win for the Tigers over the Colonels last season in Thibodaux. The Colonels defeated LSU in their last visit to Alex Box Stadium, a 6-3 victory on February 18, 2015. The Tigers have won 25 of the last 27 meetings with the Colonels. Nicholls’ only wins in its last 27 games versus LSU were the 6-3 victory in 2015 and a 3-1 win over the Tigers on April 15, 2009, in Alex Box Stadium.
PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU – Fr. RHP Zack Hess (1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 3 BB, 8 SO)
Nicholls – Sr. LHP Mike Hanchar (1-0, 0.75 ERA, 12.0 IP, 1 BB, 16 SO)