BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 13 LSU (20-10, 5-4 SEC) opens a three-game Southeastern Conference series versus No. 14 Arkansas (24-6, 7-2 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. CT Friday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Game 2 of the series will begin at 6 p.m. CT Saturday, and first pitch for Game 3 is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT Sunday.
The games will be carried on the LSU Sports Radio Network (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge), and the radio broadcast may be heard at www.LSUsports.net/live,
The games may be viewed online on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.
LSU leads the series with Arkansas, 67-30, and the Tigers have won 11 of their last 12 SEC regular-season series versus the Razorbacks, including a three-game series sweep last season in Baton Rouge. The only regular-season series win for Arkansas over LSU in the past 12 seasons came in 2011, when the Razorbacks swept three games from the Tigers in Fayetteville.
The Tigers are 31-12 against Arkansas over the past 12 seasons, including two wins over the Razorbacks in the 2009 College World Series.
LSU enters this weekend’s series in fourth place in the SEC Western Division with a 5-4 mark, just two games behind division leaders Auburn and Arkansas with 21 league games remaining.
“We’ve had some great ball games over the years with Arkansas, and there’s not a coach in our league that I have greater respect for than (Arkansas coach) Dave Van Horn,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “Last year was such an aberration for them, and I’m not at all surprised that this year they have one of the best teams in the league. They’re playing with a lot of confidence, and Baum Stadium is one of the great venues in college baseball. It’s going to be a big series with a great atmosphere.
“I’m confident in our guys; I know they’re going to be ready to compete, and hopefully we’ll play really well this weekend.”
LSU is second in the SEC in team batting average (.300), and the Tigers’ hitters have the fewest strikeouts in the league (170). Arkansas is seventh in the league in batting average (.290), but the Razorbacks have unloaded a conference-best 40 home runs.
The Tigers are seventh in the league in team ERA (3.43), and the LSU pitchers have recorded the fourth-highest total of strikeouts in the SEC with 285 Ks. Arkansas is eighth in the SEC in ERA (3.45), and the Razorbacks’ staff leads the league with 291 strikeouts.
LSU will employ its customary weekend rotation of junior right-hander Alex Lange (3-3) on Friday, senior left-hander Jared Poche’ (6-1) on Saturday and freshman right-hander Eric Walker (3-0) on Sunday.
Lange turned in an excellent performance against Texas A&M last Thursday night, limiting the Aggies to two runs on nine hits in eight innings with one walk and 12 strikeouts. The outing marked the second 12-strikeout game of Lange’s career and was just one strikeout shy of his career high for Ks (13), which he accomplished twice during the 2015 season.
Poche’ earned his 33rd career win last Friday night, defeating Texas A&M in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. Poche’ worked seven innings against the Aggies, allowing two runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He is now only five wins shy of tying Scott Schultz (1992-95) as LSU’s all-time wins leader. Poche’ is 6-1 on the year with a 1.15 ERA (No. 4 in the SEC) in 47 innings, and he’s recorded 10 walks, 31 strikeouts and a .178 opponent batting average (No. 3 in the SEC).
Walker delivered an outstanding effort last Saturday against Texas A&M, as he worked seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. The seven innings pitched marked a career high for Walker, and the seven Ks was just one shy of his career-best mark.
Senior second baseman Cole Freeman is LSU’s leading hitter, batting .355 with seven doubles, one homer and 17 RBI. Sophomore outfielder Antoine Duplantis is batting .342 with five doubles, two triples, one homer and 29 RBI, and freshman outfielder Zach Watson is hitting .338 with five doubles, one triple, two homers and 12 RBI.
Senior shortstop Kramer Robertson has homered in three straight games and is batting .322 with 10 doubles, one triple, four homers and 20 RBI. Junior outfielder Greg Deichmann is hitting .321 and leads LSU in homers (9) and RBI (32).
Arkansas is led at the plate by senior outfielder Jake Arledge, who is hitting .362 with three homers, three doubles and 17 RBI. Junior outfielder Luke Bonfield is batting .325 with six doubles, five homers and 23 RBI, while junior utility player Carson Shaddy is hitting .323 with six doubles, one triple, seven homers and 29 RBI.
No. 13 LSU (20-10, 5-4 SEC) at No. 14 Arkansas (24-6, 7-2 SEC)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, April 7 – 6:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, April 8 – 6 p.m. CT
Sunday, April 9 – 1 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 13 D1 Baseball; No. 13 USA Today; No. 15 Baseball America; No. 22 Collegiate Baseball
UA – No. 14 Collegiate Baseball; No. 15 D1 Baseball; No. 15 USA Today; No. 16 Baseball America
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 +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads the series with Arkansas, 67-30, and the Tigers have won 11 of their last 12 SEC regular-season series versus the Razorbacks, including a three-game series sweep last season in Baton Rouge. The only regular-season series win for Arkansas over LSU in the past 12 seasons came in 2011, when the Razorbacks swept three games from the Tigers in Fayetteville. The Tigers are 31-12 against Arkansas over the past 12 seasons, including two wins over the Razorbacks in the 2009 College World Series.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – Jr. RHP Alex Lange (3-3, 3.73 ERA, 41.0 IP, 11 BB, 55 SO)
UA – So. RHP Blaine Knight (4-1, 2.23 ERA, 40.1 IP, 2 BB, 48 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Sr. LHP Jared Poche’ (6-1, 1.15 ERA, 47.0 IP, 10 BB, 31 SO)
UA – Jr. RHP Trevor Stephan (4-2, 2.92 ERA, 37.0 IP, 10 BB, 50 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Fr. RHP Eric Walker (3-0, 3.03 ERA, 38.2 IP, 10 BB, 43 SO)
UA – TBA