BATON ROUGE — No. 16 LSU (36-16-1, 15-11-1 SEC) places the nation’s longest win streak on the line this weekend as the Tigers travel to Auburn (28-25, 11-16 SEC) for a three-game Southeastern Conference series to close the regular season.
Game 1 of the series begins at 6 p.m. CT Thursday, Game 2 starts at 6 p.m. CT Friday, and first pitch for Game 3 is 2 p.m. CT Saturday.
The games will be carried by the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network. The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM.
Live audio of the games may be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
The games on Thursday and Friday will be televised by Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37 in Baton Rouge).
LSU has won 13 straight games, the nation’s longest current win streak. The Tigers extended the streak Tuesday night with a 7-6, 15-inning victory over No. 22 New Orleans at Zephyr Field in Metairie, La. The game was LSU’s longest since March 22, 1996, when the Tigers lost a 16-inning duel at Florida, 7-6.
LSU enters the Auburn series in first place in the SEC Western Division, 1.5 games ahead of Alabama (14-13) and Ole Miss (14-13). The Tigers are seeking to clinch LSU’s first division title since 2005 while securing a bid in next week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
Auburn, which is also vying for an SEC Tournament berth, is in fifth place in the Western Division with an 11-16 mark.
“We’re a little emotionally and physically drained right now after the five-hour game with UNO,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri, “but our team is very resilient, and we’ll be ready to play by 6 p.m. on Thursday. We know what’s at stake this week ? it’s an opportunity to win the SEC West, to earn a bid to the SEC Tournament and to give ourselves a chance to host an NCAA Regional.
“Auburn is a very talented club with a lot on the line as well, so it’s going to be another great challenge for our players.”
Mainieri said junior left-hander Ryan Verdugo (7-2, 3.44 ERA) will start Thursday’s game on the mound for LSU. Junior left-hander Blake Martin (4-3, 4.80 ERA) will be the Tigers’ starter on Friday, and Saturday’s starter has yet to be determined.
Auburn coach Tom Slater will counter this weekend with freshman left-hander Grant Dayton (7-1 3.65 ERA) on Thursday, sophomore right-hander Taylor Thompson (3-5, 5.71 ERA) on Friday and junior right-hander Luke Greinke (4-4, 4.47 ERA) on Saturday.
LSU’s 13-game win streak is the Tigers’ longest since the 2000 club won 13 in a row to complete its national championship season. The Tigers’ nine-game SEC win streak is LSU’s longest in one season since the 1991 team captured its first 11 league games.
LSU has seen its team batting average rise from .293 to .300 during its win streak. The Tigers are hitting .320 (159-for-497) as a team in their last 13 games with 33 doubles, three triples and 23 homers while outscoring their opponents, 118-59.
Sophomore leftfielder Jared Mitchell is batting .415 (17-for-41) during the win streak with two doubles, one triple, four homers, 11 RBI, 14 runs and four stolen bases.
Sophomore designated hitter/outfielder Blake Dean is batting .396 (21-for-53) over the past 13 games with six doubles, four homers and 13 RBI.
Junior first baseman Matt Clark is batting .357 (15-for-42) during the streak with six doubles, five homers and 13 RBI. Freshman shortstop DJ LeMahieu is batting .333 (18-for-54) during the 13-game stretch with three doubles, one homer and 11 RBI.
The Tigers’ pitching staff has a 3.57 ERA in the past 13 games, limiting opponents to a .262 batting average during that span. LSU’s cumulative ERA of 3.90 is third-best in the SEC.
Auburn’s team batting average is .304 ? fifth-best in the SEC ? and its 4.70 team ERA ranks No. 8 in the league.
Auburn is led at the plate by freshman first baseman Hunter Morris, who is batting .367 with 15 doubles, two triples, 11 homers and 49 RBI. Sophomore infielder Joseph Sanders is hitting .351 with 18 doubles, five homers and 49 RBI, and junior outfielder Mike Bianucci is batting .321 with 18 doubles, two triples, 12 homers and 42 RBI.
LSU leads the overall series between the schools, 79-64, though Auburn won two of three games last season in Baton Rouge. LSU has captured six of the last nine series between the clubs dating back to 1999.
LSU has posted four straight series victories at Plainsman Park (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006). Auburn’s last home series victory over LSU came in 1998.
#16 LSU Fighting Tigers (36-16-1, 15-11-1) at Auburn Tigers (28-25, 11-16)
DATES/TIMES
Thursday, May 15 ? 6 p. m. CT; Friday, May 16 ? 6 p.m. CT; Saturday, May 17 ? 2 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.
RANKINGS
LSU is ranked No. 16 by Baseball America, No. 16 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 21 by USA Today/ESPN
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net ? live audio and stats
TV
Thursday ? Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37 in Baton Rouge)
Friday ? Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37 in Baton Rouge)
Saturday ? none
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads the series, 79-64 (the teams first met in 1907)
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU ? Jr. LHP Ryan Verdugo (7-2, 3.44 ERA, 70.2 IP, 24 BB, 59 SO)
AU ? Fr. LHP Grant Dayton (7-1, 3.65 ERA, 74.0 IP, 13 BB, 72 SO)
Game 2
LSU ? Jr. LHP Blake Martin (4-3, 4.80 ERA, 69.1 IP, 29 BB, 70 SO)
AU ? So. RHP Taylor Thompson (3-5, 5.71 ERA, 58.1 IP, 18 BB, 47 SO)
Game 3
LSU ? TBA
AU ? Jr. RHP Luke Greinke (4-4, 4.47 ERA, 50.1 IP, 14 BB, 38 SO)