BATON ROUGE — Second-ranked LSU (22-4, 4-2) continues a four-game road stretch this weekend as the Tigers play No. 11 Auburn (20-7, 3-3) in a three-game SEC series at Plainsman Park on the AU campus.
First pitch for Game 1 of the LSU-Auburn series is 6:30 p.m. CST Friday, Game 2 is set for 3 p.m. CST Saturday and Game 3 will be played at 1:30 p.m. CDT Sunday.
The games can be heard statewide on the LSU Sports Network (WDGL-FM 98.1 in Baton Rouge). All three games can also be heard on the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
Sunday’s game will be televised statewide by the Jumbo Sports Network (Cable Ch. 3 in Baton Rouge).
LSU trails first-place Ole Miss (5-1) by one game in the SEC Western Division standings. Auburn is tied with Arkansas for third place in the division.
All three of the Tigers’ SEC weekend opponents this season (South Carolina, Mississippi State and Auburn) have been ranked in the Top 25 at the time of the series. LSU has a 5-2 mark against Top 25 clubs.
LSU has won 11 of its last 13 games, including a 12-5 victory at the University of New Orleans on Tuesday night. The Tigers’ 22-4 record is LSU’s best through 26 games since the 1997 club posted a 24-2 mark.
LSU pounded out 15 hits in Tuesday’s victory, reaching double-figures in hits for the 16th time in 17 games. Junior right fielder Jon Zeringue drove in four runs with a three-run homer — his team-high eighth HR of the year — and an RBI single. Zeringue also leads the club in doubles (13) and RBI (28), and he enters this weekend’s series at Auburn with a .404 (40-for-99) cumulative average.
Junior left fielder Ryan Patterson’s seventh-inning double Tuesday at UNO extended his hitting streak to 10 games, tying the longest streak of his career.
First baseman Clay Harris launched a solo homer in the second inning Tuesday, his second HR of the year and his first since Feb. 14 at Central Florida. Harris, who shared the team lead with Patterson last season for home runs (16), broke a 23-game HR drought with the solo shot.
Center fielder J.C. Holt led off Tuesday’s game with a homer, marking the second time this season he has opened an LSU contest with a HR (also at South Carolina on March 20).
Sophomore left-hander Jason Determann tied a career-high with seven strikeouts in a 4.2-inning outing as Tuesday’s starting pitcher.
LSU coach Smoke Laval will send sophomore right-hander Justin Meier (4-1, 2.51 ERA) to the mound Friday, while Auburn coach Steve Renfroe will counter with freshman left-hander Mike Felix (2-1, 3.16 ERA).
Meier defeated Auburn last season in Baton Rouge, limiting the Plainsmen to four runs on seven hits in seven innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
Meier suffered his first loss of this season last Friday versus Mississippi State, allowing seven runs (three earned) on 11 hits in four innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
LSU leads the all-times series with Auburn, 72-59, and the Bayou Bengals have won four of the last five games with the Plainsmen. LSU has an 8-5 series advantage over AU in games played this decade.
LSU has won four of the last five SEC regular-season series versus Auburn, including a 2-1 series victory last season in Baton Rouge. LSU has won its last two series at Plainsman Park (2000 and 2002); AU’s last home series victory over LSU came in 1998.
Laval has a 5-2 mark versus Auburn during his three-year LSU tenure, while Renfroe has a 4-6 record against LSU in his four years at AU.
SERIES FACTS: #2 LSU Fighting Tigers (22-4, 4-2) at #11 Auburn Tigers (20-7, 3-3)
DATES/TIMES: April 2 – 6:30 p.m. CST; April 3 – 3 p.m. CST; April 4 – 1:30 p.m. CDT
STADIUM: Plainsman Park (4,096)
RANKINGS: LSU (#2 Collegiate Baseball, #3 Baseball America, #3 ESPN/Sports Weekly); Auburn (#11 ESPN/Baseball Weekly, #13 Baseball America, #15 Collegiate Baseball)
RADIO: statewide on LSU Sports Network (WDGL-FM 98.1 in Baton Rouge)
INTERNET: www.LSUsports.net
TV: No TV on Friday and Saturday; Sunday’s game will be carried live by the Jumbo Sports Network (Cable Ch. 3 in Baton Rouge)
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – So. RHP Justin Meier (4-1, 2.51 ERA, 46.2 IP, 13 BB, 33 SO) AU – Fr. LHP Mike Felix (2-1, 3.16 ERA, 31.1 IP, 18 BB, 30 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Fr. LHP Clay Dirks (5-0, 1.64 ERA, 38.1 IP, 8 BB, 37 SO) AU – Jr. LHP Arnold Hughey (4-1, 4.91 ERA, 44.0 IP, 9 BB, 40 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Sr. RHP Nate Bumstead (4-0, 4.15 ERA, 30.1 IP, 9 BB, 19 SO) AU – So. RHP Josh Bell (2-0, 1.65 ERA, 16.1 IP, 10 BB, 11 SO)