BATON ROUGE — Sixth-ranked LSU (32-11, 10-8) returns to SEC action this weekend as the Tigers play host to Alabama (25-18, 6-12) in a three-game SEC series at Alex Box Stadium.
First pitch for Game 1 of the LSU-Alabama series is 6:30 p.m. CDT Friday, Game 2 is set for 2 p.m. CDT Saturday and Game 3 will be played at 1 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.
Friday’s game will be televised on a tape-delayed basis at 9 p.m. by Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37 in Baton Rouge). There is no television coverage of the games on Saturday and Sunday.
The LSU-Alabama series matches the SEC’s top hitting club — LSU (.334 team batting average) — versus the league’s No. 1 pitching staff –Alabama (2.94 ERA).
LSU trails first-place Arkansas (13-5) by three games in the SEC Western Division standings with 12 games remaining in the conference regular season. Arkansas plays host to Tennessee (10-8 in the SEC East) this weekend in Fayetteville.
Alabama is in sixth place in the SEC Western Division; however, the Crimson Tide is still in contention for a berth in the SEC Tournament.
LSU began this week Tuesday with a 9-5 victory over No. 13 Tulane in the Louisiana Superdome. The game was played before a paid crowd of 21,343, the fourth-largest regular-season attendance figure in NCAA baseball history.
The Tigers are now 10-5 this season when facing a ranked team. LSU has won two of three games against five teams currently appearing in at least one of the Top 25 polls — Central Florida, South Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee and Tulane.
Alabama posted a 10-2 victory over Mississippi Valley State Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa.
LSU center fielder J.C. Holt extended his hitting streak to 13 games Tuesday with a three-run homer that highlighted a five-run fourth inning. Holt, LSU’s top hitter with a .414 average, leads the SEC in hits (75) and runs scored (57).
Left fielder Ryan Patterson extended his hitting streak to 15 games Tuesday as he doubled and scored three runs. During the streak, Patterson is batting .414 (29-for-70) with five doubles, two triples, five homers, 21 RBI and 20 runs.
Junior left-hander Lane Mestepey turned in his longest outing of the season to earn the win over Tulane, scattering 11 hits over 7.1 innings. Right-hander Jordan Faircloth earned his third save of the year, worked 1.2 shutout innings with three strikeouts. Faircloth, who inherited a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth, recorded a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat.
LSU coach Smoke Laval will send freshman left-hander Clay Dirks (8-0, 2.41 ERA) to the mound Friday, while Alabama coach Jim Wells will counter with freshman lefty Wade LeBlanc (5-4, 1.81 ERA), a native of Lake Charles, La. Dirks will make his first SEC Game 1 start this season, as he has worked as LSU’s Game 2 weekend starter for the past five weeks.
LSU has won 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Crimson Tide, and the Tigers have won four straight SEC series over Alabama, including sweeps in 2001 and 2002.
The Crimson Tide last won a series over LSU in the 1999 NCAA Super Regional at Tuscaloosa. Alabama hasn’t won a series in Alex Box Stadium since 1996, when UA took two of three games from the Tigers.
Laval has a 7-6 career mark against Alabama during his 10-year collegiate coaching career, while Wells, a former LSU graduate assistant coach (1987-89), has a 19-26 career record against the Tigers during his 15 seasons as a head coach.
SERIES FACTS
Alabama Crimson Tide (25-18, 6-12) at #6 LSU Fighting Tigers (32-11, 10-8)
DATES/TIMES: April 30 – 6:30 p.m.; May 1 – 2 p.m.; May 2 – 1 p.m.
STADIUM: Alex Box Stadium (7,760)
RANKINGS: LSU (#6 Baseball America, #6 ESPN/Sports Weekly, #6 Collegiate Baseball); Alabama (unranked)
RADIO: statewide on LSU Sports Network (WDGL-FM 98.1 in Baton Rouge)
INTERNET: www.LSUsports.net
TV: Friday’s game will be televised on a tape-delayed basis at 9 p.m. by Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37 in Baton Rouge); No TV on Saturday or Sunday
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – Fr. LHP Clay Dirks (8-0, 2.41 ERA, 67.1 IP, 11 BB, 58 SO)
UA – Fr. LHP Wade LeBlanc (5-4, 1.81 ERA, 79.2 IP, 19 BB, 72 SO)
Game 2
LSU – So. RHP Justin Meier (5-2, 3.46 ERA, 67.2 IP, 19 BB, 47 SO)
UA – Fr. LHP Brandon Belcher (3-4, 4.05 ERA, 46.2 IP, 17 BB, 40 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Sr. RHP Nate Bumstead (6-2, 4.12 ERA, 54.2 IP, 12 BB, 25 SO)
UA – Jr. LHP Taylor Tankersley (2-2, 1.42 ERA, 50.2 IP, 11 BB, 59 SO)