BATON ROUGE, La. – Top-ranked LSU (29-5, 8-4 SEC) plays host to Auburn (20-13, 4-8 SEC) this weekend in a three-game SEC series beginning at 7 p.m. CT Friday in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Game 2 is set for 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday, and first pitch for Game 3 is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Sunday.
The games will be carried on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge, and live audio and stats may be accessed at www.LSUsports.net.
The LSU-Auburn games may be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.
LSU is ranked No. 1 in the Perfect Game poll this week, marking the fourth week this season the Tigers are No. 1 in at least one poll. LSU was 4-0 in its games last week, including a three-game sweep SEC sweep at Alabama over the weekend.
“Auburn is a very good club with a lot of talented ball players,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “They have an outstanding pitching staff that will challenge our hitters throughout the weekend. This series already marks the halfway point of the SEC schedule, and it’s a very important series for us as we strive to attain the goals we set prior to the season.”
LSU leads the SEC with a .326 team batting average, and the Tigers have launched 33 home runs, just eight shy of the 41 they hit for the entire 2014 season. LSU also has 58 stolen bases, already nine more than the 49 steals it had in all of 2014.
The Tigers have reached double-figures in hits in 12 consecutive games, beginning with a 21-hit effort at Arkansas on March 20.
LSU senior catcher Kade Scivicque enters the Auburn series riding a 17-game hitting streak, and he leads the Tigers with a .397 batting average. Scivicque has collected 10 doubles, four homers and 25 RBI while throwing out 10 base runners attempting to steal.
Junior first baseman Chris Chinea is riding a 12-game hitting streak, and he is batting .358 on the year with nine doubles, four homers and 28 RBI. Junior shortstop Alex Bregman is hitting .341 with 13 doubles, three triples, seven homers and a team-best 32 RBI.
Sunday’s game will mark the first career collegiate start for LSU freshman Austin Bain, who pitched brilliantly in relief last Saturday to help lead LSU to a 13-inning win over Alabama. Bain entered the game in the bottom of the first inning with LSU trailing 4-2 and the bases loaded with one out. He retired the first two batters he faced to end the threat and pitched all the way through the seventh inning.
Bain worked a career-long 6.2 shutout innings, and he threw 93 pitches in the outing. He allowed just three hits with one walk and a career-high nine strikeouts, and he was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday.
Auburn is eighth in the SEC in hitting with a .281 team batting average, and it has collected 12 homers and 23 steals in 43 attempts. Auburn is led at the plate by sophomore outfielder Anfernee Grier, who is batting .393 with 14 doubles, one triple, 11 RBI and 28 runs. Junior infielder Cody Nulph is hitting .291 with six doubles, two homers and 19 RBI, while sophomore catcher Blake Logan is batting .288 with nine doubles, two triples and 21 RBI.
LSU leads Auburn, 94-70,in a series that began in 1907. LSU has posted 16 wins over Auburn in the last 22 games between the clubs, including consecutive three-game sweeps in 2013 in Baton Rouge and in 2014 at Auburn. LSU has captured 10 of the last 16 SEC regular-season series between the clubs, dating back to 1999. LSU coach Paul Mainieri has a 16-8 career mark against Auburn.
Auburn Tigers (20-13, 4-8 SEC) at #1 LSU Fighting Tigers (29-5, 8-4 SEC)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, April 10 – 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Saturday, April 11 – 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Sunday, April 12 – 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field (10,326)
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 1 by Perfect Game; No. 3 by Baseball America; No. 3 by USA Today; No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball
Auburn – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
LSUsports.net – live audio and live stats
ONLINE
The games may be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads Auburn, 94-70,in a series that began in 1907. LSU has posted 16 wins over Auburn in the last 22 games between the clubs, including consecutive three-game sweeps in 2013 in Baton Rouge and in 2014 at Auburn. LSU has captured 10 of the last 16 SEC regular-season series between the clubs, dating back to 1999. LSU coach Paul Mainieri has a 16-8 career mark against Auburn.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – So. LHP Jared Poche’ (5-1, 3.10 ERA, 49.1 IP, 15 BB, 32 SO)
AU – So. Cole Lipscomb (4-0, 2.65 ERA, 37.1 IP, 11 BB, 44 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Fr. RHP Alex Lange (6-0, 1.39 ERA, 51.2 IP, 20 BB, 61 SO)
AU – So. RHP Keegan Thompson (6-2, 3.15 ERA, 54.1 IP, 12 BB, 52 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Fr. RHP Austin Bain (0-0, 2.45 ERA, 22.0 IP, 8 BB, 25 SO)
AU – Sr. RHP Rocky McCord (2-2, 3.55 ERA, 45.2 IP, 24 BB, 34 SO)