UPDATE: On Friday at 2:40 p.m. CT, game 1 of the series was postponed until Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. Game 2 of the series will begin 30 minutes following game 1.
BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 14 LSU (16-8, 2-4 SEC) begins a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Auburn (12-13, 1-5 SEC) at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday in Plainsman Park.
Game 2 of the series will start 30 minutes after game 1 on Saturday, and first pitch for Game 3 is set for 1 p.m. CT Sunday.
The games will be carried on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge, Live audio of the games may be accessed at
www.LSUsports.net/live with live stats at www.LSUstats.com.
The games may be viewed online on SEC Network +, accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.
LSU begins the weekend series in the fifth place in the SEC Western Division with a 2-4 mark, while Auburn is seventh in the West at 1-5.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri said that sophomore right-hander Alex Lange (2-1, 4.21 ERA) would start game 1 of the series for the Tigers. Lange had a strong outing last Friday against Texas A&M, pitching 6.1 innings and limiting the Aggies to two runs on five hits with six walks and 11 strikeouts in a 3-2 LSU win.
As of Thrusday, Lange was scheduled to start Game 1 of a weekend series for the second time this season.
“Alex has overpowering stuff and gives us a chance to have a good start to the series,” Mainieri said. “He’s a true ace, and we’re looking forward to seeing him pitch in the Friday night role. He didn’t pitch against Auburn last year due to a tight forearm – I don’t know if that gives us any kind of advantage or not, because they haven’t seen him before. Alex gives us the best chance on Friday night, so we’re going to roll with that and see how it works out.”
LSU is No. 8 in the SEC in team batting average at .295, but the Tigers have struck out the fewest number of times (101) among league teams. The next-best mark belongs to Florida, whose hitters have struck out 140 times.
LSU will face an Auburn pitching staff that is No. 13 in the SEC in team ERA at 4.15, and Auburn is also No. 13 in strikeouts pitched with 188.
LSU is led at the plate by freshman rightfielder Antoine Duplantis, who is hitting .370 with six doubles, two triples, 11 RBI, 15 runs and seven stolen bases. Sophomore leftfielder Beau Jordan is batting .341 with six doubles, one homer, 19 RBI and 11 runs, and junior centerfielder Jake Fraley is hitting .340 with doubles, four triples, one homer, 12 RBI, 26 runs and 14 steals.
The LSU pitching staff, which is ninth in the SEC with a 3.75 ERA, will face an Auburn club that is No. 2 in the league in hitting with a .326 team batting average. Auburn has 21 home runs, the fifth-highest total in the SEC.
Auburn is led at the plate by junior outfielder Anfernee Grier, who is batting .434 with six doubles, one triple, seven homers, 35 runs, 23 RBI and 13 stolen bases. Junior outfielder Joshua Palacios is batting .411 with eight doubles, four triples, three homers, 20 RBI, and junior infielder Niko Buentello is hitting .380 with six doubles, one triple, six homers, 34 RBI and 21 runs.
LSU leads Auburn, 97-71, in a series that began in 1907. LSU has won nine of its last 10 and 19 of its last 26 games versus Auburn. Last season, LSU won three of four games over Auburn, including a 2-1 series victory in Baton Rouge and 9-8 victory in LSU’s first-round game of the SEC Tournament.
LSU has captured 11 of the last 17 SEC regular-season series between the clubs, dating back to 1999. Auburn’s last SEC series win over LSU came in 2012, when AU captured two of three games at Plainsman Park. Mainieri has a 19-9 career mark against Auburn.
#14 LSU Fighting Tigers (16-8, 2-4 SEC) at Auburn Tigers (12-13, 1-5 SEC)
DATES/TIMES
Saturday, April 2 – 1 p.m. CT
Saturday, April 2 – 30 minutes after game 1
Sunday, April 3 – 1 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 14 by USA Today; No. 15 by D1 Baseball; No. 19 by Baseball America; No. 20 by Collegiate Baseball
AU – unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge); live audio and live stats at www.LSUsports.net
ONLINE
SEC Network + (accessible at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app)
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads Auburn, 97-71, in a series that began in 1907. LSU has won nine of its last 10 and 19 of its last 26 games versus Auburn. Last season, LSU won three of four games over Auburn, including a 2-1 series victory in Baton Rouge and 9-8 victory in LSU’s first-round game of the SEC Tournament. LSU has captured 11 of the last 17 SEC regular-season series between the clubs, dating back to 1999. Auburn’s last SEC series win over LSU came in 2012, when AU captured two of three games at Plainsman Park. LSU coach Paul Mainieri has a 19-9 career mark against Auburn.
PITCHING MATCHUPS (subject to change)
Game 1
LSU – So. RHP Alex Lange (2-1, 4.21 ERA, 36.1 IP, 20 BB, 45 SO)
AU – Sr. RHP Justin Camp (1-1, 4.71 ERA, 36.1 IP, 9 BB, 28 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Jr. LHP Jared Poche’ (2-3, 2.55 ERA, 35.1 IP, 13 BB, 30 SO)
AU – Jr. RHP Cole Lipscomb (1-2, 5.27 ERA, 27.1 IP, 11 BB, 27 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Sr. LHP John Valek III (4-1, 2.34 ERA, 34.2 IP, 3 BB, 27 SO)
AU – TBA