BATON ROUGE — LSU (30-12, 11-7 SEC) continues Southeastern Conference action this weekend as the sixth-ranked Tigers face Auburn (25-16, 8-10) in Alex Box Stadium.
Game 1 of the series begins at 7 p.m. CT Friday, Game 2 starts at 3 p.m. CT Saturday, and first pitch for Game 3 is 1 p.m. CT Sunday.
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 and stats of all three games may be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net. Live video will be available in the Geaux Zone on Friday and Sunday.
The games on Friday and Sunday will be televised by Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast. Sunday’s game will be also shown on a same-day tape-delayed basis at 6 p.m. on Cox Sports Television.
LSU is in second place in the SEC Western Division, just one-half game behind Arkansas (11-6). LSU is two games behind first-place Georgia (13-5) in the overall league standings.
The Tigers’ series loss to Tennessee last weekend ended LSU’s streak of nine consecutive SEC series wins, dating back to April 2008. LSU tied the SEC record for consecutive series wins in the current 30-game format that was implemented in 1994. Vanderbilt also won nine SEC series in a row over the course of the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
LSU rebounded from the Tennessee series loss to post non-conference wins this week over Southeastern Louisiana (6-5) and Louisiana-Lafayette (10-6).
Auburn enters the series in fifth place in the SEC West. The Plainsmen lost two of three games last weekend at South Carolina, and they dropped an 8-2 decision to Samford on Tuesday.
“This is a big series with Auburn as we try to get back on the right track in the SEC race,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We had to regroup this week and we earned two mid-week wins; now our focus is on the last 14 regular-season games, beginning with Auburn.”
Mainieri said sophomore right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (4-2, 2.83 ERA) will start Friday’s game on the mound for LSU. Senior right-hander Louis Coleman (8-2, 2.54 ERA) will start for the Tigers on Saturday, and sophomore right-hander Austin Ross (4-5, 4.62 ERA) will be Sunday’s starting pitcher.
Ranaudo leads the SEC with 83 strikeouts this season, and he is No. 1 in the league in opponent batting average (.205). Coleman leads the conference in wins with eight, and he is No. 2 in strikeouts (80) and No. 3 in opponent batting average (.214).
Auburn coach John Pawlowksi will counter with freshman right-hander John Luke Jacobs (3-2, 5.79 ERA) on Friday and sophomore left-hander Grant Dayton (2-4, 4.81 ERA) on Saturday. Auburn’s Sunday starting pitcher has yet to be determined.
LSU enters Friday’s game batting .309 as a team with 66 home runs and 81 stolen bases. LSU is third in the SEC in batting average, fifth in homers and first in steals. The Tigers have a 4.38 team ERA, which ranks No. 5 in the league.
LSU sophomore second baseman DJ LeMahieu is hitting .353 (53-for-150) on the year with seven doubles, three triples, three homers and 20 RBI.
Junior outfielder/DH Blake Dean is riding an 11-game hitting streak. Dean, who has homered in three straight games, is hitting .327 (49-for-150) with nine doubles, eight homers and 40 RBI.
First baseman Sean Ochinko is batting .344 (53-for-154) with eight doubles, seven homers and 40 RBI.
Junior outfielder Jared Mitchell is No. 2 in the SEC in stolen bases with 26 steals in 30 attempts, and he is also second in the league in walks (34).
Auburn is 11th in the SEC with a .287 team batting average, and the Plainsmen have recorded a league-high 86 homers on the year.
Auburn is led by junior infielder Joseph Sanders, who is hitting .329 (54-for-164) with 14 doubles, one triple, 18 homers and 54 RBI. Sanders is No. 3 in the league in homers and No. 4 in RBI.
Sophomore infielder Justin Hargett is batting .333 (46-for-138) with eight doubles, one triple, four homers and 23 RBI. Sophomore outfielder Trent Mummey is hitting .302 (48-for-159) with 10 doubles, two triples, 13 homers and 35 RBI.
LSU leads the all-time series with Auburn, 82-64, and the Tigers posted a three-game sweep over the Plainsmen last season at Auburn. LSU has captured seven of the last 10 series between the clubs dating back to 1999.
Auburn Tigers (25-16, 8-10) at #6 LSU Fighting Tigers (30-12, 11-7)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, April 24 ? 7 p.m. CT; Saturday, April 25 ? 3 p.m. CT; Sunday, April 26 ? 1 p.m. CT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (9,200)
RANKINGS
LSU – No. 6 by Baseball America; No. 8 by USA Today/ESPN; No. 9 by Collegiate Baseball
Auburn — unranked
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
The Baton Rouge affiliate is WDGL 98.1 FM
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net ? live audio and stats for all three games; live video on Friday and Sunday
TV
Comcast Sports Southeast on Friday and Sunday; No TV on Saturday
(Sunday’s game will be shown on a tape-delayed basis at 6 p.m. on Cox Sports Television)
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads, 82-64 (teams first met in 1907)
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU ? So. RHP Anthony Ranaudo (4-2, 2.83 ERA, 57.1 IP, 22 BB, 83 SO)
AU ? Fr. RHP Jon Luke Jacobs (3-2, 5.79 ERA, 46.2 IP, 24 BB, 36 SO)
Game 2
LSU ? Sr. RHP Louis Coleman (8-2, 2.54 ERA, 60.1 IP, 15 BB, 80 SO)
AU ? So. LHP Grant Dayton (2-4, 4.81 ERA, 58.0 IP, 14 BB, 54 SO)
Game 3
LSU ? So. RHP Austin Ross (4-5, 4.62 ERA, 48.2 IP, 8 BB, 43 SO)
AU ? TBA