BATON ROUGE — LSU (23-18-1, 8-9-1 SEC) returns to Southeastern Conference action this weekend as the Tigers face Tennessee (23-18, 6-10 SEC) in Alex Box Stadium.
Game 1 of the LSU-Tennessee series is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Game 2 will start at 3 p.m. Saturday, and Game 3 begins at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets for each game are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-12. Tickets are available at Alex Box Stadium each day two hours prior to first pitch, or they may be purchased and printed at www.LSUsports.net.
All three games will be carried by the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge).
The games may also be accessed in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
Sunday’s game will be televised regionally by Cox Sports Television.
LSU enters the series in fourth place in the SEC Western Division with an 8-9-1 conference mark, and the Tigers are in seventh place in the overall league standings. LSU is contending for a berth in the SEC Tournament, which includes the top eight conference teams at the end of the regular season.
Tennessee is in fifth place in the SEC Eastern Division, and the Vols are 10th in the overall race.
LSU posted a 2-1 SEC series victory at No. 15 Mississippi State last weekend, marking the Tigers’ third series victory in the past four weeks. The Tigers have recorded consecutive series victories over Top 15 teams, defeating Mississippi State last weekend and No. 13 Ole Miss on April 13-15.
“We know it’s going to be a tough series against Tennessee,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “They have a very good team this year, and this series is very important to us, especially now that we’ve worked our way back into the mix.
“We’ve had a pretty exciting stretch here for the Tigers. We’ve won three of the last four SEC series, which helped us get back in the mix. It worked out pretty well for us last week. Mississippi State beat us handily on Friday, but our guys were able to come back and earn a win on Saturday and then have some success on Sunday.”
Junior right-hander Jared Bradford earned a save and a win in consecutive days to lead LSU to the series victory over Mississippi State. Bradford worked the ninth inning of Saturday’s 6-5 win, recording the final three outs on 15 pitches to earn his team-best fifth save of the season. Bradford then came back on Sunday as LSU’s starting pitcher and limited the Bulldogs ? the SEC’s top-hitting club with a .338 average ? to one run on six hits in 7.1 innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Bradford fired 102 pitches to earn his seventh victory, which also leads the LSU staff.
“The key to our success has been Jared Bradford,” Mainieri said. “I wouldn’t trade him for anyone, because of what he’s meant to this team. He’s very unselfish, and he’s done whatever we’ve asked him. Without him, there’s no way we could have won two games in Starkville.”
Junior left-hander Charlie Furbush (3-5, 4.79 ERA) will start Friday’s game on the mound for LSU while Tennessee coach Rod Delmonico will counter with junior left-hander James Adkins (4-6, 3.02 ERA), who has recorded 89 strikeouts in 83.1 innings.
LSU sophomore second baseman Nicholas Pontiff drove in five runs in the Mississippi State series as he delivered key hits in the Tigers’ two victories. In Saturday’s 6-5 win, Pontiff launched a two-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5 ? it was the first homer of the year for Pontiff and just the second of his career.
In Sunday’s 3-1 victory at MSU, Pontiff delivered the game-winning hit — a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie.
Junior shortstop Michael Hollander enjoyed a productive weekend at Mississippi State, batting .455 (5-for-11) with two doubles, one triple, one homer, two RBI and two runs. Hollander provided the game-winning hit in Saturday’s 6-5 victory, as his two-out double scored third baseman Chris Jackson from first base. Hollander also played flawlessly at shortstop, handling 15 chances without an error.
Junior rightfielder Jason Lewis, making just his ninth and 10th starts this season, hit .571 (4-for-7) in the Mississippi State series with two doubles and two runs scored.
Freshman designated hitter Blake Dean, LSU’s leading hitter with a .333 average, saw his hitting streak end at 20 games on Saturday at MSU. Dean’s streak was the longest by an LSU player since Cedrick Harris recorded a 21-game streak in 2000.
Tennessee, batting .286 as team with 33 home runs and 61 stolen bases, is led at the plate by outfielder Andy Simunic, who is batting .349 with six doubles, three triples and 17 RBI. First baseman Yan Gomes is hitting .338 with team-highs of seven homers and 37 RBI.
LSU leads the overall series with Tennessee, 42-14, including a 2-1 series victory last season in Knoxville.
The Tigers have a 23-7 mark against Tennessee over the past 11 seasons. LSU has won eight of its last nine SEC series against Tennessee, including the last five in a row. The Volunteers’ last series victory over the Tigers came in 1999 in Knoxville.
SERIES FACTS
Tennessee Volunteers (23-18, 6-10) at LSU Fighting Tigers (23-18-1, 8-9-1)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, April 27 ? 7 p.m. CDT; Saturday, April 28 ? 3 p.m. CDT; Sunday, April 29 ? 1 p.m. CDT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium (7,760) in Baton Rouge, La.
TICKETS
$8 adults, $5 children ages 3-12 — available at Alex Box Stadium each day two hours prior to first pitch; tickets may also be purchased and printed at www.LSUsports.net
SPECIAL EVENTS/PROMOTIONS
FRIDAY
2007 LSU Baseball trading cards given away to first 2,000 fans
SATURDAY
Lou Gehrig Day ? activities designed to promote awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as “Lou Gehrig’s” disease
SUNDAY
All kids ages 12 and under can run the bases after the game
RADIO
LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge
INTERNET
www.LSUsports.net
TV
Sunday’s game will be televised regionally by Cox Sports Television
SERIES RECORD
LSU leads, 42-14
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU ? Jr. LHP Charlie Furbush (3-5, 4.79 ERA, 62.0 IP, 26 BB, 65 SO)
UT? Jr. LHP James Adkins (4-6, 3.02 ERA, 83.1 IP, 27 BB, 89 SO)
Game 2
LSU ? So. LHP Ryan Byrd (5-1, 4.20 ERA, 49.1 IP, 10 BB, 28 SO)
UT — TBA
Game 3
LSU ? TBA
UT — TBA