Ole Miss Rebels (27-25, 11-16 SEC) at LSU Tigers (33-20, 10-17 SEC)

DATES/TIMES
• Thursday, May 16 @ now 4 p.m. CT due to forecast (SEC Network)
• Friday, May 17 @ now 12 p.m. CT  due to forecast (SEC Network +)
• Saturday, May 18 @ 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
STADIUM
• Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field (10,326)
RADIO
• LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
• Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com
TV/ONLINE
• Thursday’s game will be televised on SEC Network; all three games will be streamed on SEC Network +

RANKINGS
LSU – No. 35 NCAA RPI
UM – No. 24 NCAA RPI

PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – So. LH Gage Jump (4-1, 3.86 ERA, 60.2 IP, 17 BB, 74 SO)
UM – Jr. RH Riley Maddox (3-6, 5.68 ERA, 58.2 IP, 22 BB, 42 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Jr. RH Luke Holman (7-3, 2.74 ERA, 72.1 IP, 30 BB, 100 SO)
UM – So. LH Liam Doyle (3-2, 5.29 ERA, 49.1 IP, 20 BB, 77 SO)
Game 3
LSU – TBA
UM – Jr. RH Mason Nichols (4-1, 3.50 ERA, 36.0 IP, 18 BB, 41 SO)

LSU SERIES RECORD VS. OLE MISS
• LSU leads Ole Miss, 182-159, in a series that began in 1906 … LSU has captured eight of the past 12 regular-season series with Ole Miss, including a three-game sweep of the Rebels last season (April 21-23) in Oxford … Ole Miss swept LSU the last time the teams met in Baton Rouge in 2022 … Ole Miss lost 19 consecutive SEC series in Baton Rouge from 1983-2017; however, the Rebels have won their last two series in Alex Box Stadium – a 2-1 series victory in 2019 and the three-game sweep in 2022.

QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON
“There’s a lot at stake; playing important baseball the last weekend of the season is a good thing. In spite of the difficulty this season, these games matter. We’re looking forward to giving our best effort at home against a team that’s in a very similar situation. I can validate that this is really important to our players, and I think the effort that they’ve given has reflected that.”

ABOUT THE TIGERS
• The Tigers have won three of their last four SEC series and 11 of their past 16 games overall … LSU currently is No. 35 in the official NCAA RPI rankings.

• LSU is No. 5 in the SEC in team ERA (4.45), and the Tigers have recorded the second-highest total of strikeouts in the league with 583 Ks in 458.2 innings pitched … LSU is No. 8 in the league in team batting average (.282), and the Tigers’ total of 91 home runs is fifth-best in the conference.

• Right-hander Luke Holman worked 5.2 innings Saturday to earn his seventh win over the season, as the Tigers posted a 6-3 victory over Alabama in Sewell-Thomas Stadium … Holman, who pitched at Alabama for two seasons (2022-23) before transferring to LSU last summer, limited the Crimson Tide to two runs on four hits in 5.2 innings with four walks and two strikeouts … Holman is 7-3 this season with a 2.74 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 72.1 innings … he is limiting opponents to a .176 cumulative batting average.

• LSU third baseman Tommy White hit .385 (5-for-13) in the Alabama series with three doubles, one homer and five RBI … first baseman Jared Jones was 4-for-10 in the series with two doubles, one homer and two RBI … second baseman Steven Milam was 4-for-11 in the series with one homer, two RBI and two runs scored … Milam hit .385 (5-for-13) for the entire four-game week with one double, one homer, two RBI and three runs scored … centerfielder Paxton Kling batted .375 (3-for-8) in four games last week with one RBI, one run, a sacrifice bunt, two walks, three hit-by-pitches and a .615 on-base percentage.

• Sophomore right-hander Gavin Guidry earned a win and a save for the Tigers last week … he was the winning pitcher on Tuesday versus Northwestern State, working a career-long 4.0 scoreless innings while allowing one hit with no walks and a career-high seven strikeouts … Guidry picked up a save on Saturday at Alabama, pitching the final 2.0 innings and allowing no runs on no hits with one walk and one strikeout … for the week, Guidry worked 6.0 scoreless innings over two appearances with one hit, one walk and eight strikeouts.

• Relievers Justin Loer and Fidel Ulloa pitched effectively on Sunday at Alabama … Loer, a junior left-hander, pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and no walks with one strikeout … Ulloa, a junior right-hander, also worked 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit with one walk and one strikeout.

ABOUT THE REBELS
• Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco, who is in his 24th season with the Rebels, is a former LSU catcher (1988-89) and assistant coach (1993-97), and he helped lead the Tigers to College World Series titles in 1993, 1996 and 1997.
• Ole Miss is No. 13 in the SEC in team batting average (.261), and the Rebels have collected 82 doubles, six triples, 73 homers and 50 steals in 58 attempts … the Ole Miss pitching staff is No. 13 in the SEC with a 5.91 ERA, and the Rebels have posted 509 strikeouts in 447.2 innings.
• Infielder Andrew Fischer leads Ole Miss in homers (20) and RBI (57) … infielder Ethan Lege is hitting a team-high .323 with 11 doubles, 13 homers and 38 RBI … INF/OF Jackson Ross has 10 doubles, 10 homers and 49 RBI for the Rebels.