No. 1 LSU hosts North Alabama in final weekend before SEC play
Coming off of a mid-week sweep against North Dakota State, LSU continues to find ways to win games and continue looking like one of the top teams in the nation. With SEC play beginning next weekend, this is the final tune-up series for Jay Johnson’s Tigers before it gets real in a hurry.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup with North Alabama and how to tune in.
DATES/TIMES
- Friday, March 7 @ 6:30 p.m. CT
- Saturday, March 8 @ 6 p.m. CT
- Sunday, March 9 @ 1 p.m. CT
STADIUM
- Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field in Baton Rouge, La. (10,718)
RANKINGS
- LSU – No. 1 D1 Baseball; No. 2 Baseball America; No. 2 USA Today
- UNA – unranked
RADIO
· LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
· Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com
ONLINE
- The games will be streamed live on SEC Network +
LSU SERIES RECORD VS. NORTH ALABAMA
• Friday’s game marks the first meeting on the diamond between LSU and North Alabama, which is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference … LSU is 16-10 all-time against the current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, including 1-0 vs. Austin Peay, 3-0 vs. Central Arkansas, 1-2 vs. Lipscomb, 1-0 vs. Bellarmine, 2-1 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 5-4 vs. Stetson, 2-1 vs. North Florida and 1-2 vs. Jacksonville.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – So. LH Kade Anderson (2-0, 2.30 ERA, 15.2 IP, 6 BB, 26 SO)
UNA – Gr. RH Brycen Parrish (0-3, 5.82 ERA, 17.0 IP, 8 BB, 10 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Jr. RH Anthony Eyanson (2-0, 3.18 ERA, 17.0 IP, 3 BB 20 SO)
UNA – Fr. LH Tripp Patterson (1-1, 1.37 ERA, 19.2 IP, 5 BB, 11 SO)
Game 3
LSU – So. RH Chase Shores (3-0, 3.00 ERA, 15.0 IP, 5 BB, 18 SO)
UNA – Sr. RH Anthony Pingeton (1-1, 2.77 ERA, 13.0 IP, 4 BB, 9 SO)
QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON
“I like this weekend, because it’s going to be like the five SEC series we will have at home. We need to focus on this weekend against a good North Alabama team, and it does give us a little more of a flow as we start SEC play next week. We’ve had a good offensive performance over the last eight games, scoring a minimum of seven runs in each game. Our guys are playing a good brand of baseball.”
ABOUT THE TIGERS
- LSU has won eight straight games, and the Tigers claimed the Frisco (Texas) College Baseball Classic championship with wins over Kansas State, Nebraska and Sam Houston last weekend … the win streak also includes a victory over No. 17 Dallas Baptist on Feb. 26 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
- First baseman Jared Jones is hitting .531 (17-for-32) during LSU’s eight-game win streak with five doubles, three homers, 18 RBI and 12 runs … Jones was 3-for-4 with two homers and five RBI on Wednesday night vs. North Dakota State … he enters Friday’s game vs. North Alabama riding an 11-game hit streak, and he has reached base safely in all 14 of the Tigers’ games … Jones is hitting .440 this season and leads LSU in doubles (6), homers (4), runs (20) and total bases (40).
- Shortstop Steven Milam is hitting .485 (16-for-33) during LSU’s eight-game win streak with four doubles, two homers, 14 RBI and nine runs … Milam enters Friday’s game vs. North Alabama carrying an eight-game hitting streak.
- Second baseman Daniel Dickinson is batting .393 (11-for-28) during the Tigers’ eight-game win streak with two doubles, three homers, 12 RBI and 11 runs … Dickinson leads LSU with four homers and 23 RBI on the season, and he is second on the club in slugging percentage (.739).
- Freshman outfielder Derek Curiel is batting .481 (13-for-27)) during LSU’s eight-game win streak with three doubles, one triple, seven RBI, 14 runs and a .650 on-base percentage … he was instrumental in the Tigers’ drive to the Frisco College Classic title last weekend, batting .417 (5-for-12) in three games with one double, one triple, four RBI, three runs and a .611 on-base percentage as LSU’s lead-off hitter … he has reached base safely in all 14 of the Tigers’ games this season.
- LSU is hitting .347 as a team during its eight-game win streak with 24 doubles, one triple, 10 homers and a .469 on-base percentage, and the Tigers are averaging 10.8 runs per game during that stretch.
- Freshman right-hander Casan Evans was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday by the league office … Evans earned a win and a save in two appearances last week, working a total of 4.0 scoreless innings with three hits, one walk and five strikeouts … he earned the save in the Feb. 26 win over Dallas Baptist, firing 2.0 scoreless innings with no hits, no walks and two strikeouts … after throwing 22 pitches in the Feb. 26 game, he returned to the mound last Friday vs. Kansas State and earned the win with another 2.0 inning outing, this time allowing no runs on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts over 33 pitches.
- Senior outfielder Josh Pearson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Frisco College Baseball Classic last weekend, batting .667 (6-for-9) in the Tigers’ three victories with three doubles, seven runs, two RBI, three walks and a .769 on-base percentage … Pearson delivered the game-winning RBI single in the top of the 10th inning last Friday in the Tigers’ win over Kansas State … he was also involved in a superb defensive play that prevented Kansas State from scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, as his relay throw to the infield resulted in the KSU runner representing the winning run being thrown out at the plate.
ABOUT NORTH ALABAMA
- North Alabama is 3-8 this season, and the Lions have already played two SEC teams …UNA was handed a 6-2 loss at Auburn on Feb. 19, and the Lions dropped a 7-5 decision at Tennessee on Feb. 25.
- North Alabama is hitting .211 this season with 13 doubles, five home runs and six steals in seven attempts … the UNA pitching staff has registered a 3.91 cumulative ERA and 69 strikeouts in 94.1 innings … UNA is led at the plate by outfielder Alex Wilson, who is hitting .300 with one double and five RBI … infielder Petey Craska is batting .286 with one double, one homer and four RBI.
