Preview: LSU begins SEC play with series at Mississippi State
LSU begins SEC play this weekend with a road series against Mississippi State beginning on Friday night. Here’s everything to know and qhat Jay Johnson said ahead of the matchup.
No. 2 LSU Tigers (16-2) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (13-5)
DATES/TIMES
- Friday, March 15 @ 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
- Saturday, March 16 @ 4 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
- Sunday, March 17 @ 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
STADIUM
- Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium (7,200)
RANKINGS
- LSU – No. 2 Baseball America; No. 2 USA Today; No. 2 D1 Baseball
- MSU – unranked
RADIO· LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates· Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com
TV/ONLINE
- The games on Friday and Sunday will be streamed on SEC Network +; Saturday’s game will be televised on the SEC Network
LSU SERIES RECORD VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
- Mississippi State leads the overall series with LSU, 210-195-1, but LSU has won 13 of the past 16 SEC regular season series with the Bulldogs … LSU has also won four of the past six series, though Mississippi State won two of three games over the Tigers last season (May 11-13) in Baton Rouge … Mississippi State’s series win in Baton Rouge in 2016 broke a string of nine straight series wins for LSU over MSU from 2007-15 … the Bulldogs’ other series victory over LSU over the past 16 full seasons came in 2021, a 2-1 series victory in Baton Rouge.
PITCHING MATCHUPSGame 1LSU – Jr. RH Luke Holman (4-0, 0.00 ERA, 24.0 IP, 4 BB, 40 SO)MSU – So. RH Evan Siary (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 0 BB, 7 SO)Game 2LSU – So. LH Gage Jump (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.1 IP, 2 BB, 21 SOMSU – Jr. RH Khal Stephen (2-1, 3.38 ERA, 21.1 IP, 4 BB, 26 SO)Game 3LSU – Jr. RH Thatcher Hurd (1-1, 4.76 ERA, 17.0 IP, 7 BB, 26 SO)MSU – So. BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (3-0, 2.08 ERA, 21.2, 11 BB, 35 SO)
QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON:
“This is a great opportunity for our team; Mississippi State has a very talented club. Dakota Jordan right now is as hot as anybody in the country, it looks like every time I look up, he hits a homer. They have some very good players, and I really like the top of their order. They’re playing hard, and they’re playing with purpose. It’s going to be a good series; I think Mississippi State is one of the most talented teams in college baseball.”
ABOUT THE TIGERS
- LSU has won five of its past six games, and the Tigers this week are ranked No. 2 in the nation by Baseball America, USA Today and D1 Baseball … the Tigers posted two wins this week over North Dakota State by scores of 6-1 and 7-0 in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
- LSU is No. 6 in the SEC in team batting average, as the Tigers are hitting .304 with 35 doubles, five triples and 21 homers … LSU is No. 5 in the league in team ERA at 2.81, recording 234 strikeouts in 160.0 innings … the Tigers are No. 2 in the league in strikeouts pitched and No. 4 in opponent batting average (.202).
- Junior right-hander Luke Holman fired 6.0 scoreless and hitless innings last Friday in a win over Xavier … Holman limited the Musketeers to no hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts … he threw 97 pitches in the outing, recording 59 pitches for strikes, and he did not allow a Xavier player to advance beyond second base … Holman retired nine straight Xavier batters to complete his outing, including six by strikeouts … Holman is 4-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA in 24.0 innings … he has recorded four walks and 40 strikeouts, and he’s limiting opponents to a .103 batting average.
- Sophomore left-hander Gage Jump improved to 2-0 on the year last Saturday when he defeated Xavier … Jump recorded a career-best 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings, limiting the Musketeers to three hits with one walk … Jump has a 0.00 ERA in 13.1 innings this season with two walks, 21 strikeouts and a .133 opponent batting average.
- Sophomore catcher Brady Nealis hitting .357 (5-for-14) in LSU’s last five games with two doubles, three RBI and five runs … catcher/DH Hayden Travinski has five RBI in LSU’s last five games, along with two doubles, one homer and two runs scored.
- The LSU pitching staff has posted a 0.80 ERA in the Tigers’ last five games, allowing just four earned runs in 45.0 innings with 15 walks and 60 strikeouts … opponents have hit .161 against the LSU staff in the five-game stretch.
- LSU’s nine-game win streak this season from February 24-March 9 was the Tigers’ longest since early last season, when the 2023 club won 13 in a row from February 26-March 18.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
- Mississippi State has won 10 of its last 11 games after a 3-4 start to the season … the Bulldogs split two midweek games in Biloxi, Miss., this week, dropping a 6-5 decision to South Alabama on Tuesday before posting a 2-1 (11 innings) win over New Orleans on Wednesday.
- Mississippi State is No. 10 in the SEC in team batting average, as the Bulldogs are hitting .293 with 37 doubles, three triples and 15 home runs … the Bulldogs are No. 6 in the league in team ERA at 3.47 with 210 strikeouts in 161.0 innings.
- MSU outfielder Dakota Jordan is batting .415 (27-for-65) this season with seven doubles, nine homers and 28 RBI … he is No. 2 in the SEC in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage (.938).
