The Preview and Breakdown: McNeese vs. LSU
The LSU baseball team has hit a losing skid that has seen the program drop 12 games and a handful of consecutive SEC series matchups.
On Tuesday, the Tigers are back at Alex Box to play host to McNeese. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+ and streamed on all LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates.
McNeese Cowboys (16-14) at LSU Tigers (21-12)
DATE/TIME
• Tuesday, April 8 @ 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
STADIUM
• Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field (10,726)
RADIO
• LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
• Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com
TV/ONLINE
• Tuesday’s game will be streamed on SEC Network +
LSU SERIES RECORD VS. McNEESE
LSU leads the overall series with McNeese, 33-12, and the Tigers posted a 7-4 win over the Cowboys last season (May 16) in Baton Rouge … LSU has won 15 of its past 18 games versus McNeese … LSU, however, has just a 4-3 advantage in the last seven meetings between the schools since 2016 … McNeese defeated LSU 7-0 in 2016 in Baton Rouge and 5-4 in 2017 in Lake Charles … LSU recorded a 13-3 win over the Cowboys in 2018 in Baton Rouge before McNeese defeated the Tigers, 2-0, in 2019 at Alex Box Stadium … LSU has won the last three matchups, all in Baton Rouge – a 14-1 win in 2021, a 6-3 victory in 2022 and the 7-4 win on May 16 of last season.
QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON
“We’ve got to be able to finish the games that we can win, and we’ve certainly tried to do that. We’ll try a different way. We need to improve our overall execution – put hitters away with two strikes and get off the field with two outs.”
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Junior right-hander Luke Holman defeated sixth-ranked Vanderbilt on Thursday night, limiting the Commodores to four earned runs on four hits in 5.2 innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts … he threw 97 pitches in the outing, recording 62 for strikes, and he pitched 4.1 perfect innings before allowing a Vanderbilt baserunner in the fifth inning … Holman is 6-1 this season with a 2.01 ERA in 34.2 innings … he has recorded 13 walks and 71 strikeouts, and he’s limiting opponents to a .174 batting average.
• Sophomore left-hander Griffin Herring recorded the save in Thursday’s win over No. 6 Vanderbilt … he worked 3.1 innings and allowed no runs on three hits with one walk and six strikeouts … Herring is 2-0 this season with a 2.42 ERA and three saves in 22.1 innings with seven walks and 31 strikeouts.
• Freshman outfielder Ashton Larson was LSU’s leading hitter in its four games last week, batting .364 (4-for-11) with one homer, one RBI and two runs scored.
• Junior third baseman Tommy White hit .333 (5-for-15) in four games last week with two homers, four RBI, six runs, three walks and a .472 on-base percentage … White is the Tigers’ leading hitting on the year, batting .321 with four doubles, 11 homers, 29 RBI and 32 runs.
• Sophomore first baseman Jared Jones homered once and collected four RBI and two runs in four games last week … Jones is tied with Tommy White for the team lead in homers with 11 … sophomore catcher Brady Neal also produced four RBI last week with one homer and three runs scored.
ABOUT THE COWBOYS
• McNeese has a 16-14 overall mark, and the Cowboys are 2-4 in Southland Conference play … McNeese dropped two of three games at Lamar last weekend in a Southland Conference series.
• McNeese head coach Justin Hill was a pitcher at LSU in 2001 and 2002 … he is in his 11th season at the helm of the Cowboys program.
• McNeese his hitting .251 as a team this season with 51 doubles, 13 triples and 21 home runs … outfielder Conner Westenburg is hitting .306 on the year, and he leads the Cowboys in doubles (12), homers (5) and RBI (24) … outfielder Cooper Hext has six doubles, five triples, two homers, 13 RBI and 12 steals in 13 attempts.
• The McNeese pitching staff has a 5.39 cumulative ERA, and the Cowboys have recorded 264 strikeouts in 267.1 innings … opponents are batting a cumulative .277 against the Cowboys staff, which has allowed 28 home runs this season.
