No. 2 LSU Tigers (21-1, 3-0) at #5 Texas Longhorns (17-2, 3-0)
DATES/TIMES • Friday, March 21 @ 7 p.m. CT • Saturday, March 22 @ 6 p.m. CT • Sunday, March 23 @ 2 p.m. CT
STADIUM
• Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas (7,211)
RANKINGS
• LSU – No. 2 D1 Baseball; No. 2 Baseball America; No. 2 USA Today • UT – No. 5 Baseball America, No. 7 USA Today, No. 8 D1 Baseball
RADIO
• LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates • Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com
TV/ONLINE
• Friday’s game will be televised on SEC Network; Saturday and Sunday games will be streamed live on SEC Network +LSU SERIES RECORD VS. TEXAS
• Texas leads the overall series with LSU, 28-15-1; however, the Tigers have won three of the last four meetings with the Longhorns … LSU has also won two in a row over UT – a 6-3 win last season (March 1) at the Astros College Classic in Houston, and a 3-0 win on February 28, 2023, in Austin … the teams have met on two other occasions this decade in the Astros College Classic – LSU posted a 4-3 win over UT in 2020, and Texas recorded a 6-1 win over LSU in 2022 … including their 2023 win over UT, the Tigers are 3-7 in their last four trips to Austin – UT swept three games from LSU in Austin in 2019, and Texas won two of three games over the Tigers in both 1998 and 1994 at Disch-Falk Field … LSU won two of three games over Texas in the 2009 College World Series Finals to capture the Tigers’ sixth national championship … LSU has seven CWS titles, which is second only to Southern California’s 12 CWS championships … Texas is third NCAA history with six CWS titles.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1 LSU – So. LH Kade Anderson (4-0, 2.57 ERA, 28.0, 8 BB, 48 SO) UT – Sr. LH Jared Spencer (2-0, 2.36 ERA, 26.2 IP, 10 BB, 36 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Jr. RH Anthony Eyanson (3-0, 3.90 ERA, 27.2 IP, 6 BB, 40 SO) UT – Jr. LH Luke Harrison (2-0, 2.08 ERA, 21.2 IP, 10 BB 24 SO)
Game 3
LSU – So. RH Chase Shores (4-0, 3.80 ERA, 23.2 IP, 10 BB, 27 SO)
UT – TBA
QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON
“I’m excited for our players; they’re ready for the opportunity and the challenge. It’s one of nine remaining SEC weekends, but let’s call it what it is – it’s two historic programs, and I think it will be one of the marquee matchups in college baseball this year. We’re very familiar with Texas, having played them the last three years. They have a lot of older players, a core that’s been there for a few years. It’s going to be a blast; we’re going to be an improved team at the end of this series, no matter what the outcome of the games.”
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• LSU has won 16 straight games, marking the Tigers’ longest win streak since the 2017 team captured 17 games in a row from May 11 through June 17 … the Tigers’ three-game SEC sweep of Missouri last weekend marked LSU’s first sweep in an opening league weekend since the 2019 squad swept Kentucky in Baton Rouge to begin conference play.
• LSU’s 21-1 record is the Tigers’ best through 22 games since the 1986 team was also 21-1 through its first 22 contests … the 1986 Tigers were the first LSU squad to reach the College World Series.
• LSU is No. 1 in the SEC this season in team batting average (.345) … LSU also leads the league in hits (250) and doubles (59), and the Tigers are No. 2 in on-base percentage (.468), runs scored (228) and fewest times struck out (124) …LSU is No. 6 in the SEC in team ERA (3.32), and the Tigers are No. 3 in strikeouts pitched (262).
• Outfielder Derek Curiel was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week Monday by the league office … he helped lead LSU to four straight wins, including an SEC sweep over Missouri, as he hit .571 (8-for-14) in four games with two doubles, one triple, four RBI and six runs … the Tigers’ lead-off hitter, Curiel also walked twice and was hit by a pitch, and he posted a .647 on-base percentage … he batted .455 (5-for-11) in the Missouri series with one triple, three RBI, four runs and a .571 on-base percentage … his three-run triple in the fourth inning last Friday broke a 2-2 tie and gave LSU a lead it would not relinquish … Curiel is No. 2 in the SEC this season in batting average (.434), No. 1 in walks (23), No. 4 in hits (33) and No. 2 in on-base percentage (.578) … Curiel is the only LSU player to have reached base safely in all 22 games this season.
• Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson defeated Missouri last Friday in his first career SEC start, working a career-long 6.1 innings and limiting Mizzou to three runs on four hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts … he threw 95 pitches in the outing, 67 for strikes … after allowing two runs in the second inning, Anderson retired 15 of the next 17 batters that he faced … he improved to 4-0 this season, and he has a 2.57 ERA with eight walks and 48 strikeouts in 28.0 innings … Anderson is No. 2 in the SEC this season in strikeouts, and he has reached double figures in strikeouts in each of his last three starts.
• Sophomore outfielder Jake Brown played an instrumental role last week in LSU’s four straight wins, including an SEC series sweep over Missouri, batting .538 (7-for-13) in four games with one double, one triple, one homer, nine RBI and four runs … he hit .400 (4-for-10) in the Missouri series with one double, one triple, one homer and a team-best six RBI … he was 2-for-2 in Game 1 of the Missouri series last Friday with a double and a career-best four RBI … Brown launched his first career triple in Game 2 last Saturday, and his two-run home run in the first inning of last Sunday’s win highlighted a four-run outburst that gave LSU a lead it would never relinquish … Brown was 3-for-3 in LSU’s March 11 victory over Xavier with three RBI and two runs scored.
• LSU is hitting .356 (191-for-536) as a team during its 16-game win streak with 46 doubles, three triples, 31 home runs and 12 steals in 18 attempts … the Tigers’ pitching staff has compiled a 4.00 cumulative ERA and a .215 opponent batting average during the 16-game win streak with 186 strikeouts in 135.0 innings.
ABOUT TEXAS • Texas is 17-2 this season, and the Longhorns opened SEC play last weekend by recording a three-game sweep at Mississippi State … the Longhorns are No. 10 in the SEC with a 2.96 team batting average, and the Longhorns have produced 49 doubles, six triples, 29 homers and 24 steals in 34 attempts … the Texas pitching staff is No. 4 in the SEC with a 3.22 cumulative ERA, and UT has recorded 166 strikeouts in 167.2 innings.
• The Longhorns are led at the plate by infielder Ethan Mendoza, who is batting a team-high .406 with three triples, four homers, and 16 RBI … outfielder Max Belyeu is batting .338 with seven doubles, four homers and 14 RBI, and catcher Rylan Galvan is hitting .314 with three doubles, seven homers and 19 RBI.
