The No. 1 LSU baseball team will try to keep its streaking bats alive for a midweek matchup against in-state rival Tulane at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Turchin Stadium.
The Tigers (21-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) are headed to New Orleans to take on the Green Wave (17-7) after taking their 10th series win from Arkansas in the last 11 seasons.
“We’ve got a big one tomorrow night at Tulane,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri Monday. “It’s going to be a big game tomorrow night and a big crowd, I’m sure. It’s not the most pleasant place for the LSU Tigers to play as far as the things they hear yelled at them from the stands, but it’s fun. It’s a great environment, and one we’re looking forward to.”
The Tigers have been nearly unstoppable in the batters’ box so far this season. LSU is ranked No. 3 in the nation with a .327 batting average, which is good enough for first in the SEC. The Tigers are ranked first in the SEC in slugging percentage (.484), hits (280), total bases (414) and triples with 13.
In the Tigers’ series win against Arkansas over the weekend, LSU hit .384 with five doubles, one triple and four home runs while outscoring the Razorbacks, 24-12.
LSU’s success at the plate has come from all angles, but senior catcher Kade Scivicque and junior outfielders Andrew Stevenson and Mark Laird have led the way as of late.
Scivicque went .471 at the plate for the week and leads LSU in batting this season with a .433 batting average. The Maurepas, Louisiana, native has seven doubles, three homers and 15 RBIs this season.
Stevenson hit .533 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with an RBI and two runs scored. Stevenson hit for a career-high four hits in the Tigers’ 16-3 win on Friday night, raising his overall batting average to .388, which is second among starters.
“We’ve just been trying to take it one bat at a time,” Stevenson said. “We’re not trying to do too much and just trying to take what they’re giving us.”
Laird kept the trend alive, hitting .500 against Arkansas while recording three RBIs in the series. Laird’s .383 batting average this season is third among starters, and his .442 on-base percentage is second behind Scivicque’s at .461.
LSU’s success in the batters’ box over the weekend was a result of a lineup shift. Mainieri decided to go with senior Chris Sciambra at designated hitter in the leadoff spot, moving sophomore left fielder Jake Fraley down to the eighth spot.
Mainieri’s decision paid off. Sciambra went 5-for-10 in his two games played with a double, triple and four RBIs. In Saturday’s 7-4 win, Sciambra had a career-high four hits in the leadoff position, going 4-for-5 on the game.
Sciambra said while his career hasn’t been textbook, he wouldn’t trade it for the world.
“I wouldn’t change it,” Sciambra said. “Not many guys come in and start every game, or are basically everyday guys their whole career from their freshman year throughout. You can wait your turn here as well. Not everyone’s going to be [junior shortstop] Alex Bregman and start every game for the whole time they’re here.”
LSU will start sophomore pitcher Russell Reynolds for the second straight week after he threw four strong innings in the Tigers’ 4-2, extra innings win against Southern on March 17. Reynolds allowed only three hits, and retired his first six batters.
Reynolds returns to Tulane, where he started his career two season ago. He earned his first collegiate win at Turchin Stadium, limiting the Green Wave to one unearned run on four hits in seven innings with one walk and four strikeouts.
“They were my first extended start my freshman year,” Reynolds said. “It was a breakout. It kind of helped me get some more feel as a starter, so it’ll be good to go back there and pitch again. I loved pitching there. It was fun pitching there, and it’ll be fun to go back.”
The Baton Rouge native and the Tigers’ offense will be pitted against a Tulane pitching staff ranked No. 3 in the nation with a 1.89 ERA.
Mainieri said the energy the Tulane coaching staff has put into the program has been a huge factor in its success this season.
“Their staple is pitching,” Mainieri said. “They’ve won several games late and I’m sure all of the times they’ve done that it builds confidence in their team, and I’m sure they’re feeling very good about themselves.”
You can reach Jack Chascin on Twitter @Chascin_TDR.