No. 1 versus No. 2. 
It’s the premier matchup for any college sport. When the top two teams in the country face off, it’s sure to grab the attention of fans everywhere as it symbolizes high stakes and excellence in athletics.
It’ll be no different when the No. 1 LSU baseball team takes the field at Alex Box Stadium tonight at 6:30 p.m. to begin its weekend series with Southeastern Conference rival, No. 2 Texas A&M.
The Tigers (35-6, 12-5 SEC) and Aggies (36-5, 12-5 SEC) are tied atop both the SEC and SEC West heading into the weekend. The regular-season conference championship and post-season tournament implications could well be decided by the outcome of the series.
“I’m really proud of our team when we get into these kind of games, these kind of series because the way we go about everyday, practice, midweek games … nothing changes,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We approach it all the same. Because of that, our players have a tendency to play very well in the biggest game or the bigger games.”
The two teams head into the weekend one and two in virtually every conference statistical category, holding the top two spots in overall offense and pitching. LSU leads the conference with a .320 team batting average and Texas A&M a close second at .316.
The Aggies are led by sophomore outfielder Nick Banks, who leads the conference with a .407 batting average to go along with seven doubles, two triples, five home runs and 32 RBIs. Banks’ slugging percentage sits at .580 with a conference-leading .471 on-base percentage.
Behind Banks in batting average is LSU senior catcher Kade Scivicque, who just had his 23-game hitting streak snapped against Tulane on Tuesday. Scivicque comes into tonight with a .396 batting average with 13 doubles, five home runs and 32 RBIs.
The Aggies have three of the conference’s top 10 hitters, but the Tigers have only one. While both teams are electric at the plate, both teams’ pitching performances may outshine the powerful bats the teams possess.
“We’re going to stick with the same game plan that has worked all year,” said sophomore pitcher Jared Poche’. “We have to execute pitches when it matters and keep the ball where we want to throw it.”
Texas A&M comes into the weekend with a conference-leading 2.40 ERA. The Aggies also lead the conference in saves (16) and have allowed the fewest amount of runs with 126. 
The Aggies are led by standout junior pitcher Grayson Long. Long holds an 8-0 record with a 2.73 ERA in 56 innings pitched. Long has allowed only 43 hits with 66 strikeouts, holding opponents to a .206 batting average.
“We’re just going to stick to our aggressive mindset,” said junior shortstop Alex Bregman. “If we stay aggressive and try to impact the balls that are strikes in the zone, we’ll be successful. They’re a great staff. They’re well-coached and they’re going to compete on the mound, so we’re going to have our hands full. But we’re going to go up there and battle.”
Long will be pitted against Poche’ tonight, with LSU’s ace freshman pitcher Alex Lange being saved for Friday night. Lange has a 7-0 record and leads the SEC with a 1.40 ERA. In his nine appearances, Lange has held opponents to a .210 batting average, allowing only 43 hits with 65 strikeouts.
The teams are neck and neck, and the magnitude of a series may not be higher all season when the Box’s lights turn on tonight.
“Everyone’s going to be very excited. Everyone’s going to be fired up and ready to play,” Bregman said. “But we are every game. This is a big game for us, but it’s not going to be the biggest game at the end of the year for us. We have bigger games to come, but right now, it’s the biggest game so far because it’s the next game on our schedule.”
You can reach Jack Chascin on Twitter @Chascin_TDR.