The No. 2-ranked LSU baseball team will finish up its regular season home schedule at 6:30 p.m. tonight against Centenary.
While some Tiger fans may overlook the unranked Gents (31-14), LSU coach Paul Mainieri said his team needs to be ready to compete.
“Centenary has had an excellent year, including a win over Arkansas, so we definititely need to be ready to play,” he said in a news release.
The Tigers (38-14) have already suffered a few midweek let-downs against in-state opponents this season.
Louisiana-Lafayette upset the Tigers, 10-9, on Wednesday, March 11, in Alex Box Stadium to hand LSU just its third loss of the season.
Northwestern State gave the Tigers another home scare the following Tuesday, March 17, before LSU eventually scraped out a 2-1 win. LSU also trailed McNeese State at home the following day, March 18, before pulling together a 6-3 win.
LSU was not as lucky in their next midweek game against Louisiana competition.
Tulane beat the Tigers, 8-7, in New Orleans on April 1.
LSU eventually also lost another home game, 3-1, to Nicholls on Wednesday, April 15, and survive a scare Tuesday, April 21, before eventually pulling out a 6-5 victory against Southeastern.
But the Tigers have won their last three midweek games, including the win against Southeastern, by a combined score of 29-13.
The team has also won its last three Southeastern Conference series, sweeping Auburn and taking two of three games from both then-No. 7 Arkansas and then-No. 9 Florida
LSU will attempt to hang on to its position atop the SEC as it closes the regular season at Mississippi State this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“I’m glad we’ve got a game against a very good Centenary club before we go to Mississippi State,” Mainieri said. “Everything we want to accomplish is in front of us, and it starts with the challenge we’ll face from Centenary.”
Sophomore right-hander Daniel Bradshaw will take the mound for the Tigers to face senior right-hander Joe Hagen of the Gents.
Bradshaw is 3-0 this season with a 4.40 ERA, 9 walks and 23 strikeouts in two starts and 30.2 innings pitched.
Hagen is 1-1 with a 6.66 ERA, 13 walks and 10 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched.
LSU leads the overall series with Centenary, 29-8-1.—-Contact The Daily Reveille sports staff at [email protected]