This weekend will be a Southeastern Conference weekend for LSU baseball, for all intents and purposes.The Tigers (12-0) will face what many players consider their toughest test to date, Kansas (9-3), in the final non-conference series of the season before SEC play starts.LSU coach Paul Mainieri said he believes his team’s schedule thus far has been underrated, but the Jayhawks pose the toughest test yet.”There’s no question in my mind that we’re not ratcheting it up a notch with Kansas,” he said. “If you look as recent as last year, they swept a three-game series from Texas, and of course we played Texas in the national championship last year. They have our attention.”Mainieri said he preaches to his players to take the same approach to every game, so they will not have to try anything special to “get more geared up” for the weekend series.Kansas coach Ritch Price said he feels his team is also facing its toughest game this season.The Jayhawks’ other game against an SEC team was a 15-3 loss to Arkansas on March 2.”We’re looking forward to the level of play picking up significantly over what we’ve played so far,” Price said. “We’re trying to get prepared for the opening of the Big 12, and LSU is looking forward to the start of the SEC, so we feel it’s a series … that will help get us ready for Texas and Baylor and [Texas] A&M as we open Big 12 next week.”The Tigers are off to their best start under Mainieri. They haven’t started a season with 12 consecutive wins since 1997, when they started with 19 wins.LSU junior catcher Micah Gibbs said the team doesn’t put a lot of emphasis on the winning streak.”We just kind of look at what the next opportunity is for us,” he said. “The only thing we ever look at record-wise is [sophomore second baseman Tyler] Hanover, and I do claps for whatever our streak is and how many wins in a row.”The Tigers will still be without the services of junior pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, who is still experiencing discomfort in his throwing elbow.Ranaudo (0-0), the usual Friday night starter, has missed two scheduled starts and is not expected to pitch until next weekend against Arkansas.”I feel good,” Ranaudo said. “It really only bothers me when I throw a little bit. There’s a little discomfort still in my elbow when I throw. When I do everything else, I’m fine.”Sophomore pitcher Joey Bourgeois will assume the Friday night starter role in place of Ranaudo.Bourgeois (2-0) started the season as the Sunday starter but has moved his way up in the rotation.He has earned a 2.08 ERA with 16 strikeouts and seven walks in his three starts.”I’m pretty excited,” Bourgeois said. “Friday is obviously pretty important in setting the tone for the weekend. I plan on coming out and doing what I did last week — getting ahead of my hitters, work with my off-speed [pitch] and going after them and challenging them.”The Jayhawks will start junior pitcher T.J. Walz (2-1). Saturday’s starters will be freshman Jordan Rittiner (2-0) for LSU and senior Cameron Selick (3-0) for Kansas, and Sunday’s starters will be junior Austin Ross (2-0) for LSU and redshirt senior Brett Bollman (1-1) for the Jayhawks.- – – -Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]