The Tigers are gearing up for their first big test of the season as they travel to Houston to take on Texas in the first of three games at Minute Maid park in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic. This marks LSU’s third appearance in the tournament, the first since 2017.
LSU has been toying with many different lineups this season as they have been inconsistent in the offensive part of the game, but after strong outings in their last two games, they are hoping to keep the bats hot in Houston. The Tigers have erupted for 17 runs in their last two games and will need to keep the runs rolling if they have any chance at taking down Texas.
Zack Mathis, Maurice Hampton Jr. and Cade Beloso are the names to keep an eye out for in the Tigers’ lineup. The trio of Tigers have really come around during this three-game winning streak. Mathis, Beloso and Hampton Jr. led the Tigers with a combined seven hits in their last outing against Louisiana Tech. Mathis was 3-5 at the plate with two RBI and one run. Beloso was 2-4 at the plate with two RBI. Hampton, who enters the Texas game on a five-game on-base streak, went 2-2 with three runs, two RBI and a walk.
The Longhorns are putting together a great start to the season. Texas is coming into the weekend with a perfect 9-0 mark, which includes three-game sweeps of Rice and Boise State. Texas’ pitching staff is going to test this young but talented Tigers’ lineup, as they are allowing a 1.65 earned run average as a staff with 88 strikeouts in 82 innings.
The Tigers will be facing junior right-handed pitcher, Bryce Elder, who they are all too familiar with. Last season, LSU faced Elder, and he completely shut down the Tigers’ bats, allowing only one run and four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over 6.2 innings of work.
LSU looks to have better luck with Elder the second time around, but nonetheless, the Tigers and coach Mainieri are excited about what is to come.
“We’ve got a big game Friday night. It should be an electric atmosphere with LSU facing Texas in Houston,” Mainieri emphasised. “Anytime it’s Texas-LSU, that’s going to get some people really excited. Football beat them, basketball beat them, now it’s our turn to take our shot.”
LSU will face off against Texas on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. CT at Minute Maid Park.
