This weekend may be the first time hearing the name Coastal Carolina Chanticleers for some LSU fans.

LSU (45-19) and Coastal Carolina (47-16) will meet for the first time ever on Saturday at 8 p.m. to start the Tigers’ Super Regional.

On paper, Coastal Carolina jumps off as a team that doesn’t have many weaknesses and is able to play in many different ways, something LSU Coach Paul Mainieri alluded to.

“They’re really good offensively,” Mainieri said. “Power, speed, they bunt. They have baserunning plays they, put a lot pressure on the defense … It’s going to be a great challenge. It’s going to feel like a SEC weekend.”

Sophomore pitcher Alex Lange, the Tigers’ ace, will start against a well-rounded Chanticleers team that’s second in the country in home runs to go along 102 stolen bases on the season. The potent lineup that the Chanticleers posses isn’t making Lange (8-3) change his approach against them on Saturday.

“I’m not too worried about the home runs,” Lange said. “I’m not pitching timid to them. If I’m pitching to Alex Rodriguez, I don’t care I’m going to pitch to my gameplan. If you missed your spot up, they’re going to hit. That’s just how it’s going to be.”

Coastal Carolina not intimidated by big ballpark

Playing in Alex Box Stadium can be a challenge to opposing teams, especially to a Coastal Carolina school that plays in a ballpark that holds about 4,000 less capacity than Alex Box Stadium.

In addition, the Chants will play in a stadium this weekend that can hold more people than it has in total enrollment. Coastal Carolina enrolls 9,364—less than the total capacity of Alex Box Stadium, which is 10,326.

However, Coastal Carolina coach Gary Gilmore isn’t intimidated by the challenge. 

“We’ve been to some good places,” Gilmore said. “We were at Texas A&M last year. That’s a pretty tough environment to play in too. I know with their great fans in it, I’m sure it’s going to be an experience for us.”  

The starting pitcher for Saturday’s opener, junior Andrew Beckwith, said he has visited LSU’s stadium before and has family ties to the University. His grandfather, a doctor, attended LSU and has walked around the stadium with his parents.

Beckwith’s pitching motions will be “tough” for LSU

Not only does Beckwith has a few pitches to pick from in his arsenal, he has the ability to change pitching angles.

Beckwith can sometimes pitch a traditional overhand throwing motion, but he’s also able to throw side-arm, which is something LSU junior shortstop Kramer Robertson said he’s not too familiar with.

“I think that Kyle Wright from Vanderbilt did it a little bit,” Robertson said. “It’s going to be tough. I haven’t seen many people in my entire career that can change arm angles like I heard this guy does.”

Freshman right fielder Antoine Duplantis added: “You just got to try to find his release point. Just go up there looking for one pitch in one spot. We’ll see how he goes tomorrow, and we’re going to figure him out as the game goes on.”

Because of a lack of pitchers on his high school team, Beckwith said one of his coaches suggested he try out throwing side-armed. Since then has been able to master both throwing motions and doesn’t prefer a throwing motion.

“As long as I can throw strikes, I think I can do both,” Beckwith said.