LSU takes two of three from Long Beach
Junior third baseman Wally Pontiff and the LSU baseball team have not forgotten how or to whom their 2001 season ended.
Usually, LSU baseball reigns in Louisiana, but last season was an exception as the upstart Tulane Green Wave beat LSU four out of five games, including twice, 9-4 and 7-1, in the NCAA Super Regional to advance to the 2001 College World Series.
Underneath those losses are the embarrassing 13-3 whipping the Green Wave gave the Tigers at the Box in their first 2001 meeting, and the 7-6 heartbreaker LSU lost in New Orleans in their second regular season meeting.
LSU (10-4) will have its chance to answer the bell tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Box when it faces Tulane (8-5) in a rematch of last year’s Super Regional.
“Every time we play Tulane, everyone gets up to play them,” Pontiff said. “What happened last year probably adds a little more fuel in the fire. Every time we play them is important; just like every win is important.”
This game marks the first of two regular season games played between the two schools this season. The second game will be played April 10 in the Superdome.
The Green Wave, coached by Rick Jones, are coming off a weekend series that saw them lose two out of three to UCLA.
James Jurries paces the Greenies at the plate with four home runs, 19 RBIs and a .444 batting average.
With the recent icy weather over Louisiana that both LSU and Tulane suffered through last weekend, the two schools may be wishing that tonight’s game was held in the warm confines of the Superdome.
“That wouldn’t be bad,” said LSU coach Smoke Laval. “I’m sure Coach Jones is hoping it’s going to get warm just like I am.”
Laval is looking for a more consistent focus from LSU, who took two-of-three over Long Beach State over the weekend. The Tigers lost the opener 8-3, but came back to win two in a row over the last games of the series.
Laval said it’s important for the Tigers to get excited about playing Tulane, but not to get too pumped up. 
“In baseball we try to stay on an even keel,” he said. “In other words, you get too high for one opponent, then you lose the [following] weekend. It’s good that maybe we can get intensified and quadruple our focus.”
Pontiff (.375, two home runs and 13 RBIs) led the Tigers over the weekend hitting 6-of-11, including a home run that jumpstarted the Tigers to their 10-2 victory over Long Beach in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader.
“I’m getting my timing back a little bit,” he said. “I knew it would come around sooner or later. Hitting is a lot about being contagious.”
Lane Mestepey (2-0, 3.25 ERA) picked up the win in that game, pitching eight brilliant innings. He limited the Dirtbags to five hits while striking out eight.
“I like to pitch against the best teams and see where I am,” Mestepey said. “[Long Beach] is a real good team. You just have to go out there and battle your ass off.”
LSU coach Smoke Laval said Mestepey was visibly upset after the Tigers lost the first game of the doubleheader and the players picked up on that.
“He competes and then we compete,” Laval said. “It’s amazing. He just doesn’t like to lose whether he’s pitching or not. We went in [to the clubhouse after the first game] and had sandwiches, and he was mad like a hornet.”
The Tigers took the series on Sunday in the bottom of the 11th inning when outfielder Matt Heath hit his first home run of the season to give LSU a 5-4 win.
The Tigers also got a fine pitching performance from Jake Tompkins (2-0, 3.80 ERA) and Brian Wilson (3-1, 1.12 ERA) on Sunday. Tompkins threw eight innings, allowing only three earned runs, while Wilson picked up the win in extra innings throwing three scoreless innings.
Laval said Clay Harris (1-0, 4.09 ERA) is the probable starter for tonight’s game and Chad Vaught and Jason Vargas should also see action on the mound.
Graham Thomas