The LSU baseball team hopes to ride the confidence of a two-game winning streak into this weekend’s three-game set against Winthrop University beginning tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium.
LSU salvaged the series finale on the road at Long Beach State last weekend and managed to get by in-state foe Southeastern Louisiana and former Tigers’ pitching coach Dan Canevari, 4-2, Wednesday night.
Third baseman Aaron Hill went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs against SLU as LSU supported another outstanding performance from freshman Justin Meier. Meier, in his third start, improved to 3-0 on the year after surrendering just three hits in five scoreless innings.
Head coach Smoke Laval compared Meier’s early success to that of current junior Lane Mestepey.
“Justin did a tremendous job again,” Laval said. “He’s making a move. There’s a chance he’ll get the ball sometime [over a coming] weekend.”
Meier said he felt great and in control on the mound.
“I had a lot of confidence,” Meier said. “I got ahead of the batters, I was working my curveball and hitting the spots. I’m definitely excited about pitching again. I feel like I’m on fire.”
A two-out rally in the third innning was helped by an error by SLU shortstop Chris Rusnak. Hill then came up and laced a two-run single, capping a three-run third for LSU.
Hill also added an RBI-triple in the fifth.
“If we make that play, we win the game,” Canevari said. “It was a three-run turnaround.”
For Canevari it was his first time in the opposing team’s dugout of Alex Box Stadium. He spent 12 years as a member of the LSU baseball staff.
“This is the Mecca of college baseball,” Canevari said. “It’s like the Notre Dame of college football. It’s like going back and seeing the old high school. It was nice, most of all, to see the fans.”
Hill said this is the game Canevari had the most passion to win on the SLU schedule.
“I think Cano wanted to win [because it’s LSU],” Hill said. “It was good to see him. They played well.”
The Winthrop Eagles are members of the Big South conference. After going 29-30 last year, the Eagles out of Rock Hill, S.C., are 9-3 in the young season. This includes a close loss to top 20 team Clemson on Tuesday.
“Winthrop’s a good team,” Hill said. “Smoke has been warning us about them. We overlooked Kansas. We can’t take Winthrop lightly. We have to come out with our best.”
Laval, who is good friends with Winthrop coach Joe Hudak, expects a hard fought series.
“There are three things I know about Winthrop,” Laval said. “I know Coach Hudak, they’ve been to regionals [regularly], and they have a great lefthanded pitcher (senior Jeremy Plexico, 2-0, 2.91 ERA). This is not a cakewalk weekend.”