Before starting Southeastern Conference play against Florida this weekend, the LSU baseball team travels to Metairie to face Tulane and renew the oldest rivalry in school history.
The 16th-ranked Tigers (11-6) are amidst a five-game win streak as they head south on I-I0 to Zephyr Field for the 7 p.m. Matchup, while No. 21 Tulane (13-4) is coming off a three-game weekend sweep of Manhattan College.
LSU won two of three games against Tulane in 2002, including a 9-5 win against the Green Wave in front of a NCAA record paid crowd of 27,673 fans in the Superdome, surpassing the previous record of 24,859 fans for a two-game set at the 1999 College World Series in Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.
LSU head coach Smoke Laval said Justin Meier (3-0, 0.60 ERA) will get the start on the mound, and Nate Bumstead, Greg Smith and Brian Wilson may come in to get ready for the opening weekend of SEC play.
Whoever stands atop the hill for the Tigers will have his hands full, as Tulane enters as one of the hottest hitting teams in college baseball.
The Green Wave has an overall team batting average of .344 and has five players hitting better than .350.
Michael Aubrey leads Tulane, batting .492 with four home runs and 28 RBIs. Tommy Manzella (.412) and Brian Bogusevic (.407) round out the three Tulane players batting better than .400. LSU has only three players hitting better than .300.
The Green Wave has four players with 15 or more RBIs, while LSU shortstop Aaron Hill leads the Tigers with 14 RBIs.
“We’re looking forward to playing against Tulane,” Hill said. “You can’t take them lightly. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Since the 1998 season, Tulane leads the series with LSU 8-6, but the Tigers lead the all-time series 153-115-3.
Tulane’s regular home field is Turchin Stadium, which can hold up to 5,000 fans. The Green Wave has moved their home games with LSU to Zephyr Field to accommodate the many fans who turn out to watch these two rivals in competition.
Since moving to Zephyr Field, Tulane holds a 5-2 edge against the Tigers.
The last time LSU and Tulane played in Zephyr Field was the 2001 NCAA Super Regional, where the Green Wave won the final two games of the best-of-three series, earning a trip to Omaha for the CWS.
“It’s always a big game against Tulane,” said LSU catcher Matt Liuzza. “We need something like this.”
The Tigers are coming off a three-game sweep of Winthrop where the Tigers won Friday’s game 10-2, Saturday’s game 11-1 and Sunday’s game 3-2 in dramatic come-from-behind fashion in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Hill got back on the hitting track during the Tigers’ five-game win streak. In LSU’s previous six games Hill struggled, going 3-for-20 from the plate. He turned things around batting 8-for-21 and raised his batting average from .268 to .310.
LSU returns to action in Alex Box Stadium Friday at 6:30 p.m. for the opening weekend of SEC play against Florida.