LSU coach Smoke Laval considers Southern infielder Rickie Weeks one of the finest players in the nation.
Last season, in leading the Jaguars to a 44-10 record and a Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship, Weeks hit .497 with 20 home runs and 96 RBIs and posted a 1.000 slugging percentage.
Considered one of the top prospects in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft in June, Weeks is off to another fast start in 2003, hitting .478 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs and .971 slugging percentage as LSU (13-7-1, 2-0-1 Southeastern Conference) visits Southern (17-4, 11-1 SWAC) tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Lee-Hines Field.
“He’s one of the best players in the country,” Laval said. “Better see him play now or you’re going to have to pay big money to see him play one day.”
Last season coach Roger Cador and the Jaguars marched into Alex Box Stadium with a 31-4 record and left with a 13-2 loss at the hands of LSU. Of the five hits Southern got off LSU pitching, Weeks had two of them.
LSU also beat Southern, 5-4, May 31, 2002, in the regional at Alex Box.
The Jaguars are 1-36 all time against LSU, with their one win coming in 2001 at Alex Box Stadium.
Laval expects Southern to give its best effort tonight against LSU.
“They’re a tremendous ballclub,” he said. “They can pitch too.”
Because usual midweek starter Justin Meier pitched against Florida on Sunday, junior right-hander Nate Bumstead gets the start tonight against the Jaguars.
Bumstead (1-1, 6.06 ERA) started the season as the Tigers’ Sunday starter while Bo Pettit recovered from the flu. Bumstead won his first start against Northwestern State but has been up and down since then.
Against Tulane last Tuesday at Zephyr Field, Bumstead pitched to two batters in relief and walked both.
Laval said he would like to get left-handers Jason Determann and Greg Smith into the ball game as well.
“We will throw a lot of guys,” Laval said.
Laval also might get some extra work for usual weekend starter Jake Tompkins, who is off to a rocky start at 0-2 with a 5.13 ERA.
“[Jake] has got to get better,” Laval said. “He’s just not right here. We’ve got to get him some extra work in the middle of the week and see what happens.”
Ivan Naccarata leads the Tigers at the plate with a team high .372 batting average and 17 RBIs. Naccarata extended his current hitting streak to 18 games over the weekend, going 6-for-13 against Florida with five RBIs.
“What we have to do is come out on Tuesday and whoop some butt,” Naccarata said. “We’re doing pretty good. We’re hitting the ball well.”