For the second-consecutive weekend the LSU baseball team (6-4) will face a highly ranked opponent before the start of Southeastern Conference play.
Last weekend the Tigers split a two-game series with No. 20 Houston, and this weekend they travel to Long Beach, Calif., for a three-game series with the No. 9-ranked Long Beach State 49ers (8-4) — the first trip to California in the 110-year history of the LSU baseball program.
“It’s rare to play such highly ranked opponents this early in the season,” said senior pitcher and California native Jake Tompkins. “But this is good for us. It’s good to play this type of competition to get us where we need to be.”
This marks the second time in LSU history the Tigers have faced ranked opponents in back-to-back weekends in non-conference play. It last happened in 2000 when the Tigers welcomed Arizona State and Houston to Alex Box Stadium in consecutive weeks.
It also marks the first time in LSU history the Tigers enter a non-conference game ranked lower than its opponent.
“It’s only going to make us stronger and more prepared for SEC play,” said pitcher Bo Pettit. “It’s nice to see these types of teams so early in the season.”
LSU prides itself on good pitching, and so does Long Beach. The 49ers pitching staff has posted a 2.69 ERA thus far this season against one of the tougher schedules in college baseball, including No. 4 Arizona State and No. 21 USC.
The 49ers ace pitcher is Abe Alvarez, who reminds LSU head coach Smoke Laval of Tigers pitcher Lane Mestepey. Alvarez is 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA this season.
Long Beach came to Baton Rouge for last year’s series and lost two of three to the Tigers. Alvarez pitched the 49ers to victory in the first game, 8-3, but the Tigers claimed the win in the final two games of the series.
Tompkins (0-1, 5.00 ERA) starts Friday night’s game on the mound for the Tigers beginning at 8:30 p.m., and Brian Wilson (2-1, 4.08) will pitch Saturday’s 3 p.m. game
Pettit is the Tigers likely starter for Sunday’s game, also starting at 3 p.m.
LSU pitchers are yielding a .211 batting average with runners in scoring position this season and owns a 3.44 ERA.
LSU is looking to get its swing back on this road trip.
After a blistering 8-for-16 start to the season, second baseman Blake Gill has struggled as of late, dropping his batting average to .286. He has only two hits in his last 19 at bats.
Laval said he plans to keep the infield the same as last weekend when he moved Hill back to short stop, Ivan Naccarata from second base to third base, Blake Gill to second and Will Harris to first.
The freshman Harris may split time at first with Ryan Patterson, who usually plays outfield but saw some action at first base during the week’s practices. Patterson leads the Tigers with a .348 batting average.
The Tigers next home game is next Wednesay, March 5, at 6:30 p.m. against their Interstate-12 rival Southeastern Louisiana University in Alex Box Stadium.