The way Tigers Friday night starter Justin Meier sees it, the LSU and South Carolina baseball teams lay claim to the same title as the best team in the Southeastern Conference.
Add in the fact the Gamecocks ended the Tigers’ 2003 season with an 11-10 win in the College World Series, and this weekend’s SEC opening series between LSU and South Carolina looks to be more than just a matchup of top 10 teams.
“They think they’re the best team in the SEC, much like we think we’re the best team in the SEC,” Meier said. “There is a little bit of rivalry there, especially since they did end our [2003] season in Omaha. With the top two clubs in the SEC, in my mind it’s going to be a great weekend. We’ll see what each team is made of really.”
Meier (4-0, 1.83 ERA) will get first crack at the Gamecocks at 6 p.m. today at Sarge Frye Field in the first of a three-game series between No. 1 LSU (16-2) and No. 3 South Carolina (18-0).
“It’s always tough opening SEC on the road, especially against South Carolina,” Meier said. “With us, they are probably the other best team in the SEC. We’re looking to get at least two or three. That would be a good weekend. A sweep would be phenomenal. It’s going to be tough, but I think we will be alright.”
Right-hander Billy Buckner (4-0, 3.21) will start for the Gamecocks in tonight’s game. LSU lefty Lane Mestepey (3-1, 2.57) will go up against right-hander Aaron Rawl (4-0, 2.08) on Saturday at 3 p.m., and Nate Bumstead (2-0, 3.18) will pitch Sunday for the Tigers.
Junior left-hander Matt Campbell (4-0) will start Sunday’s tilt for the Gamecocks. In four starts and 27 2/3 innings, Campbell has not allowed a run and has 43 strikeouts.
LSU coach Smoke Laval said the Gamecocks are even better than last year’s College World Series team that included David Marchbanks and Steven Bondurant. In fact, he said he talked to a scout earlier in the week who said South Carolina was the best college baseball team he has ever seen.
“When you’re the best [the scouts] have ever seen, that means they’re pretty damn good,” Laval said of South Carolina. “The last three years they’ve been pretty good. They’re well coached. They’re a good ballclub. They did it all. They pitch. They hit; they hit with power. They have guys that have been to Omaha.”
South Carolina coach Ray Tanner and players have shown equal respect for the Tigers.
“This is a great matchup for college baseball,” Tanner said in an USC press release. “They are ranked No. 1 in one of the polls this week and arguably have a better team than we do, and we have shown to be a pretty good team. Something has to give. It is just the first weekend of the SEC and a good matchup.
Tanner said there has been a little bounce in the step of everyone involved in the Gamecocks baseball program in anticipation of this series.
“You feel good about your program and you feel good playing the best program in the country,” Tanner said. “This is where you want to be, this is what you work for. Trying to be among the best in the country, it’s exciting, standing room only crowds, so this is good.
“We want to be a team like LSU. We have held our own, but like I said, they have been there for years and years.”
USC catcher Landon Powell, who is one of South Carolina’s top hitters with four home runs, 19 RBIs and a .392 batting average, compared the Tigers baseball program to the dominance of the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA.
“We are trying to catch them,” Powell said. “They have won five national championships, and we don’t have one. We will give it our best and go out there trying to win. Even though we are in the top five, I feel like we are the underdog.”
Steve Pearce has the most eye-catching offensive numbers for the Gamecocks. He already has 10 home runs and 30 RBIs in 68 at-bats to go with a .426 batting average.
“If you look at them on paper, they’re a pretty good ballclub,” Meier said. “I know a couple of guys on their team, and they’re a legit team. They bat nine solid hitters, just like we do. There’s no flaws in their lineup at all.”
LSU right fielder Jon Zeringue, who is hitting .403 with three home runs and 15 RBIs, said it should be an exciting weekend if both teams are playing at the top of their game.
“There’s a lot of hype going into this weekend,” Zeringue said. “They’re undefeated. They’re supposed to be one of the better teams in the SEC and so are we. We’ll compete, line them up and see what happens. It should be fun to watch.”