LSU was riding a 12-game winning streak last season heading into its 5-hour, 15-inning matchup against the University of New Orleans in May.LSU coach Paul Mainieri remembers the game all too well.”We’re going to do everything we can to avoid another 15-inning game,” Mainieri said. “That was a great ballgame last year, but it was a long one, and it certainly drained our pitching staff. We’re going to hope that we win the ballgame but do it in just nine innings this year.”This season No. 1 LSU (7-0) is riding a 24-game regular season unbeaten streak into New Orleans.LSU junior second baseman Ryan Schimpf said the team isn’t worried about its streak.”Our goal is to win our next game, and that’s what we are trying to do,” Schimpf said. “We just want to win and play a solid ballgame.”Mainieri will again be playing against something close to his heart.  Last weekend against Central Florida it was former assistant coaches, and tonight it is UNO baseball.Mainieri played second base for UNO from 1978-1979, helping the Privateers win two Sun Belt Conference Championships.Mainieri said he also played in the inaugural season at Maestri Field, scoring the winning run against Oklahoma in the first game in the stadium.”I fell in love with Louisiana when I was at LSU my freshman year, but the years I spent in New Orleans sure enhanced my love for this state and that city,” Mainieri said. “As much as competing against Terry [Rooney] this weekend, I have to separate my own personal emotions [tonight]. My loyalty is to my players and with this university I represent now.” The Tigers went 1-2 against the Privateers last season. LSU lost the first two games of the series, 8-6 and 6-5, at home and away, respectively.The last time LSU beat UNO  (4-4) without going to extra innings was March 27, 2007.”I don’t have to inspire our guys to bear down on Tuesday night,” Mainieri said. “They know UNO is a good ballclub. They lost a lot of guys from that team last year, but Tom Walter is one of the very best coaches in the country, and I’m sure they will be ready to go.”Mainieri has a career 5-9 record against the Privateers, including a 2-3 record at LSU. UNO coach Tom Walter has a career 3-6 record against LSU.”They’ve had the upper hand on us so far, and they deserve all the credit for that,” Mainieri said. “We were hoping to get another shot at playing them in the regional last year, but it didn’t work out because they were eliminated before we had the chance to play them and even up the score.”Tonight’s game will be the first road trip of the Tigers’ season.LSU junior first baseman Sean Ochinko said the team is prepared to hit the road.”We’re ready to go out on the road and play hard,” Ochinko said. “We played the first seven hard, and we are going to try and keep doing what we are doing.”The game will also begin a six-day swing of five games, but Mainieri said he is not worried about his pitching rotation.”I’m excited about it,” Mainieri said. “I like the idea of playing five games in a week because it forces everybody to use their whole pitching staff, and the more the players play, the better they get.”Southpaw freshman Chris Matulis (1-0) will get the start on the mound against UNO in place of senior Nolan Cain, who is nursing a sore throwing shoulder.”It will be a big start for him,” Mainieri said. “I was hoping that I could wait another week before throwing him into that kind of environment, but Nolan Cain is down.”The Tigers were 10-3 against Louisiana opponents last season.
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