What
No. 11 LSU Tigers (30-12, 5-10 Southeastern Conference) vs. Mississippi State (22-18, 2-10 SEC)
When/Where
Game 1 Friday at 5:30 p.m., Game 2 Saturday at 7 p.m. and Game 3 Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at Nusz Park in Starkville, Mississippi.
How to watch/listen
SEC Network and SEC Network+. Radio broadcast on 107.3 FM
What to watch for
LSU will try to carry its offensive momentum from Wednesday’s 9-1 victory against Southeastern Louisiana, where they scored nine runs and collected 12 hits. The offensive output against the Lions was the most runs they scored since March 15th. The Tigers have struggled in SEC series this season. In nine of its 10 SEC losses, the Tigers have failed to manufacture more than three runs.
Behind the numbers
Mississippi State has one of the weakest offenses in the SEC. They rank last in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored and home runs. The Bulldogs also have the second worst record in the SEC.
From LSU coach Beth Torina following Wednesday’s win
“I liked seeing the offense swing the bat, but I really liked our attitude and approach,” Torina said via a news release. “From the minute we got to the field, they were being positive, trying to fire each other up. That’s something we started on Monday and carried that into today.”
“We just need to continue to trust the process and be ourselves,” Torina said. “We need to keep celebrating small successes and build their confidence back up anyway we can.”
Last time these two faced
Mississippi State defeated LSU, 9-4, in Starkville last season. LSU never recovered from a 3-0 deficit after two innings. Then-freshman Allie Walljasper was pulled after 1.1 innings pitched after giving up five hits and three runs.
How the Tigers have fared in their last ten SEC games
The Tigers are 2-8 in their last ten SEC games. Their offense has averaged 1.6 runs during that span and have been outscored 35-16.
From LSU hitting coach Howard Dobson on offensive woes
“In 20 years of coaching, I’ve never seen something like this,” Dobson said Monday. “A stretch of a streak where you can’t get a hit with runners on base … I’ve got to do a better job. That’s what it comes down to. I’m the one that has to start the offense.”