How to Watch: No. 2 LSU at Mississippi State in SEC Showdown

The Tigers travel to Starkville to get conference play started, Luke Holman takes the mound for LSU.

The reigning National Champions head to Starkville for a weekend series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs to get conference play started. 

No. 2 LSU looks to defend their crown with an SEC showdown against Mississippi State just hours away.

Here's all the game information for the contest; including pitching matchups for this weekend:

DATES/TIMES

• Friday, March 15 @ 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
• Saturday, March 16 @ 4 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
• Sunday, March 17 @ 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)

STADIUM

• Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium (7,200)

RANKINGS

• LSU – No. 2 Baseball America; No. 2 USA Today; No. 2 D1 Baseball
• MSU – unranked

RADIO

· LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates

· Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com

TV/ONLINE

• The games on Friday and Sunday will be streamed on SEC Network +; Saturday’s game will be televised on the SEC Network

LSU SERIES RECORD VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE

• Mississippi State leads the overall series with LSU, 210-195-1, but LSU has won 13 of the past 16 SEC regular season series with the Bulldogs … LSU has also won four of the past six series, though Mississippi State won two of three games over the Tigers last season (May 11-13) in Baton Rouge … Mississippi State’s series win in Baton Rouge in 2016 broke a string of nine straight series wins for LSU over MSU from 2007-15 … the Bulldogs’ other series victory over LSU over the past 16 full seasons came in 2021, a 2-1 series victory in Baton Rouge.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Game 1

LSU – Jr. RH Luke Holman (4-0, 0.00 ERA, 24.0 IP, 4 BB, 40 SO)

MSU - So. RH Evan Siary (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 0 BB, 7 SO)

Game 2

LSU – So. LH Gage Jump (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.1 IP, 2 BB, 21 SO

MSU - Jr. RH Khal Stephen (2-1, 3.38 ERA, 21.1 IP, 4 BB, 26 SO)

Game 3

LSU – Jr. RH Thatcher Hurd (1-1, 4.76 ERA, 17.0 IP, 7 BB, 26 SO)

MSU - So. BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (3-0, 2.08 ERA, 21.2, 11 BB, 35 SO)

QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON

“This is a great opportunity for our team; Mississippi State has a very talented club. Dakota Jordan right now is as hot as anybody in the country, it looks like every time I look up, he hits a homer. They have some very good players, and I really like the top of their order. They’re playing hard, and they’re playing with purpose. It’s going to be a good series; I think Mississippi State is one of the most talented teams in college baseball.”

ABOUT THE TIGERS

• LSU has won five of its past six games, and the Tigers this week are ranked No. 2 in the nation by Baseball America, USA Today and D1 Baseball … the Tigers posted two wins this week over North Dakota State by scores of 6-1 and 7-0 in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

• LSU is No. 6 in the SEC in team batting average, as the Tigers are hitting .304 with 35 doubles, five triples and 21 homers … LSU is No. 5 in the league in team ERA at 2.81, recording 234 strikeouts in 160.0 innings … the Tigers are No. 2 in the league in strikeouts pitched and No. 4 in opponent batting average (.202).

• Junior right-hander Luke Holman fired 6.0 scoreless and hitless innings last Friday in a win over Xavier … Holman limited the Musketeers to no hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts … he threw 97 pitches in the outing, recording 59 pitches for strikes, and he did not allow a Xavier player to advance beyond second base … Holman retired nine straight Xavier batters to complete his outing, including six by strikeouts … Holman is 4-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA in 24.0 innings … he has recorded four walks and 40 strikeouts, and he’s limiting opponents to a .103 batting average.

• Sophomore left-hander Gage Jump improved to 2-0 on the year last Saturday when he defeated Xavier … Jump recorded a career-best 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings, limiting the Musketeers to three hits with one walk … Jump has a 0.00 ERA in 13.1 innings this season with two walks, 21 strikeouts and a .133 opponent batting average.

• Sophomore catcher Brady Neal is hitting .357 (5-for-14) in LSU’s last five games with two doubles, three RBI and five runs … catcher/DH Hayden Travinski has five RBI in LSU’s last five games, along with two doubles, one homer and two runs scored.

• The LSU pitching staff has posted a 0.80 ERA in the Tigers’ last five games, allowing just four earned runs in 45.0 innings with 15 walks and 60 strikeouts … opponents have hit .161 against the LSU staff in the five-game stretch.

• LSU’s nine-game win streak this season from February 24-March 9 was the Tigers’ longest since early last season, when the 2023 club won 13 in a row from February 26-March 18.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

• Mississippi State has won 10 of its last 11 games after a 3-4 start to the season … the Bulldogs split two midweek games in Biloxi, Miss., this week, dropping a 6-5 decision to South Alabama on Tuesday before posting a 2-1 (11 innings) win over New Orleans on Wednesday.
• Mississippi State is No. 10 in the SEC in team batting average, as the Bulldogs are hitting .293 with 37 doubles, three triples and 15 home runs … the Bulldogs are No. 6 in the league in team ERA at 3.47 with 210 strikeouts in 161.0 innings.
• MSU outfielder Dakota Jordan is batting .415 (27-for-65) this season with seven doubles, nine homers and 28 RBI … he is No. 2 in the SEC in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage (.938).