The Preview: No. 2 LSU Baseball at No. 5 Texas Longhorns in Key SEC Series

Jay Johnson's crew heads to the Lone Star State, set to square off against the Longhorns in a Top-5 series.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Baseball.

Jay Johnson and the No. 2 ranked LSU Tigers will hit the road to the Lone Star State this weekend for a top-five clash against the Texas Longhorns in Austin.

The Longhorns enter the weekend series as the No. 5 ranked team in America with all eyes set to be on the premier Southeastern Conference battle.

For Jay Johnson and the Tigers, the program is riding a 16-game winning streak heading into the weekend series with LSU off to a historic start.

Now, all attention shifts to Friday night in Texas with Game 1 of the series set to get going for 7 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

The Preview: No. 2 LSU Tigers (21-1, 3-0) at No. 5 Texas Longhorns (17-2, 3-0)

DATES/TIMES
• Friday, March 21 at 7 p.m. CT
STADIUM
• Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas (7,211)
RANKINGS
• LSU – No. 2 D1 Baseball; No. 2 Baseball America; No. 2 USA Today
• UT – No. 5 Baseball America, No. 7 USA Today, No. 8 D1 Baseball
RADIO
• LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
• Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com
TV/ONLINE
• Friday’s game will be televised on SEC Network; Saturday and Sunday games will be streamed live on SEC Network +

LSU SERIES RECORD VS. TEXAS

Texas leads the overall series with LSU, 28-15-1; however, the Tigers have won three of the last four meetings with the Longhorns … LSU has also won two in a row over UT – a 6-3 win last season (March 1) at the Astros College Classic in Houston, and a 3-0 win on February 28, 2023, in Austin.

The teams have met on two other occasions this decade in the Astros College Classic – LSU posted a 4-3 win over UT in 2020, and Texas recorded a 6-1 win over LSU in 2022 … including their 2023 win over UT, the Tigers are 3-7 in their last four trips to Austin – UT swept three games from LSU in Austin in 2019, and Texas won two of three games over the Tigers in both 1998 and 1994 at Disch-Falk Field.

LSU won two of three games over Texas in the 2009 College World Series Finals to capture the Tigers’ sixth national championship … LSU has seven CWS titles, which is second only to Southern California’s 12 CWS championships … Texas is third NCAA history with six CWS titles.

PITCHING MATCHUP:

Game 1
LSU – So. LH Kade Anderson (4-0, 2.57 ERA, 28.0, 8 BB, 48 SO)
UT – Sr. LH Jared Spencer (2-0, 2.36 ERA, 26.2 IP, 10 BB, 36 SO)

QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON
“I’m excited for our players; they’re ready for the opportunity and the challenge. It’s one of nine remaining SEC weekends, but let’s call it what it is – it’s two historic programs, and I think it will be one of the marquee matchups in college baseball this year.

"We’re very familiar with Texas, having played them the last three years. They have a lot of older players, a core that’s been there for a few years. It’s going to be a blast; we’re going to be an improved team at the end of this series, no matter what the outcome of the games.”

ABOUT THE TIGERS
• LSU has won 16 straight games, marking the Tigers’ longest win streak since the 2017 team captured 17 games in a row from May 11 through June 17 … the Tigers’ three-game SEC sweep of Missouri last weekend marked LSU’s first sweep in an opening league weekend since the 2019 squad swept Kentucky in Baton Rouge to begin conference play.

• LSU’s 21-1 record is the Tigers’ best through 22 games since the 1986 team was also 21-1 through its first 22 contests … the 1986 Tigers were the first LSU squad to reach the College World Series.

• LSU is No. 1 in the SEC this season in team batting average (.345) … LSU also leads the league in hits (250) and doubles (59), and the Tigers are No. 2 in on-base percentage (.468), runs scored (228) and fewest times struck out (124) …LSU is No. 6 in the SEC in team ERA (3.32), and the Tigers are No. 3 in strikeouts pitched (262).

• Outfielder Derek Curiel was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week Monday by the league office … he helped lead LSU to four straight wins, including an SEC sweep over Missouri, as he hit .571 (8-for-14) in four games with two doubles, one triple, four RBI and six runs … the Tigers’ lead-off hitter, Curiel also walked twice and was hit by a pitch, and he posted a .647 on-base percentage … he batted .455 (5-for-11) in the Missouri series with one triple, three RBI, four runs and a .571 on-base percentage … his three-run triple in the fourth inning last Friday broke a 2-2 tie and gave LSU a lead it would not relinquish … Curiel is No. 2 in the SEC this season in batting average (.434), No. 1 in walks (23), No. 4 in hits (33) and No. 2 in on-base percentage (.578) … Curiel is the only LSU player to have reached base safely in all 22 games this season.

• Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson defeated Missouri last Friday in his first career SEC start, working a career-long 6.1 innings and limiting Mizzou to three runs on four hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts … he threw 95 pitches in the outing, 67 for strikes … after allowing two runs in the second inning, Anderson retired 15 of the next 17 batters that he faced … he improved to 4-0 this season, and he has a 2.57 ERA with eight walks and 48 strikeouts in 28.0 innings … Anderson is No. 2 in the SEC this season in strikeouts, and he has reached double figures in strikeouts in each of his last three starts.

• Sophomore outfielder Jake Brown played an instrumental role last week in LSU’s four straight wins, including an SEC series sweep over Missouri, batting .538 (7-for-13) in four games with one double, one triple, one homer, nine RBI and four runs … he hit .400 (4-for-10) in the Missouri series with one double, one triple, one homer and a team-best six RBI … he was 2-for-2 in Game 1 of the Missouri series last Friday with a double and a career-best four RBI … Brown launched his first career triple in Game 2 last Saturday, and his two-run home run in the first inning of last Sunday’s win highlighted a four-run outburst that gave LSU a lead it would never relinquish … Brown was 3-for-3 in LSU’s March 11 victory over Xavier with three RBI and two runs scored.

• LSU is hitting .356 (191-for-536) as a team during its 16-game win streak with 46 doubles, three triples, 31 home runs and 12 steals in 18 attempts … the Tigers’ pitching staff has compiled a 4.00 cumulative ERA and a .215 opponent batting average during the 16-game win streak with 186 strikeouts in 135.0 innings.

ABOUT TEXAS
• Texas is 17-2 this season, and the Longhorns opened SEC play last weekend by recording a three-game sweep at Mississippi State … the Longhorns are No. 10 in the SEC with a 2.96 team batting average, and the Longhorns have produced 49 doubles, six triples, 29 homers and 24 steals in 34 attempts … the Texas pitching staff is No. 4 in the SEC with a 3.22 cumulative ERA, and UT has recorded 166 strikeouts in 167.2 innings.
• The Longhorns are led at the plate by infielder Ethan Mendoza, who is batting a team-high .406 with three triples, four homers, and 16 RBI … outfielder Max Belyeu is batting .338 with seven doubles, four homers and 14 RBI, and catcher Rylan Galvan is hitting .314 with three doubles, seven homers and 19 RBI.

(Via LSU Baseball Press Release)

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