Longhorns Country

No. 8 Texas Baseball Hosting No. 2 LSU in Massive Top 10 SEC Series

The Longhorns look to continue their winning ways in the SEC as the Tigers come to town.

Connor Zimmerlee

Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The series between the No. 8 Texas Longhorns (17-2, 3-0) and the No. 2 LSU Tigers (21-1, 3-0) is universally viewed as one of the must-watch series of the weekend. One could argue it has the potential to be one of the best of the season.

Two of college baseball's historic powerhouses are set to clash for the first time as conference foes, as the Tigers make their way to UFCU Disch-Falk Field for a mammoth series. A series that will have major implications on how the rest of the season goes for the Longhorns.

Texas enters the series off a disappointing result their last time out, as the Longhorns are fresh off an 8-7 loss in extra innings to the UTSA Roadrunners. That loss brought their winning streak to an end at 17 games. Now, they look to bounce back against the Tigers.

How to watch/listen:

Friday March 21 at 7 p.m. CT - SEC Network/TexasSports.com/Audio

Saturday March 22 at 6 p.m. CT - SEC Network+/TexasSports.com/Audio

Sunday March 23 at 2 p.m. CT - SEC Network+/TexasSports.com/Audio

A look at LSU's season so far -

Pick any metric you'd like and the odds are high that LSU will be near the top or the best in that given statistic. The Tigers boast one of the nation's deep squad and have showcased their ability to beat teams with a high-powered offense backed by a nasty pitching staff.

They enter the series against the Longhorns riding an impressive 16-game winning streak and with a remarkable 21-1 overall record. A whopping 15 of those games have seen them score at least 10 runs, while they've yet to allow a team to score more than nine this season.

LSU by the numbers:

  • Record - 21-1 (3-0)
  • Runs scored - 228
  • Runs allowed - 78
  • Team Avg. - .345
  • Team Avg. against - .197
  • Team ERA - 3.32

LSU wins this series if...

Its pitching staff can continue to maintain the dominance its shown over the Tigers' first 22 games. In that stretch the Tigers have allowed a mere 78 runs, stifling opponents which leads to their bats overwhelming opponents.

This is the recipe for success that LSU must follow when it comes to beating the Longhorns. Texas has shown it can put up runs in bunches, but also that it is prone to cold stretches at the plate. If LSU can bring out the latter then the chances it leaves Austin with at least a series win are good.

Texas wins this series if...

It can keep up with LSU's offensive production. As good as the Longhorns have been on the mound so far this season, this will without a doubt be their toughest test to date. And it shouldn't come as a surprise if a lineup as potent as the Tigers puts up their fair share of runs.

To counteract that, Texas' offense must be clicking on all cylinders. Any prolonged stretches of unproductive at-bats, 1-2-3 innings or anything of that nature will likely lead to a not so great outcome this weekend.

If they can continue their penchant for clutch hitting and big innings, though, then they have a shot at securing a massive series win over LSU.

Published |Modified
Connor Zimmerlee
CONNOR ZIMMERLEE

Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media. 

Home/Baseball