#4 Seed LSU Tigers (37-18, 17-13 SEC) at SEC Tournament
DATE/TIME (subject to change pending weather issues)
· Thursday, May 26 @ approx. 9:30 a.m. CT – #4 seed LSU vs. #5 seed Auburn or #12 seed Kentucky
STADIUM
· Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala.
RANKINGS
· LSU – No. 15 Perfect Game, No. 16 Collegiate Baseball, No. 20 USA Today
· Auburn – No. 20 Baseball America, No. 21 USA Today, No. 23 Collegiate Baseball
· Kentucky – unranked
RADIO
· LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
· Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live [nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com]; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com [nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com]
TV/ONLINE
· All SEC Tournament games will be streamed live on SEC Network +
· Wednesday’s game will be televised live on the SEC Network
LSU IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT
LSU has a league-best 88-45 (.662) all-time record in the SEC Tournament, and the Tigers own a conference-high 12 tournament titles … Alabama and Mississippi State are second behind LSU with seven tournament titles … LSU has won six of the past 13 SEC Tournament crowns, claiming the title in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017 … the Tigers were 38-11 under former coach Paul Mainieri (2007-21) in SEC Tournament games ... LSU had reached the semifinal round in seven straight SEC Tournaments (2013-19) before dropping a first-round, single-elimination game to Georgia last season by a score of 4-1.
QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON
“I think the SEC Tournament will be a beneficial experience for our team because you play different teams each day and you have to make adjustments and prepare in a very short amount of time. It’s a cliché, but you do have to take one game at a time. I’ve always been a big fan of the SEC Tournament, and it was one of the draws in me taking the job at LSU. I think this tournament is the best showcase for college baseball outside of Omaha and the College World Series. I’m excited about it, I know our players are excited to be here. The things that made us successful this year are the things that we’ll need to do to have success in this tournament.”
ABOUT THE TIGERS
· LSU posted a 4-0 mark in its games last week, including a three-game SEC series sweep at RPI No. 3 Vanderbilt … the series marked LSU’s first-ever three-game sweep in Nashville and the Tigers’ first series victory at Vanderbilt since 2005 … LSU scored 42 runs in the Vanderbilt series, marking its highest runs total ever in an SEC road series and its second-highest total in an SEC series overall … the Tigers batted .357 (41-for-115) in the series with nine doubles, one triple and 11 homers.
· LSU, which finished 17-13 in the SEC, is the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament, and the Tigers are among the Top 4 seeds for the first time since 2017, when they were No. 1 … LSU is 7-3 this season in one run-games, including a 5-2 mark in SEC one-run games … the Tigers have 106 homers on the year, marking LSU’s highest HR total since the 2009 team blasted 107 dingers … LSU batters have been hit by pitches 112 times this season, breaking the previous school record of 110 set by the 2000 club.
· LSU is near the top of the SEC in several offensive categories, including batting average (No. 2 - .293); slugging percentage (No. 2 - .530); on-base percentage (No. 2 - .409); total bases (No. 2 – 999); runs scored (No. 2 – 456); RBI (No. 2 – 433); home runs (No. 2 – 106); base hits (No. 2 – 552); and doubles (No. 3 – 109) … LSU’s batters have been hit by a pitch a school-record 112 times through 55 games; the Tigers are No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC in batters hit-by-pitches, and the next-closest SEC team in that category is Missouri with 91 HBPs.
· Centerfielder Dylan Crews was named Monday by the league coaches as the SEC Co-Player of the Year, becoming LSU’s first SEC Player of the Year since outfielder Raph Rhymes received the honor in 2012 … former LSU right-hander Aaron Nola was named SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2013 and in 2014 … Crews is hitting .345 (76-for-220) this season with eight doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 67 RBI and 63 runs scored … his 21 homers represent the most by an LSU player since outfielder Ryan Schimpf hit 22 home runs in 2009 … Crews leads the SEC this season in homers (21) and runs scored (63), and he is No. 2 in the league in triples (4), No. 2 in total bases (155), No. 2 in RBI (67), No. 3 in hits (76) and No. 4 in slugging percentage (.705).
· Third baseman Jacob Berry was voted second-team All-SEC Monday by the league coaches … he is hitting a team-high .381 (72-for-189) on the year, including a remarkable .400 in SEC games, an average that leads the league in conference games only … Berry has collected eight doubles, 15 homers, 47 RBI and 43 runs scored this season, though he was forced to miss six games from May 7-15 due to a finger injury … Berry is No. 3 in the SEC in batting average (.381), No. 5 in on-base percentage (.473), No. 10 in slugging percentage (.661), No. 10 in total bases (125) and No. 10 in base hits (72).
· Sophomore first baseman Tre’ Morgan was voted to the SEC All-Defensive team Monday for the second straight year … he is also No. 3 in the league this season in doubles (17), No. 3 in hit-by-pitch (14) and No. 7 in base hits (74) … Morgan is LSU’s third-leading hitter this season, batting .329 (74-for-225) with 17 doubles, one triple, five homers, 47 RBI and 48 runs scored … he doubled four times in the Vanderbilt series last weekend, scoring five runs and collecting three RBI.
· Rightfielder Brayden Jobert was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week Monday after leading the Tigers to a series sweep at Vanderbilt … Jobert enjoyed a phenomenal week, hitting .500 (8-for-16) in four games with one double, one triple, five homers and 13 RBI … in the three-game Vanderbilt series, he batted .500 (6-for-12) with one double, one triple, three homers and 10 RBI … in Saturday’s win over Vanderbilt, Jobert tied the LSU single-game record for RBI with nine, as he blasted a grand slam, a three-run homer and a two-run double.
· Sophomore right-hander Ty Floyd, making just his second career SEC start, defeated Vanderbilt on Friday by working 5.1 innings and limiting the Commodores to one run on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts … his strikeouts total marked a career high in an SEC game.
· Senior right-hander Ma’Khail Hilliard posted a win over Vanderbilt on Thursday, improving his record to 6-1 this season; LSU is 8-2 this season in Hilliard’s 10 SEC starts … Hilliard limited Vanderbilt to one earned run on eight hits in 5.1 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
· Sophomore right-hander Eric Reyzelman earned the save Thursday at Vanderbilt with a dominating effort, firing 3.2 scoreless innings with no hits, one walk and six strikeouts.
· The LSU pitching staff is near the top of the SEC in a number of categories, including team ERA (No. 3 - 3.99); opponent batting average (No. 4 - .234); fewest earned runs allowed (No. 4 - 215); fewest hits allowed (No. 5 - 435); and fewest walks allowed (No. 5 – 189).
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers