Game 1 of the LSU-Arkansas series
is set for 6:30 p.m. CT Friday, Game 2 begins at 2 p.m. CT Saturday and Game 3
starts at 1 p.m. CT Sunday.
Arkansas enters this weekend’s series tied for second
place with Ole Miss in the SEC Western Division, three games behind first-place
Alabama
(13-5). LSU, seeking to end a four-game conference losing skid, is in sixth
place in the SEC West.
"We need to start putting some
things together, timely offense and pitching,” said LSU coach Smoke Laval. “We
haven't put those two things together yet. Hopefully, we’ll get some good
fortune and also get a little healthier down the stretch."
Arkansas, which has a 13-8 mark
this season against Top 25 teams, boasts the No. 3 team ERA (3.50) in the SEC.
The Razorbacks are No. 10 in the league in team batting average (.288) and No. 8
in fielding percentage (.963).
LSU is No. 7 in the SEC in batting
average (.299), No. 10 in ERA (4.70), and No. 3 in fielding percentage
(.970).
Junior left-hander Clay Dirks (3-4,
5.26 ERA) will take the mound for the Tigers in Friday’s series opener. Dirks
blanked Arkansas last season in Fayetteville, hurling a
three-hit shutout while recording one walk and eight
strikeouts.
Arkansas will counter Friday with sophomore
left-hander Nick Schmidt (7-2, 2.18 ERA), who is No 2 in the SEC in strikeouts
with 91 in 74.1 innings of work.
LSU senior catcher Matt Liuzza
leads LSU with a .349 (45-for-120) average, and he extended his current hitting
streak to 11 games last weekend during the Tigers’ series at Ole Miss. Liuzza
hit .417 (5-for-12) in the three-game series against the Rebels with one double
and two runs scored.
Liuzza is also the Tigers’ leading
hitter in SEC games, batting .365 (23-for-63) with seven doubles, one homer,
seven RBI and eight runs.
Senior right fielder Quinn Stewart
increased his SEC-leading home run total to 19 with a pair of dingers in the Ole
Miss series. Stewart hit one home run in five consecutive games from April 15-22
before the HR streak ended in Game 3 at Ole Miss. Stewart is hitting .329 on the
year with eight doubles, three triples, 19 homers and 48
RBI.
Freshman infielder J.T. Wise is
batting .348 (56-for-161) on the year with 12 doubles, eight homers and 33 RBI.
Wise is hitting .338 (24-for-71) in SEC games with four doubles, five homers and
13 RBI.
Arkansas junior first baseman Danny Hamblin is
tied for the SEC RBI lead with 55. Hamblin also ranks fourth in home runs (12)
and sixth in total bases (96).
Center fielder Craig Gentry has
been one of the most reliable bats in the Hogs’ lineup this season. He is
hitting a team-best .355 with three home runs, eight doubles and 16 RBI. He also
boasts Arkansas’ best average in SEC play at .379.
LSU leads the all-time series with
Arkansas,
39-18, as the teams first met in 1960. LSU has a 12-7 advantage over the
Razorbacks in games played this decade, including a three-game SEC series sweep
last season in Fayetteville.
Arkansas is just 7-21 in games played at Alex Box Stadium;
however, the Razorbacks swept three games from the Tigers in 2004 in Baton
Rouge.
# 11 Arkansas Razorbacks
(30-12, 10-8)
at LSU Fighting Tigers
(27-16, 6-12)
DATES/TIMES
Friday, April 28 – 6:30 p.m. CDT;
Saturday, April 29 – 2 p.m. CDT; Sunday, April 30 – 1 p.m. CDT
STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium (7,760) in
Baton Rouge, La.
RANKINGS
LSU (unranked)
Arkansas (# 11 Baseball America, # 14 USA Today/ESPN,
# 23 Collegiate Baseball)
TICKETS
$8 adults, $5 children ages 3-12 --
available at Alex Box Stadium each day two hours prior to first pitch; tickets
may also be purchased and printed at www.LSUsports.net
SPECIAL
EVENTS/PROMOTIONS
FRIDAY
Youth Night
All kids ages 12 and under will be
admitted for $1
SATURDAY
Warren Morris
Day
1996 College World Series hero
Warren Morris will meet fans and sign autographs inside Alex Box Stadium (Tiger
Terrace on third-base side) from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to wear GOLD to
the game
SUNDAY
Military Appreciation
Day
Armed forces personnel may purchase
$4 tickets with a military ID
LSU team will wear special black
jerseys trimmed in camouflage colors as a tribute to military personnel
TV
FRIDAY
Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37
in Baton
Rouge)
SATURDAY
None
SUNDAY
Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37
in Baton
Rouge)
SERIES
RECORD
LSU leads, 39-18 (first meeting in
1960)
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1
LSU – Jr. LHP Clay Dirks (3-4, 5.26
ERA, 53.0 IP, 12 BB, 55 SO)
UA – So. LHP Nick Schmidt (7-2,
2.18 ERA, 74.1 IP. 31 BB, 91 SO)
Game 2
LSU – Fr. RHP Louis Coleman (4-3,
4.58 ERA, 55.0 IP, 20 BB, 37 SO)
UA – Sr. LHP Trey Holloway (4-0,
4.40 ERA, 45.0 IP, 8 BB, 15 SO)
Game 3
LSU – Jr. RHP Derik Olvey (6-2,
3.50 ERA, 69.1 IP, 14 BB, 55 SO)
UA – So. RHP Shaun Seibert (3-0,
2.47 ERA, 40.0 IP, 9 BB, 42 SO)