LAKE CHARLES – It is the matchup that everyone has waited for as the sixth-ranked LSU Tiger baseball squad makes its way to Southwest Louisiana Wednesday evening to challenge the McNeese Cowboys at Joe Miller Ballpark.
With first pitch set for a 6:07 p.m. start, fans are encouraged to arrive early throughout the day as a capacity crowd is expected for the sold out in-state showdown. Gates are set to open at 4 p.m. to accommodate the large crowds. The McNeese athletic department announced that there will be no re-entry into the game and that outside chairs are prohibited. High school coaches cards will not be accepted for the game.
Pre-game festivities have the McNeese Parapokes skydiving in as well as a ceremonial first pitch with game sponsor Iberia Bank and its representatives.
McNeese (8-4) has won four in a row including a mid-week victory against ULM and a weekend series sweep of Prairie View A&M last week. The Pokes ' only losses of the season came against No. 7 Arizona in a four-game weekend series in Tucson.
The Cowboys hold a perfect 7-0 mark at home this season and has outscored their opponents 76-32 during that span.
McNeese enters the series with the best batting average in the league with a combined .339 clip through 12 games. Eight Cowboys have a batting average of .300 or better with senior
Matt Gallier pacing the field with a .422 average along with
Joe Provenzano (.405), Ricky Ramirez (.400),
Shane Selman (.387),
Jake Cochran (.364),
Dustin Duhon (.351),
Will Fox (.316) and
Robbie Podorsky (.315).
Sophomore right-hander
Aidan Anderson will take the bump for McNeese on Wednesday. The Beaumont, Texas native will make his second career start and enters with a 13.50 ERA and a 0-1 record through four appearances this season. He has eight strikeouts on the year.
LSU (9-3), who is ranked as high as sixth in the national polls, will host San Diego Tuesday night before its showdown with the Cowboys. The Tigers competed in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic over the weekend in Houston and picked up a victory against Baylor while falling to top-ranked TCU and Texas Tech. LSU is 1-1 against Southland Conference programs this season.
The Tigers are hitting .332 as a team with Cole Freeman leading the way with a .475 clip along with 19 hits, three doubles and 10 runs scored. Kramer Robertson leads the squad with eight walks while Greg Deichman has recorded 15 hits including two doubles and five home runs for a .780 slugging line.
A starting pitcher has yet to be announced for LSU.
McNeese head coach
Justin Hill, who was a pitcher for the Tigers from 2001 to 2002, notched his 100th career victory over Prairie View A&M last weekend. Hill is one of six McNeese coaches to amass 100 or more victories as a skipper for the Pokes.
Wednesday's marks the first time since the 2012 season that LSU will face off against McNeese in Lake Charles. The Cowboys have faced the Tigers at home eight times and hold a 5-3 advantage over LSU at The Jeaux.
The mid-week contest will be the 40th meeting between McNeese and LSU in the all-time series. The Pokes shut out the Tigers, 7-0, last season in Baton Rouge. It marked the first win over LSU since 2000.
The game will be televised live on Cox Sports TV. Those living in the Lake Charles/Sulphur area can catch the game on Suddenlink Channel 57 while Baton Rouge residents can view the game on Suddenlink Channels 37/1037.
Outside of CST's territory, the games will be available on ESPN3. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN and ESPN apps, plus streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
For in-game updates and other news, fans can follow the team on Facebook and on Twitter using the handle @McNeeseBaseball.
