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LSU baseball vs Ball State: Pitching matchups, preview and prediction

By Bailey Adams

Jun 16, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers pitcher Alex Lange (35) throws against the Cal State Fullerton Titans during the first inning in the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers pitcher Alex Lange (35) throws against the Cal State Fullerton Titans during the first inning in the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pitching matchups, preview and prediction for the LSU baseball team’s weekend series with the Ball State Cardinals.

The seventh-ranked LSU baseball team will look to build on its six-game winning streak when Ball State (7-7, 0-0 MAC) comes to Alex Box Stadium for a three-game series. The Tigers (10-2, 0-0 SEC) will be playing their final non-conference weekend series of the season before opening up Southeastern Conference play next weekend.

LSU is coming off of a 6-3 win over Louisiana Tech in which the Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead early before allowing the bullpen to finish strong. Wednesday night’Ts game against McNeese State was postponed to April 12 due to threat of bad weather, so the team got an extra day to prepare for this weekend’s series.

Ball State is coming off of back-to-back wins on Tuesday and Wednesday night against Savannah State. Last weekend, the Cardinals picked up two wins over Cincinnati, who LSU swept back in February. The Cardinals have struggled to be consistent through 14 games, as they have yet to win more than two games in a row. As a team, they are hitting .260, but they have pitched to a 4.43 ERA in 14 games.

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Below are the pitching matchups for the weekend, as well as a look at the key players to watch for each team:

Pitching Matchups

Friday (3/11)- Ball State: Kevin Marnon (1-2, 4.00 ERA), LSU: Jared Poche (2-0, 0.92 ERA)

Saturday (3/12)- Ball State: Zach Plesac (0-1, 6.23 ERA), LSU: Alex Lange (1-0, 4.15 ERA)

Sunday (3/13)- Ball State: Colin Brockhouse (1-1, 2.57 ERA), LSU: John Valek III (3-0, 2.04 ERA)

Players to Watch

Ball State

Caleb Stayton- In 14 starts this season, the junior is hitting .357 (20-for-56) with four doubles, two home runs and a team-high 18 RBIs.

Alex Call- The junior outfielder has started all 14 games this season, posting a .346 batting average (18-for-52) with five doubles, two triples and 12 runs scored.

Matt Haro- Haro has made four appearances on the mound this year for the Cardinals, starting one game. He has a 2-1 record with a 1.69 ERA, having given up just three earned runs in 16 innings pitched.

Brendan Burns- The sophomore right-hander has three appearances (two starts) on the mound this year. He is 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA. In 16 1/3 innings pitched, Burns has given up five runs (four earned) while striking out a team-high 18 batters.

LSU

Kramer Robertson- Robertson started the season on a rough note, going 2-for-16 in his first four games with an RBI and three runs scored. In the eight games since, the junior has hit .333 (10-for-30) with eight RBIs and 11 runs scored, solidifying himself as the Tigers’ leadoff hitter.

Beau Jordan- Jordan has been a big presence in the middle of the LSU lineup this season. In 11 games, he has hit .333 (13-for-39) with five doubles, a home run, a team-high 14 RBIs and nine runs scored.

Jared Poche- Poche continued to dominate last week, pitching seven shutout innings against Fordham as he picked up his second win. In 19 2/3 innings pitched, he has allowed just two earned runs, which is good for a 0.92 ERA.

Caleb Gilbert- The freshman right-hander has been strong out of the LSU bullpen this season. In five appearances, he is 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA. He has given up one earned run in eight and one-thirds innings pitched while striking out 14 batters, the most by an LSU reliever.

With the exception of a few innings in game two of last Saturday’s doubleheader, the Tigers have been very good during this six-game winning streak. Poche and senior John Valek III (3-0, 2.04 ERA) have been dangerous for LSU, while Alex Lange (1-0, 4.15 ERA) has struggled in his three starts. Lange will need to get back on track by SEC play, once again proving to be the dominant pitcher he was in his 12-0 freshman campaign.

Ball State has scored 28 runs in its last four games, so it will be up to the Cardinals’ pitching staff to hold down an LSU offense that has been a pleasant surprise this season.

Prediction

The Tigers continue their recent streak, keyed by good pitching and a young lineup that is currently hitting .310 as a team. Poche and Valek keep dominating, Lange regains his confidence and LSU extends the streak to nine with a sweep of Ball State.

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