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LSU baseball vs. Florida: Pitching matchups, preview and prediction

By Andrew Alexander

Jun 16, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers pitcher Alex Lange (35) throws against Cal State Fullerton Titans during the seventh inning in the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. LSU won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers pitcher Alex Lange (35) throws against Cal State Fullerton Titans during the seventh inning in the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. LSU won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pitching matchups, preview and predictions for the LSU baseball team’s final regular season series with the Florida Gators.

Riding a nine-game winning streak, the scorching hot No. 8 LSU Tigers are set to face off against the top team in college baseball, the Florida Gators, in Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge this weekend.

For LSU (37-16, 17-10 SEC) this final weekend series against No. 1 Florida (43-9,18-8 SEC) represents the chance to leap into the NCAA National Seed discussion, as one of the top eight teams, and potentially host a super regional down the road.

Boasting only eleven conference wins two weeks ago, the Tigers have capitalized on recent weak SEC competition to win back-to-back  weekend series, planting them back in the hunt for the SEC West title, and a first round bye in the conference tournament.

LSU is tied for third place with Ole Miss in the SEC West and just one game behind division leaders Texas A&M and Mississippi State, who hold 18-9 league records. The Tigers are also only 1.5 games behind Florida (18-8), which is in first place in the overall SEC standings.

Florida topped Vanderbilt 2-1 in the conference series last weekend in Gainesville, and played no midweek competition.

The Gators’ pitching staff is No. 1 in the SEC in team ERA (2.92), and the Gator pitchers have recorded a league-high 544 strikeouts.

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

Pitching Matchups

Thursday (5/19)- Florida: Logan Shore (10-0, 2.29 ERA), LSU: Alex Lange (7-3, 3.76 ERA)

Friday (5/20)- Florida: A.J. Puk (2-3, 2.88 ERA), LSU: Riley Smith (1-0, 7.36 ERA)

Saturday (5/21)- Florida: Alex Faedo (10-1, 3.59 ERA), LSU: Jared Poche’ (6-4, 4.00 ERA)

Players to Watch

Florida

Florida is No. 7 in the SEC in team batting average (.285), and the Gators are third in the league with 44 homers. Sophomore catcher Mike Rivera has eight homers and 44 RBI, and sophomore catcher/DH JJ Schwarz has six homers and 43 RBI.

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LSU

Freshman right-fielder Antoine Duplantis is LSU’s leading hitter, batting .329 with six doubles, five triples, two homers and 34 RBI. Junior catcher Jordan Romero is batting .323 and leads the team in homers (9) and RBI (39).

Right hander Riley Smith could be the missing piece to LSU’s weekend rotation. Smith, who has battled arm pain most of the season, got his chance to shine at Notre Dame last weekend. The former junior college All-American recorded his first win at LSU, pitching six shutout innings against the Irish, allowing four hits and recording four strikeouts.

Smith needs to rediscover whatever mojo he conjured in South Bend last Wednesday if the Tigers are going to have a chance to win the Florida series.

Prediction

LSU’s previous nine straight wins have come against teams that likely all aren’t making the NCAA Regionals in June. Florida has been the No. 1 team in the nation for most of the season.

Tiger fans hoping for a sweep are delusional, but winning the series isn’t a far-fetched idea.

Sophomore pitcher Alex Lange needs to bring his best stuff to open the series with a win, otherwise the Tigers will be in big trouble. Friday starter Riley Smith is the X-Factor for LSU this weekend, and if he rises to the occasion, maybe LSU can do something special.

Baseball is a crazy game, where a seemingly unrelated incident involving a marsupial wandering into the outfield can somehow become the rallying cry for a team and a fan base.

Alex Box is a magical place, and I’ve seen more than my fair share of incredible comebacks there, but unless an army of Rally Possums shows up to Alex Box Stadium, I can’t envision LSU bringing home a series win.

Florida wins series 2-1

Details for LSU vs. Florida are below:

Date: Thursday, May 19
Start Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPNU

Date: Friday, May 20
Start Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
TV Channel: SEC Network

Date: Saturday, May 21
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPNU

Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Stadium: Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Radio: LSU Tigers Radio Network

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