Weekend in Baton Rouge Next for Baseball as Tide Meets with Top-Ranked LSU

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball takes to the road for a second straight weekend as the Crimson Tide heads to Baton Rouge to take on the top-ranked LSU Tigers. The series begins with a pair of 6 p.m. CT starts on both Friday and Saturday followed by a 1 p.m. first pitch in the finale. Fans can catch game one on SEC Network with the final two matchups airing on SEC Network+.

Follow the Tide

Fans can follow the series via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network (Friday) / SEC Network+ (Saturday and Sunday)
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / The Varsity App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: LSUsports.com

Probable Starting Pitching Matchups

FRIDAY: UA – Luke Holman (So., RHP) vs. LSU – Paul Skenes (Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Garrett McMillan (Sr., RHP) vs. LSU – Ty Floyd (Jr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Jacob McNairy (Gr., RHP) vs. LSU – Christian Little (Jr., RHP)

Leading Off

Alabama and LSU will meet for the 382nd time in history when the teams begin the weekend on Friday night at Alex Box Stadium. The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 205-173-3, but trails in Baton Rouge, 83-88-3.
The two SEC Western Division foes met last season from May 6-8 in Tuscaloosa. The Tigers earned a 6-5 win in game one with the Tide evening the series up thanks to an 8-3 victory a day later. The rubber match went to LSU, finishing in a 12-3 final.
Alabama's last trip to Baton Rouge came from May 14-16, 2021. The opener went to the Tigers, 2-1, with UA earning a 6-5 win in game two. LSU clinched the series on getaway day with a 13-5 victory.
The Crimson Tide has faced off with college baseball's top-ranked team on 46 occasions prior to Friday's opener with No. 1 LSU. The Tide holds a 19-27 (.413) record in those matchups.
Despite the 19-27 record, the Crimson Tide is 7-6 in three-game weekend series against the top-ranked team. Alabama has also taken part in two-game series and single games against the nation's No. 1 team in the NCAA postseason.
Alabama has faced LSU three times when the Tigers were ranked No. 1. Those three contests came from May 9-10, 1997, in Tuscaloosa. The Tide claimed a 6-4 win in the series opener before clinching the series with a 28-2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader the next day. LSU avoided the sweep with a 6-4 win in the nightcap of the twinbill.

About Alabama

Alabama heads to Baton Rouge with a 4-0 mark over the last week. The Tide swept Missouri in Columbia last weekend before downing Samford in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday evening.
The sweep at Mizzou was the Tide's second SEC series win in as many weeks and helped extend UA's winning streak in SEC play to five games. Alabama also claimed a series win over Auburn from April 14-16, winning the final two contests of that rivalry weekend.
The Tide totaled 44 hits across the four-game stretch, 24 of which went for extra-bases. Included in that total was 10 doubles, two triples and 12 home runs with nine of those homers coming at Missouri last weekend.
Alabama's nine homers in Columbia were the most in an SEC series since May 16-17, 2008, when the Tide hit 10 across three games at Georgia. It also topped the 2023 team's season-high for conference play of seven at Arkansas from March 31-April 2.
Seven different players have homered across the last four games with Andrew Pinckney and Colby Shelton leading the way at three apiece. Tommy Seidl is right behind with two while Ed Johnson, Caden Rose, Dominic Tamez and Jaxson West have each posted one roundtripper.
UA used a five-run eighth to put the game out of reach in a 13-6 win over Samford on Tuesday evening in Tuscaloosa.
Both teams were scoreless through three innings of play with Alabama plating one in the fourth and two in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. Samford came back with a three-run sixth to tie things up for a short time, as the Tide posted four runs in the home half of that inning to regain the lead.
The Bulldogs would not go quietly, adding one in the seventh and two in the eighth. Alabama countered with one run in the seventh before the five-run eighth blew it open.
Alabama was able to score in the final five innings on Tuesday and totaled double-digit hits for the 18th time this season. The offense was led by Shelton, Seidl and Johnson, who each homered on Tuesday night.
Alabama used a three-homer sixth inning to pull ahead for a 6-4 win over Missouri last Friday night at Taylor Stadium.
Friday's scoring began with one run apiece for both teams in the first. Missouri then took the lead with a two-run fifth before Alabama used a four-run sixth to pull in front for good.
The sixth began with a solo home run from Tamez. He was immediately followed by Pinckney's solo shot to even things up at three. Then, with one down and a man on, West hit his first career home run to put UA in front. Missouri added one in the sixth but was countered by a Tide run in the seventh for the 6-4 final.
Alabama totaled 11 hits last Friday night, five of which went for extra bases. Tamez led the offense with a 4-for-5 showing that included a homer, a double, one RBI and a team-high two runs scored.
The win in game one went to Hagan Banks, who allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief. Banks was followed by Alton Davis II, with the freshman tossing a then-season-high 2.1 scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit while striking out three for his fourth save in as many chances.
Steady offense helped UA to a 10-4 win last Saturday in Columbia.
Alabama scored in seven of the nine frames in game two and finished with 15 hits and five walks on the way to 10 runs. The Tide crossed one in the first and added three in the fourth for the 4-0 advantage. Missouri got on the board with one in the fourth but was answered by UA with a single tally in the fifth.
The Tigers were able to cut the lead to one with a three-run fifth but were held scoreless the rest of the way. Alabama took advantage of the drought, posting single tallies in the sixth, eighth and ninth with a two-run seventh in between for five unanswered runs to ensure the win.
UA reached the leadoff man in seven of the nine innings, including home runs to start the seventh and ninth. The homer in the seventh came from Shelton, who led the Alabama offense with a 3-for-5 night that included a double, two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored. UA's roundtripper in the ninth was off the bat of Pinckney, who finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, two runs and one stolen base. Also homering was Rose, who added a solo shot in the seventh.
Hunter Hoopes earned the win in his first appearance, contributing 1.1 scoreless frames with a hit, a walk and two strikeouts. Riley Quick finished things off, securing his second save with 2.1 innings that included two punchouts.
Alabama completed the sweep of Missouri with a 3-2 win last Sunday afternoon.
Runs were hard to come by in the series finale, with both pitchers posting zeros until the sixth. That inning saw the Tide strike first thanks to a Seidl solo homer that broke up Missouri's no-hit bid. The Tigers came right back in the home half, using a wild pitch to score a man from third and even things up.
Alabama countered with a solo homer from Pinckney and a two-out single from Mac Guscette to make it a 3-1 ballgame headed to the stretch. Missouri battled for one in the seventh, but Davis II was able to limit the damage and keep it at 3-2 ballgame, the eventual final.
Jacob McNairy tossed 5.2 innings of one-run baseball with three hits, two walks and a season-high tying six punchouts. Davis II picked up his fifth save of the season and second of the weekend with 3.0 scoreless frames. The freshman allowed one hit while striking out three to close out the sweep. The win went to Kade Woods.

About LSU

Jay Johnson is in his second season in Baton Rouge and 11th overall as a collegiate head coach. He entered the 2023 campaign with a 357-194 career mark, including a 40-22 record in his first season at LSU. A 2001 graduate of Point Loma Nazarene, Johnson is joined on staff by assistants Wes Johnson, Josh Jordan and Marc Wanaka.
LSU finished the 2022 campaign at 40-22 overall, including a 17-13 mark in Southeastern Conference play, The Tigers hosted an NCAA Regional and fell to Southern Miss.
The Tigers were selected to finish atop the Western Division and second overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches. LSU received the most first-place votes with 11.

On Deck

Alabama will break for exam week before returning to the diamond this Thursday through Saturday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Games one and two of the series are scheduled for 7 p.m. with the finale set to begin at 2 p.m. The opener on Thursday will air on ESPNU with Friday's matchup being broadcast by SEC Network. The finale on Saturday will air on SEC Network+.

University of Alabama Athletics