NCAA Baseball: No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Texas A&M Pitching Matchups

Tonight the top two teams in college baseball will start a three game series in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with the SEC lead on the line. The No. 1 ranked LSU Tigers (35-6) and the No. 2 Texas A&M Aggies (36-5) are both 12-5 in the SEC. Whoever wins this series will certainly be in the driver’s seat to win the SEC West.

This is the first time that Texas A&M has visited Baton Rouge for a regular season series since 1991. This is also the first time two Top Five teams have met in Baton Rouge since 2011 when No. 1 Florida swept No. 5 LSU in a three game series.

Both teams are throwing out their best pitching for this crucial series.

Game 1

Thursday 6:30 pm airing on ESPN2

Texas A&M (Jr.) Grayson Long (8-0) vs. LSU (So.) Jared Poche (7-1)

Long has been one of best the Aggie best pitchers all year. The junior has 66 strikeouts over 56 innings pitched this year with a 2.73 ERA. Opponents are hitting .206 against Long this year.

Poche has a 2.90 ERA and has 42 strikeouts over 62 innings. The sophomore is holding opponents to a .236 batting average against him.

Game 2

Friday 7:00 pm airing on SEC Network

Texas A&M (So.) Ryan Hendrix (3-0) vs. LSU (Fr.) Alex Lange (7-0)

Hendrix was the team’s part time closer before making his first start of the year last weekend against Arkansas. The sophomore has 24 strikeouts over 25.2 innings with 1.40 ERA.

Lange has been one of the Tigers’ best pitchers all season. The freshman has 65 strikeouts over 57.2 innings with 1.40 ERA. Opponents are hitting .210 against Lange.

Game 3

Saturday 1:00 pm airing on ESPN

Texas A&M TBA vs. LSU (Fr.) Austin Bain (1-1)

The Aggies have yet to announce who will be starting on Saturday.

The Tigers will start freshman Austin Bain. Bain has 32 strikeouts over 29.1 innings with 3.07 ERA. The freshman is holding opponents to a .196 batting average.

LSU sophomore pitcher Jared Poche said about this series against Texas A&M, “We (pitchers) have to able to control our emotions with the crowd and the intensity and the pressure and all that. This is definitely a good learning experience for us.”

 

Written by Charlie Beuttel

Photo credit: lsusports.net; LSU pitcher, No. 16 Jared Poche