|
LSU clinched the 2013 SEC Western Division
LSU clinched the 2013 SEC Western Division title Saturday with a 2-1 victory at Texas A&M. The division title was LSU’s second in a row and its fourth during coach Paul Mainieri’s
seven-season tenure with the Tigers.
LSU’s
45 regular-season wins matches the most recorded in school history
since the NCAA adopted a standardized 56-game regular-season schedule in
1992. The 45 wins equals the
mark set by the 1997 LSU club, which completed its regular season with a
45-11 record.
LSU’s
21 SEC wins this season are the most by a Fighting Tiger club since the
1998 team posted a 21-9 league record. The LSU record for SEC wins in a
season is 22, set in 1986
and 1997.
LSU has won 26 consecutive games against Louisiana schools and the Tigers have 33 straight non-conference mid-week victories.
“It’s
important that we continue to play well during the final week of the
regular season,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. “We have to build
momentum as we head into the postseason,
and I know our players have several significant goals in mind as we
head down the stretch. UNO has played a very difficult schedule this
season against a lot of quality programs, so I’m sure they’ll be ready
to play their best against us.”
Mainieri said freshman right-hander Hunter Newman (1-0, 2.63 ERA) will make his second career start on Tuesday, and several pitchers should appear in the game as the Tigers
prepare for the SEC series with Ole Miss.
UNO coach Bruce Peddie will counter with sophomore right-hander Alex Smith (3-8, 4.10 ERA).
LSU
junior designated hitter Sean McMullen led LSU to the series win at
Texas A&M last weekend, providing the game-winning RBI in the
victory over the Aggies Saturday
that
clinched the SEC Western Division title for the Tigers. McMullen batted
.455 (5-for-11) in the three games with two doubles, four RBI and one
run scored.
In
Friday’s Game 2 win over the Aggies, McMullen collected a career-high
four hits, including two doubles, and tied his career best with three
RBI. In Saturday’s 2-1, eight-inning
victory at Texas A&M, McMullen delivered the game-winning RBI in
the top of the eighth inning with a two-strike sacrifice fly.
LSU
reliever Chris Cotton earned a save and win last weekend at Texas
A&M, improving his record to 3-1 and his saves total to 11 in 28
appearances out of the bullpen. Cotton
worked a total of 2.2 scoreless innings against the Aggies, allowing
just one hit with no walks and one strikeout.
Cotton’s
fellow reliever, junior right-hander Nick Rumbelow, also turned in two
effective outings against the Aggies, firing two scoreless innings with
no hits, one walk and
two strikeouts.
UNO
is led at the plate by sophomore infielder Zach Liberto, who is batting
.280 with three doubles, one triple, one homer and 14 RBI. Sophomore
infielder Jonathan Coco is
hitting .274 with three doubles, two homers and 11 RBI.
LSU
leads the all-time series with UNO, 53-34, as the Tigers and Privateers
first met in 1976. Tuesday’s game marks the first meeting between the
schools since the 2011 season,
when LSU defeated the Privateers 13-0 in Baton Rouge and 5-0 in New
Orleans.
|
