May 10, 2016
By Russell Dorn
Non-Conference Series #3: LSU
May 10-11, 2016
6:05 p.m. / 6:05 p.m. (All ET)
Frank Eck Stadium (Notre Dame, Ind.)
Team Information:
Notre Dame: 26-20, 10-12 ACC (37-23, 17-13 ACC In 2015)
2015 Postseason: 1-2 @ ACC Tournament & 1-2 @ NCAA Champaign Regional
LSU: 31-16, 14-10 SEC (54-12, 21-8 SEC In 2015)
2015 Postseason: 2-1 @ SEC Tournament & 3-0 @ NCAA Baton Rouge Regional &
2-0 @ NCAA Baton Rouge Super Regional & 1-2 @ NCAA College World Series
Rankings: LSU – Ranked Between #11 & #22 In All Six Major Polls
Series Coverage
(Links on UND.com/NDBaseball):
Live Video: ESPN3 (Jack Nolan, pbp & Brant Ust, color)
Live Audio: WatchND & WHME 103.1 FM in South Bend (Chuck Freeby, pbp)
Live Stats: Gametracker
Twitter Reports: @NDBaseball
Projected Pitching Matchups:
G1: ND RHP Connor Hock (0-0, 1.42 ERA) vs. LSU LHP John Valek III (6-2, 4.36 ERA)
G2: ND TBD vs. LSU TBD
Weather Report (as of Monday, May 9):
Tuesday, May 10: 67/56 & Rain (80%)
Wednesday, May 11: 74/58 & Partly Cloudy (10%)
Series History: Notre Dame leads 3-2
Aoki vs. LSU: 1-0 (all @ ND)
First Meeting: 4/7/1928: W, 5-3 – Away
Last Four Meetings:
3/11/2012: W, 7-1 – Away
3/12/1991: W, 6-3 – Neutral
3/31/1964: L, 8-7 (12 Innings) – Away
3/30/1964: L, 9-2 (10 Innings) – Away
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Fans that make it out to Frank Eck Stadium this week are in for a rare treat, as the University of Notre Dame baseball team welcomes in perennial national power LSU for a unique midweek two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday.
A six-time national champion, LSU (31-16) is ranked between 11 and 22 in all six college baseball polls this week and enters the midweek series on fire after a series sweep of Arkansas this past weekend.
Meanwhile, the Irish (26-20) are looking to carry the momentum gained from a 5-0 shutout of Pitt Sunday and use it over the final eight regular season contests that will decide the team’s season. Looking to move up in the RPI, two games against the Tigers will prove critical in improving the squad’s strength of schedule.
Tickets are still available for both games and can be purchased online (UND.com/buytickets) or at the Frank Eck Stadium ticket office on game day.
Here’s what you need to know about this week’s two-game series with No. 11 LSU:
- In a reunion 10 years in the making, Tiger head coach Paul Mainieri is back at Notre Dame after wrapping up an historic 12-year career under the Golden Dome in 2006 … from 1995-2006, Mainieri won 533 games and led the Irish program to five BIG EAST Tournament titles, nine NCAA Regionals and the 2002 College World Series, one of just two CWS appearances in program history … he earned an honorary Monogram in 2002.
- The Irish and Tigers have met since Mainieri has been at LSU … in 2012, Mik Aoki and his Notre Dame program picked up one of the biggest wins in recent Irish history when they topped No. 11 LSU in Alex Box in front of 10.347 fans … Irish alum Sean Fitzgerald hurled eight strong innings and 2015 Notre Dame graduate Conor Biggio had two hits, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Irish to victory … it was Notre Dame‘s first win at LSU since April 7, 1928.
- Freshman RHP Connor Hock will make the first start of his career against the Tigers Tuesday … he has made seven appearances out of the bullpen during his rookie season, with none of the outings lasting longer than 1.2 innings … he hurled a scoreless frame against Pittsburgh May 7 in his most recent appearance.
- A true star for the Irish all year, junior 2B Cavan Biggio has been near impossible to get out over the last few weeks … over his last 15 games, the leadoff hitter is splitting .400/.507/.509 with four-extra base hits, seven RBI, 10 walks, two hit by pitch and 15 runs scored … for the year, he leads Notre Dame outright in walks (47), on-base percentage (.493), runs (42) and stolen bases (13-13) and is tied for the team lead in batting average (.331) … he is one of three Notre Dame players to start in all 46 games and has 15 extra-base hits (9 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR) on the year … Biggio is second in the ACC (6th – D1) in walks.
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For more information on the Notre Dame baseball team, follow the Irish on Facebook (/NDBaseball), Twitter (@NDBaseball) and Instagram (notredamebaseball).
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Russell Dorn, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2011 and coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame volleyball, rowing and baseball programs. A native of Greenwood, South Carolina, Dorn graduated from Furman University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in history before earning his master’s degree in sports communications from Georgia State University in 2011.
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