#4 LSU @ #1 South Carolina (for a shot at SEC Title)

South Carolina is 26-5 at home (all-time, South Carolina is 92-19 at home in their new stadium)

LSU is 6-6 in SEC road games (1-2 @ Auburn, 2-1 @ Florida, 1-2 @ Kentucky, 2-1 @ Ole Miss)

the two teams have won the last three National Championships (2009 LSU, 2010 South Carolina, 2011 South Carolina)

all three games on TV:
--tonight -- 6pm on FSN
--Friday -- 6pm on CST
--Saturday -- noon on ESPNU

the games are sold out


Baseball America:

--"the winner of the LSU-South Carolina series this weekend is likely to earn the SEC's third national seed, while the other team could miss out" (they have Florida as locking up a national seed, with at least two out of the following getting a national seed depending on this weekend: LSU, South Carolina, Kentucky)

--"There is certainly a possibility LSU could win that series because LSU is a very good team, but we can't bet against the Gamecocks at home in a meaningful season-ending series."


South Carolina coach Ray Tanner: "we go down to the final weekend with the opportunity to determine out fate"

Mason Katz: "The scenario is that we have to go and win...They're a great team. But we're not scared...we have to win...We’re going in there to get a job done."

Austin Nola: "Our team is confident, and I’m sure they are as well...It’s going to be a blast.”


Coach Mainieri:

--"Our players are very excited for the opportunity to go to Columbia and compete for the SEC championship," Mainieri said. "We have so much respect for (South Carolina coach) Ray Tanner and his program, and it should be a series the entire nation will be watching."

--"the eyes of the college baseball world will be on us this weekend. This is why you come to LSU."

--"I want them to go out there and let it rip"


South Carolina associate head coach Chad Holbrook:

--"This is why you come to South Carolina. It's an SEC weekend in front of our home fans playing a nationally prominent program with a chance to win the SEC championship. It doesn't get any better than that. That's why they signed up to play here."

--"LSU will embarrass us" (haha, i wish. the full quote was: "LSU is too good for us to do any scoreboard-watching [to see the scores of the other games the SEC Title depends on]...If we get caught with one eye on the scoreboard and one eye on the field, LSU will embarrass us. We can't get into that. We put ourselves in position to host a regional and secure a top-eight national seed." -- also note that South Carolina ace pitcher Michael Roth said: "We know what the deal is with the standings, but we can’t focus on what Kentucky’s doing, because if we do, then LSU will embarrass us")

 

These are the teams in the hunt for the SEC title (all four teams are ranked top 4 in various national polls, with the highest national rankings for the four teams being #1 South Carolina, #2 Florida, #2 Kentucky, #4 LSU)

SEC Standings, Leaders
18-9 Kentucky (plays @Miss State this weekend)
17-9 South Carolina
17-10 LSU
16-11 Florida (plays @Auburn this weekend)

since Kentucky holds the tie-breaker over LSU, there are only two scenarios where LSU wins the SEC Title:

1) we have to win 2 of 3 vs South Carolina, and Kentucky has to get swept @Miss State

2) we have to sweep South Carolina, and Kentucky has two lose 2 of 3 @Miss State

but, the SEC Title is just gravy, the important thing is winning the series @South Carolina, because the winner of the series locks up one of the eight national seeds (home field advantage in the Super Regionals)

 

I just don't see us taking 2/3 from SC on the road, but it's baseball and weirder things have happened.

 

up-to-date SEC stats:

DEFENSE

Team Defense

Fielding pct
------------
1. South Carolina...... .980
2. Florida............. .979
3. LSU................. .978
4. Georgia............. .978
5. Ole Miss............ .976
6. Kentucky............ .974
7. Tennessee........... .970
8. Mississippi State... .969
9. Arkansas............ .969
10.Alabama............. .968
11.Vanderbilt.......... .964
12.Auburn.............. .961

Errors
------
1. Auburn.............. 81
2. Vanderbilt.......... 69
3. Mississippi State... 67
4. Arkansas............ 65
5. Alabama............. 63
6. Tennessee........... 61
7. Kentucky............ 53
8. Ole Miss............ 47
9. Georgia............. 46
10.Florida............. 44
11.LSU................. 43
12.South Carolina...... 39

Fielding double plays
---------------------
1. Mississippi State... 58
2. Alabama............. 47
3. Georgia............. 46
4. Auburn.............. 45
5. Kentucky............ 43
6. South Carolina...... 41
Arkansas............ 41
Vanderbilt.......... 41
9. Ole Miss............ 36
10.Tennessee........... 32
11.Florida............. 31
12.LSU................. 30

Opposing bat avg
----------------
1. South Carolina...... .223
2. Arkansas............ .232
3. Ole Miss............ .238
4. Mississippi State... .240
5. LSU................. .245
6. Florida............. .249
7. Auburn.............. .253
8. Vanderbilt.......... .254
9. Kentucky............ .263
10.Tennessee........... .268
11.Georgia............. .270
12.Alabama............. .279

Runs allowed
------------
1. South Carolina...... 177
Florida............. 177
3. Arkansas............ 191
Mississippi State... 191
5. LSU................. 203
6. Ole Miss............ 212
7. Kentucky............ 213
8. Georgia............. 222
9. Auburn.............. 243
10.Vanderbilt.......... 250
11.Tennessee........... 271
12.Alabama............. 295

Hits allowed
------------
1. South Carolina...... 377
2. Arkansas............ 412
3. Ole Miss............ 416
4. Mississippi State... 422
5. Vanderbilt.......... 427
6. LSU................. 443
7. Auburn.............. 444
8. Florida............. 450
9. Kentucky............ 467
10.Tennessee........... 470
11.Georgia............. 480
12.Alabama............. 481

Doubles allowed
---------------
1. South Carolina...... 49
2. Auburn.............. 67
3. Vanderbilt.......... 68
4. Georgia............. 69
5. Ole Miss............ 72
6. Arkansas............ 73
7. LSU................. 75
8. Mississippi State... 76
Florida............. 76
10.Kentucky............ 80
11.Tennessee........... 81
12.Alabama............. 89

Triples allowed
---------------
1. Arkansas............ 1
2. South Carolina...... 5
3. Mississippi State... 6
Vanderbilt.......... 6
Georgia............. 6
6. Ole Miss............ 8
7. Kentucky............ 10
Florida............. 10
Alabama............. 10
LSU................. 10
11.Tennessee........... 13
12.Auburn.............. 14

Home runs allowed
-----------------
1. Mississippi State... 12
2. Arkansas............ 19
3. Auburn.............. 25
Kentucky............ 25
5. Ole Miss............ 27
Florida............. 27
Vanderbilt.......... 27
8. LSU................. 29
9. Georgia............. 31
10.South Carolina...... 32
11.Tennessee........... 34
12.Alabama............. 35

Wild pitches
------------
1. Georgia............. 49
2. Arkansas............ 47
3. Auburn.............. 45
4. LSU................. 43
Tennessee........... 43
6. Kentucky............ 41
7. Vanderbilt.......... 37
8. Mississippi State... 36
9. Alabama............. 35
10.Ole Miss............ 30
11.Florida............. 29
12.South Carolina...... 26

Balks
-----
1. Vanderbilt.......... 10
2. LSU................. 9
3. Kentucky............ 8
4. Auburn.............. 7
5. Alabama............. 5
Tennessee........... 5
Ole Miss............ 5
Georgia............. 5
9. Mississippi State... 4
Florida............. 4
11.Arkansas............ 3
12.South Carolina...... 2

Saves
-----
1. South Carolina...... 21
2. Kentucky............ 18
3. Florida............. 16
4. Tennessee........... 15
5. Arkansas............ 14
Mississippi State... 14
7. Ole Miss............ 13
8. Georgia............. 12
Auburn.............. 12
10.LSU................. 10
11.Vanderbilt.......... 8
12.Alabama............. 5




Individual Defense

ERA (Top 25 only)
5. Michael Roth, USC 2.60 -- Game 1 ace pitcher
11. Gausman, LSU 2.95 -- Game 1 ace pitcher
15. Colby Holmes, USC 3.29
22. Matt Price, USC 3.72
23. Eades, LSU 3.75
24. Nola LSU 3.86

Opposing Batting Average (Top 12 only)
4. Michael Roth, USC .194 -- Game 1 ace pitcher
5. Matt Price, USC .195
12. Gausman, LSU .235

Saves (Top 12 only)
3t. Goody, LSU 9
7t. Matt Price USC 8
11t Evan Beal USC 5

 

up-to-date SEC stats:

OFFENSE

Team Offense

Batting avg
-----------
1. Auburn.............. .317
2. Ole Miss............ .303
3. Kentucky............ .302
4. LSU................. .296
5. Georgia............. .280
6. Arkansas............ .279
7. Florida............. .278
8. South Carolina...... .275
9. Vanderbilt.......... .268
10.Alabama............. .257
11.Tennessee........... .251
12.Mississippi State... .249

Slugging pct
------------
1. Kentucky............ .454
2. Auburn.............. .454
3. Florida............. .446
4. Ole Miss............ .426
5. LSU................. .417
6. South Carolina...... .407
7. Arkansas............ .394
8. Vanderbilt.......... .383
9. Georgia............. .376
10.Alabama............. .346
11.Tennessee........... .341
12.Mississippi State... .335

Runs scored
-----------
1. Kentucky............ 346
2. LSU................. 344
3. Auburn.............. 338
4. Ole Miss............ 311
5. Florida............. 305
6. Arkansas............ 294
7. Vanderbilt.......... 288
South Carolina...... 288
9. Georgia............. 264
10.Mississippi State... 237
Alabama............. 237
12.Tennessee........... 228

Runs batted in
--------------
1. LSU................. 318
2. Kentucky............ 317
3. Auburn.............. 300
4. Ole Miss............ 285
5. Florida............. 277
6. Arkansas............ 270
7. Vanderbilt.......... 265
8. South Carolina...... 263
9. Georgia............. 242
10.Alabama............. 214
11.Mississippi State... 212
12.Tennessee........... 193

Home runs
---------
1. Florida............. 62
2. Kentucky............ 54
3. South Carolina...... 38
4. Ole Miss............ 37
5. LSU................. 34
Auburn.............. 34
7. Arkansas............ 32
8. Georgia............. 25
Vanderbilt.......... 25
10.Alabama............. 20
11.Tennessee........... 19
Mississippi State... 19

At bats
-------
1. Ole Miss............ 1824
2. Auburn.............. 1819
3. LSU................. 1804
4. Kentucky............ 1802
5. Georgia............. 1799
6. Florida............. 1764
7. Arkansas............ 1761
8. South Carolina...... 1704
9. Vanderbilt.......... 1703
Mississippi State... 1703
11.Alabama............. 1698
12.Tennessee........... 1674

Grounded into DP
----------------
1. LSU................. 40
2. Ole Miss............ 39
3. Mississippi State... 37
Auburn.............. 37
5. Alabama............. 34
Tennessee........... 34
7. Kentucky............ 33
Georgia............. 33
Arkansas............ 33
10.Vanderbilt.......... 30
11.Florida............. 25
12.South Carolina...... 24



Individual Offense

Batting Avg (those hitting above .300 only)
1. Rhymes, LSU .476
10. Christian Walker, USC .343
17. Katz, LSU .332
29. Tanner English, USC .315
31. Nola, LSU .311
34. Ross, LSU .305

Slugging Pct (Top 12 only)
3. Rhymes, LSU .584
4. Katz, LSU .579
7. Christian Walker, USC .556

Home Runs (Top 11 only)
6. Katz, LSU 10
7t. Christian Walker, USC 9
7t. L.B. Dantzler, USC 9

 

LSU (3), South Carolina (3), Florida (4), and Texas A&M (3) were the only 4 teams in the nation that had 3 or more players selected to the Final 60 for the Golden Spikes award

for LSU, it was Gausman, Goody, and Rhymes

for South Carolina, it was:

--senior, team captain, and ace pitcher Michael Roth (LHP) -- he was a Consensus All-American last year, and named the National Player of the Year by College Baseball Insider. He has a 22-5 career record, 5-0 this season. He has the best ERA (2.60) and opposing batting avg (.194) of any pitcher on either the LSU or South Carolina team. In the CWS last year, he went 7.2 innings, holding Florida to 2 runs on 5 hits as the Gamecocks clinched second straight national championship in 5-2 win. Before that, in the 2011 CWS, he went 7 innings, holding Virginia to 1 run on 4 hits...and before that in the 2011 CWS, he went 7.1 innings, holding Texas A&M to 1 run on 6 hits. In the 2010 CWS, he held UCLA to 1 run on 6 hits in the UCLA in national championship series that USC won 2-1, and before that, in the 2010 CWS, he pitched a complete game and limited Clemson to just one run on three hits as USC won 5-1

--RS junior, team captain, and closer Matt Price (RHP) -- he was an All-American last year (and a Freshman All-American the year before that). he has 38 career saves for South Carolina (8 this season). this season, his .195 opposing batting average is almost as good as Roth (.194). In the CWS last year, he threw nine scoreless innings in 5 CWS appearances, including 1.1 perfect innings in the final game to win the National Championship. In the 2010 CWS, he allowed 1 run on 3 hits in USC's 4-3 victory over Clemson, but other than that, he threw 8.5 scoreless innings in the CWS, including 2.2 scoreless innings in the final game to win the National Championship.

--junior 1B/3B Christian Walker -- made the USA Collegiate National Team, he's USC's best hitter this year, last year, and was their 3rd-best hitter back when he was a freshman (Freshman All-American). he was a beast in the last two CWS for South Carolina, making the College World Series All-Tournament Team both in 2010 and 2011

 

most hyped game of our season so far, cancelled for rain

double header tomorrow - 1pm and 6pm, I think they said

not sure if they decrease them to 7 innings, but that would work in our favor

if 9 innings, that sucks because LSU's record is unstoppable in night games

 

Game times are 1:30 and 6, both games are 9 innings

No TV for game 1, just South Carolina all access video. Game 2 is on Cox Sports

Listening to Kentucky radio, MSU up 3-1 in the 6th. Florida thumped Auburn 6-0

 

Miss State beat Kentucky in game one, 3-1

 

The door is swinging open. Let's hope the Tigers can take advantage!!