LSU v Southern baseball: Tues (Wally Pontiff Classic), Wed (The Box) -- TV: CST

Tue 09 -- 7:00 p.m. -- TELEVISED ON CST (Zephyr Field, New Orleans)
Wed 10 -- 6:30 p.m. -- TELEVISED ON CST (Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge)

The 10th annual Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Baseball Classic (proceeds go to the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation, which benefits charitable organizations throughout Louisiana)

Wally Pontiff Jr. Playground (renamed in Wally's honor in 2003) is located 4 miles from Zephyr Field

The only other time LSU played Southern @Zephyr Field, in 1999, the game went 11 innings, with LSU winning 7-6. that year, Skip Bertman's team went 41-24-1, won the Baton Rouge Regional, before falling to Alabama (L 6-13, L 5-13) in the Super Regional (Sweet 16)

Mainieri:
“We’re honored to participate in this game because of what Wally Pontiff meant to LSU and what his foundation continues to mean to our community,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “It’s also a great opportunity to play in front of our great fans in the New Orleans area, and our players enjoy the experience of competing in a Triple-A ball park.”

junior right-hander Kurt McCune will start the game on the mound for the Tigers. McCune, who has been out all season with a back injury, will be making his first appearance this year. McCune's high school, Destrehan HS (where McCune was Two-time 1st Team All-State), is located 13 miles from Zephyr Field

as a freshman, McCune was 7-3 as one of our weekend starters in 2011, and finished the season #6 in the SEC with a .221 opponent batting avg. he wasn't as good as a sophomore, but hopefully he returns back to his freshman form this year as a junior




Zephyr Field Triple-A ball park


Zephyr Field Triple-A ball park


Wally


McCune

 

the playground is located in one of the nicest and most affluent neighborhoods in the New Orleans area, Old Metairie

 

Wally tributes:

 

LSU's new baseball Hall of Fame museum that opened in Feb 2013 was also named after Wally

Wally Pontiff Jr. Baseball Hall of Fame opens its doors at LSU

 

wow that's pretty heavy...

Garland Gillen Fox 8 (WVUE-TV) Sports Reporter ‏@garlandgillen 8 Apr
Talked to Wally Pontiff Sr. Pointed out if #LSU wins the Pontiff Classic against #Southern, it would be the #Tigers 31st win. Wally's number

Fletcher Mackel ‏WDSU TV (NBC New Orleans) Sports Anchor@FletcherMackel 5h
LSU going for win #31 tonight as they celebrate #31 Wally Pontiff. #POETIC #FATE #31ALWAYS

Mario Guadamud ‏@Slevinkelevra7 4h
@LSUbaseball goes for its 31 win today in Wally Pontiff Classic. God works in mysterious ways, (original) game pushed back 1 week due 2 rain. #31Always

Dandy Don LSU Sports ‏@dandydonlsu 7h
A win today in the Wally Pontiff, Jr. Classic would give #LSU 31 wins. Very fitting number. #NeverForget

Brittany ‏@CajunBrittinAtx 1h
Job interview tomorrow and LSU Baseball going for win #31 during the Pontiff Classic?! AWESOME! Geaux Tigers!

Hunter Stephens ‏@h_stephens13 3h
S/O to @masonkatz58 and the lsu baseball team for going for win number 31 today for Wally

Zach Rau ‏@zrau 4h
LSU will play for win #31 in tonight's Pontiff Classic. Mason Katz and Christian Ibarra have also reached base in 31 consecutive games.

Matthew Stewart ‏@mstew4 39m
Looking forward to @LSUbaseball getting that 31st victory tonight. #wallypontiff #31Always

Tiger Fan 1974 ‏@usdriver74 5h
@masonkatz58 @jacobyjones23 @RaphRhymes4 LSU will be playing for 31 wins today.. Wally Pontiff's jersey# was 31.. how special is this game.

Brian May ‏@bmay1122 5h
There are no coincidences...going for 31 to honor and remember 31. Rainout for a reason. #31always #wallypontiff #LSU

Hunt Palmer ‏@HuntPalmerBBI 6h
Going to work today to cover the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic is an honor. Fitting the Tigers will bid for win No. 31 tonight. #31Always

Kristen Chighizola ‏@kchighizola 7 Apr
Fitting that @LSUbaseball will go for win no. 31 in the Wally Pontiff Classic game #31Always #lsuroar

Lee Ann Duck ‏@LEEANNDUCK 4m
My first memory of LSU baseball was with Wally Pontiff. Lets get 31 wins tonight for WP #GeauxTigers #31always

Daniel Pitfield ‏@DanielPitfield 3h
Every year LSU plays at Zephyr field to honor and remember Wally Pontiff, I would kill to be there tonight such an emotional game #31always

Tyler Caruthers ‏@TCaruthers31 3 Apr
Today's LSU game is the reason I wear number 31! In memory of Wally Pontiff Jr. #wallypontiffjrclassic

Bill Martin ‏ LSU Associate Sports Information Director @LSUBillMartin 3 Apr
Very important day in the @LSUbaseball family as we honor the late Wally Pontiff Jr. tonight in Pontiff Classic. #31Always #LSU

Andre Legrand ‏@Andre_Legrand 35m
Nola bound for one of the best games of the year the Wally Pontiff Jr Classic #31always

KęvįnPMangum ‏@KPaul_19 4h
Wally Pontiff Jr. #31 #Always

Traci Blanchard ‏@tracit1997 4h
Thinking about an awesome guy today! #31Always #wallypontiff #LSUBaseball

Tony Marinello ‏@acmarinello 2h
#31Always Wally Pontiff, Jr. Classic tonight! We still miss you, Wally.

Ross Brezovsky ‏@RBrezovsky7 4h
Always love going down to Zephyr to play in the Wally Pontiff, Jr. Classic. Excited for our players to honor a great person and family.

GeauxfortheGold ‏@GeauxfortheGold 2h
Who's excited about the Wally Pontiff classic tonight at Zephyr Field?

 

tweets from some LSU players:

Christopher Sciambra ‏@ShamWow05 2 Apr
Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic tomorrow vs USM. Great way to honor one of LSU's best ever and my childhood idol

Michael Barash ‏@M_Barash 6h
Playing for you tonight! Wally Pontiff Jr., an LSU great! #RIP #31Always

Michael Barash ‏@M_Barash 3 Apr
Playing for one of the LSU greats tonight, Wally Pontiff Jr. #31Always

 

apparently LSU fans are already out there tailgating before the stadium workers even got there...

Maverick ‏@KevinNijoka 1h
@LSUbaseball tailgating at the wally pontiff jr classic before the workers get to the stadium #dedication

Jacques Doucet Sports Anchor for WAFB TV Baton Rouge ‏@JacquesDoucet 3 Apr
Nick Pontiff tells me @LSUbaseball has presold 6,000 tickets for Wally Pontiff Classic, looks forward to big crowd Tuesday vs @SouthernU_BR.

 

i keep forgetting that Southern turned out freaking Lou Brock, one of my all-time favorite players:

 

more recently, Southern turned out 2011 MLB All-Star Rickie Weeks, who has been the 2B for the Brewers for the last 8 years (The Milwaukee Brewers selected him second overall in the 2003 MLB Draft)

 

Electric atmosphere here. Tailgating probably even better than at the Box. Awesome stadium. Purple and Gold EVERYWHERE. Saw the Southern team getting off their bus, their uniforms looked sharp, i told a few of them i bumped into "good game"