University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols begin SEC play against LSU
March 12, 2008 | Baseball
Game Notes
Southeastern Conference play begins this weekend for the Tennessee baseball team as the Volunteers host LSU for a three-game weekend series at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Big Orange ride a five-game win streak into the grueling SEC gauntlet and own a 9-4 overall record. The Tigers bring an 11-3 record to Knoxville while venturing away from Baton Rouge for the first time this season.
Game times this weekend are set for 7 p.m. ET Friday and 1 p.m. ET on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday???s contest will be televised regionally on SportSouth. All three games are tentatively slated for radio broadcast in the Knoxville area on WNML 990 AM, FM 99.1 & 99.3 unless a timing conflict arises with UT???s men???s basketball team at the SEC tournament. As a backup, however, live stats featuring a free audio stream of the baseball play-by-play can be accessed online at UTsports.com.
There will be a postgame fireworks show following Friday night???s game. Tennessee???s ???Family Plan??? ticket package is available for Saturday???s game. The Family Plan includes four tickets, a large pizza and a baseball autographed by Vols second baseman Andy Simunic all for only $20. And on Sunday, all children (age 12 and under) will receive free admission as well as a coupon for a free hot dog and drink.
Sunday also is Fan Appreciation Day; there will be a postgame autograph session with the Vols on the field while children can run the bases.
| Broadcast Information |
FRIDAY: Free live video stream on UTSports.com. SATURDAY: TV broadcast on SportSouth |
Tennessee trails the all-time series with LSU 16-43, dating to 1907. The Vols hold a 14-10 edge in Knoxville, however, and the teams have split their last 10 meetings. UT posted its first-ever series win in Baton Rouge last year, with Jeff Lockwood hitting .750 (9-for-12) with four RBI in that series.
Current Vols veterans Jarred Frazier (.444), Danny Lima (.333), Cody Brown (.300) and Andy Simunic (.300) all sport career averages of better than .300 against LSU.
This weekend marks the first meeting between UT head coach Todd Raleigh and second-year Tigers head coach Paul Mainieri. Raleigh and LSU pitching coach Terry Rooney worked together as assistants at James Madison University from 1998-99, and Raleigh coached LSU assistant coach Cliff Godwin at East Carolina in 1999.
The Tigers enter this weekend???s action batting .318 as a team with 20 home runs in 14 games. LSU pitchers have fashioned a 3.43 staff ERA and average 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings while limiting opponents to a .250 batting average.
Offensively, LSU is led by the trio of second baseman Ryan Schimpf (.385, 20 hits), outfielder Blake Dean (.373, four HR, 17 RBI) and first baseman Matt Clark (.354, six HR, 18 RBI).
Friday???s pitching matchup features Tennessee right-hander Steve Crnkovich (3-0, 2.21 ERA) against LSU right-hander Jared Bradford (3-0, 1.45 ERA). Redshirt freshman left-hander Bryan Morgado (2-1, 0.86 ERA) will make his first Saturday start for the Vols, while LSU???s Saturday starter is expected to be left-hander Ryan Verdugo (3-0, 2.40 ERA). And Vols left-hander Nick Hernandez (0-1, 5.51 ERA) will take the mound Sunday opposite Tigers lefty Blake Martin (1-1, 2.76 ERA).
Tennessee is 28-36 all-time in SEC openers, including an 0-3 mark against LSU. The Vols have not opened SEC play at home since the 2000 season, when they hosted Arkansas.
With additional non-athletic events taking place on the UT campus this weekend, parking issues could arise???particularly for Friday night???s game. Baseball parking will be available, however, in the gravel lot behind the videoboard in right-center field (Lot C1) as well as in the nearby fraternity parking lots along Todd Helton Drive.
