Baton Rouge Super Regional
Baylor (45-23) at No. 2 LSU (45-20-1)
Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.
Series history: LSU leads 6-2 (Baylor won first meeting in 1960)
Season history: 2-1
Baton Rouge Super Regional schedule
Friday, June 6
Game 1 - Baylor 4, LSU 1
Saturday, June 7
Game 2 - LSU 6, Baylor 5
Sunday, June 8
Game 3 - LSU 20, Baylor 5 (LSU advances to CWS)
LSU Tigers
NCAA Tournament appearance: 19th
CWS appearances (last): 12 (2003)
2003 Home record: 30-8-1
Prominent MLB alumni: Kurt Ainsworth, Paul Byrd, Todd Walker
Tiger notes (entering Super Regional)
LSU has won 13 of 15 Regionals played in Baton Rouge and Super Regionals.
SS Aaron Hill is SEC Player of the Year…leads conference in doubles (27).
RF Jon Zeringue hit a walkoff home run in the 11th inning last Sunday to send LSU to the Super Regional round. The Tigers beat UNC Wilmington 8-7 in the Regional final.
Head coach Smoke Laval is in his 2nd year as head coach, succeeding legendary Skip Bertman. Laval was an assistant under Bertman for 10 years and went to Omaha 6 times with LSU. Not only is he looking for his first CWS apperance as a head coach, he is also looking for his first run in a Super Regional. LSU was shut out in both games at Rice last season.
All-SEC 3B Wally Pontiff would have been a senior this year, but he died last summer of a heart abnormality. His number 31 is painted on the fence at Alex Box Stadium, and his image is on a sign above the outfield wall. The team has dedicated the season to him.
LSU has enjoyed an impressive season in spite of many significant injuries. No. 1 starter Lane Mestepey had shoulder surgery last summer and is taking a medical redshirt. Another weekend starter, Brian Wilson, tore a ligament in his elbow at the end of March and had Tommy John surgery. Closer Brandon Nall has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury. Six others who would have contributed on some level are also out for the season.
Led by LSU's 8 trips, the SEC has made more appearances in Omaha than any conference since 1990.
Baylor Bears
NCAA Tournament appearance: 11th
CWS appearances (last): 2 (1978)
Prominent MLB alumni: Jason Jennings, Kip Wells
Bear notes (entering Super Regional)
Baylor has won 16 of its last 20 games, entering the Super Regional.
The Bears lead the Big 12 in team batting (.327) and scoring (8.2 rpg).
Though it hasn't reached the CWS since 1978, Baylor has the best overall conference record since Big 12 play began in 1997 and is the only Big 12 school to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 6 years.
RF David Murphy leads the Big 12 in batting (.420).
Leadoff hitter Chris Durbin leads the team in HR with 17 and leads the Big 12 in runs scored with 90.
Baylor lacks a star pitcher…Steven White leads the Big 12 with 121 strikeouts. Zane Carlson had a win and 2 saves in last weekend's Regional but slammed the index finger of his pitching hand in a car door on Tuesday, requiring stitches. He is definitely out for the Super Regional and likely out for the season.
DH Reid Brees is the brother of Drew Brees (Drew is the only family member who didn't go to Baylor).
2B Kyle Reynolds is the son of former Astros 2B Craig Reynolds
Brad Edwards is a college sports researcher for ESPN.
