LSU Baseball Report: Tigers host ULM, visit Ole Miss this week

LSU Baseball Report – April 19, 2021
Overall Record: 21-14

Last Week’s Results
April 15 (Thu.) – SOUTH CAROLINA (W, 5-1)
April 17 (Sat.) – SOUTH CAROLINA (L, 2-4 – 7 innings)
April 17 (Sat.) – SOUTH CAROLINA (L, 0-9 – 7 innings)

This Week’s Schedule
April 20 (Tue.) – UL-MONROE, 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
April 22 (Thu.) – at Ole Miss, 7 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
April 23 (Fri.) – at Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
April 24 (Sat.) – at Ole Miss, 1:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)

Notes on the Tigers
LSU has a No. 27 RPI in Monday’s updated official NCAA rankings, and the Tigers are ranked No. 2 in strength of schedule … LSU is currently No. 3 in the nation in home runs with 54 dingers this season … junior right-hander Landon Marceaux defeated fifth-ranked South Carolina on Thursday, firing career-high 12 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory … Marceaux worked seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk … he threw 107 pitches, 70 for strikes … his previous career-best for strikeouts was 11, set this season on March 13 versus UT San Antonio … Marceaux lowered his cumulative ERA to 1.65, and he has recorded 67 strikeouts in 54.2 innings while limiting opponents to a .185 batting average … Marceaux is No. 3 in the SEC in ERA, No. 4 in innings pitched, No. 7 in strikeouts and No. 7 in opponent batting average … junior right-hander AJ Labas provided another quality start for the Tigers in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader, limiting South Carolina to two runs on five hits in 6.1 innings with one walk and four strikeouts … six of Labas’ nine starts this season have been quality starts, which are defined as at least six innings pitched while allowing three earned runs or fewer … six of Labas’ last seven starts have been quality starts; the only exception in that span was on April 3 versus Vanderbilt, when he worked 5.1 innings and allowed just three earned runs with one walk and seven strikeouts … junior designated hitter Cade Beloso led the Tigers in hitting during the South Carolina series, batting .444 (4-for-9) with one homer and one RBI … freshman first baseman Tre’ Morgan hit .400 (4-for-10) against the Gamecocks while scoring two runs and recording one stolen base … Morgan is No. 2 this season in the SEC in triples (3), No. 6 in runs scored (36), No. 7 in doubles (10), No. 7 in on-base percentage (.457) and No. 8 in stolen bases (9) … freshman rightfielder Dylan Crews is batting .351 this season, which ranks as the seventh-best average in the SEC … Crews is No. 5 in the league in on-base percentage (.469), No. 5 in walks (27), No. 6 in base hits (46), No. 6 in total bases (81) and No. 7 in stolen bases (10) … junior leftfielder Gavin Dugas is No. 4 in the SEC in RBI (37), and he’s No. 5 in the league in home runs (10) … sophomore third baseman Cade Doughty is No. 4 in the SEC in RBI (37), and he’s No. 8 in the league in slugging percentage (.626).

UL-Monroe Warhawks (13-18) at LSU Fighting Tigers (21-14)

DATE/TIME
• Tuesday, April 20 @ 6:30 p.m. CT
STADIUM
• Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field in Baton Rouge, La.
RADIO
• LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
• Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com
ONLINE
• The game may be viewed on SEC Network +, accessible at Watch ESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app

SERIES RECORD VS. ULM
LSU leads the all-time series with UL-Monroe, 40-8, including a 12-7 win over the Warhawks in the teams’ last meeting in the 2019 season opener (Feb. 15) at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. Prior to the 2019 meeting, the teams had last faced one another in the 2012 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, when LSU posted a 4-1 victory over the Warhawks at “The Box.”

PITCHING MATCHUP
LSU – Fr. RH Will Hellmers (5-1, 3.46 ERA, 26.0 IP, 9 BB, 29 SO)
ULM – TBA

QUOTING PAUL MAINIERI
“We’re here to win, that’s what we’ve done for years, and that’s what we’re supposed to do. We’ve lost five SEC games this year by two runs or less; if we were able to turn even two of those games around, you feel like you’re right in the middle of the pack. It’s frustrating to think you’re so close – I think our team has really gotten better; we’ve made a lot of improvements in a lot of areas with a really young team. We went into the season with most of our guys (25 of 37 players) never having seen action in an SEC game. We have some young players that are going to be superstars in the SEC, and I’m excited about that. We feel like they’re getting better right before our very eyes. LSU is about winning – we’re supposed to win, and I’m the one who’s responsible for that.”

ABOUT THE TIGERS
• LSU is No. 27 in this week’s official NCAA RPI ratings, and the Tigers are No. 2 in strength of schedule.
• LSU is No. 3 in the nation in home runs with 54 on the year; Arkansas leads the nation with 70, and Old Dominion is No. 2 with 54.
• Junior right-hander Landon Marceaux defeated fifth-ranked South Carolina on Thursday, firing career-high 12 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory … Marceaux worked seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk … he threw 107 pitches, 70 for strikes … his previous career-best for strikeouts was 11, set this season on March 13 versus UT San Antonio … Marceaux lowered his cumulative ERA to 1.65, and he has recorded 67 strikeouts in 54.2 innings while limiting opponents to a .185 batting average … Marceaux is No. 3 in the SEC in ERA, No. 4 in innings pitched, No. 7 in strikeouts and No. 7 in opponent batting average.
• Junior right-hander AJ Labas provided another quality start for the Tigers in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader, limiting South Carolina to two runs on five hits in 6.1 innings with one walk and four strikeouts … six of Labas’ nine starts this season have been quality starts, which are defined as at least six innings pitched while allowing three earned runs or fewer … six of Labas’ last seven starts have been quality starts; the only exception in that span was on April 3 versus Vanderbilt, when he worked 5.1 innings and allowed just three earned runs with one walk and seven strikeouts.
• Junior designated hitter Cade Beloso led the Tigers in hitting during the South Carolina series, batting .444 (4-for-9) with one homer and one RBI … freshman first baseman Tre’ Morgan hit .400 (4-for-10) against the Gamecocks while scoring two runs and recording one stolen base … Morgan is No. 2 this season in the SEC in triples (3), No. 6 in runs scored (36), No. 7 in doubles (10), No. 7 in on-base percentage (.457) and No. 8 in stolen bases (9).
• Freshman rightfielder Dylan Crews is batting .351 this season, which ranks as the seventh-best average in the SEC … Crews is No. 5 in the league in on-base percentage (.469), No. 5 in walks (27), No. 6 in base hits (46), No. 6 in total bases (81) and No. 7 in stolen bases (10).
• Junior leftfielder Gavin Dugas is No. 4 in the SEC in RBI (37), and he’s No. 5 in the league in home runs (10) … sophomore third baseman Cade Doughty is No. 4 in the SEC in RBI (37), and he’s No. 8 in the league in slugging percentage (.626).

ABOUT THE WARHAWKS
• ULM defeated Little Rock on Monday in Monroe, 5-4 in 10 innings, to complete a Sun Belt Conference series victory … the Warhawks improved to 13-18 overall and 5-10 in league play.
• Heading into Monday’s game against Little Rock, ULM was hitting .259 as a team with 17 home runs and 51 steals in 66 attempts … the Warhawks pitching staff had a 5.08 team ERA while allowing 33 home runs and a .264 opponent batting average.
• Outfielder Ryan Humeniuk was batting a team-best .336 heading into Monday’s game with four doubles, one triple, two homers and 14 RBI … outfielder Mason Holt and first baseman Danny DeSimone were tied for the team lead in RBI with 16, and DeSimone led the squad in homers with four.