LSU Baseball Opens Season with Sweep of Maryland [VIDEO]

The LSU Baseball team has high hopes this season after ending the 2012 season with a disappointing series loss to Stony Brook in the NCAA Super Regional.  The Tigers won the SEC last year, but didn't make it to Omaha for the College World Series.  If the season opening series against Maryland is any indicator of the type of season the Tigers could have, this could be another banner year for LSU.

The Tigers opened the season on Friday with a 1-0 victory over the Terrapins.  Sophomore right-hander Austin Nola was scintilating, throwing 6.2 shoutout innings with only two hits, one walk and nine strike-outs.

LSU took game 2 on Saturday 5-1 after scoring four runs in the seventh inning.  LSU right-hander Ryan Eades threw 6.1 innings of no-run baseball.  Leftie Cliff Cotton gave up a run in the 8th before recording the final six outs, three of them K's.

LSU exploded offensively on Sunday in a 14-3 win to complete the sweep.  Jacoby Jones hit the Tigers first home-run of the year in the second inning and Ty Ross had a three run jack in the fifth.

Centerfieder Chris Sciambra had a great opening weekend after missing the final three months of the 2012 season due to a broken bone in his neck.  The sophomore hit .625 (5-for-8) with one double, two runs scored and a stolen base.  The Tigers lead-off hitter had a .750 on-base percentage for the weekend and went 4-for-4 on Friday becoming the first Tiger hitter to open the season 4-for-4 since 2008.

Another bright spot for LSU was the play of freshman shortstop Alex Bregman.  Bregman batted .455 (5-for-11) in the series and knocked in the Tigers only run in Friday's 1-0 win.  Bregman was also perfect in the field, committing no errors in 10 chances.

The next time you'll hear LSU baseball on 1130 the Tiger will be Friday (2/22) against Southeastern Louisiana.  First pitch at 7pm, coverage beginning at 6:30pm.

Baseball America Top 25

Rank, Team, W-L, Prev.
1. North Carolina, 2-0, 1
2. Vanderbilt, 2-1, 2
3. Arkansas, 2-1, 3
4. Louisville, 2-1, 4
5. Mississippi State, 4-0, 5
6. Oregon State, 3-0, 6
7. South Carolina, 2-1, 7
8. Mississippi, 3-0, 13
9. LSU, 3-0, 10
10. North Carolina State, 0-1, 8
11. Kentucky, 2-0, 11
12. UCLA, 2-1, 12
13. Rice, 2-1, 18
14. Oregon, 3-0, 15
15. Stanford, 1-2, 9
16. Georgia Tech, 3-0, 16
17. Florida, 2-1, 17
18. Oklahoma, 4-0, 19
19. Florida State, 3-0, 20
20. Cal State Fullerton, 4-0, 22
21. Southern Mississippi, 3-0, 23
22. Texas Christian, 0-3, 14
23. Arizona, 4-0, 24
24. Virginia Tech, 4-0, NR
25. UC Irvine, 3-0, NR

Dropped out: New Mexico (No. 21); San Diego (No. 25)

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's NCAA Div. I Poll
(As of Feb. 18, 2013)

Rank School (Record) Points Previous
1. North Carolina (2-0) 495 2
2. Arkansas (2-1) 493 1
3. Vanderbilt (2-1) 492 3
4. LSU (3-0) 489 4
5. Oregon (3-0) 486 6
6. UCLA (2-1) 484 5
7. South Carolina (2-1) 481 7
8. Kentucky (2-0) 478 8
9. Oregon St. (3-0) 475 10
10. Rice (2-1) 472 20
11. Stanford (1-2) 471 9
12. Mississippi St. (4-0) 468 13
13. N.C. State (0-1) 467 11
14. Oklahoma (4-0) 465 14
15. Arizona (3-0) 462 18
16. Mississippi (3-0) 460 25
17. Georgia Tech. (3-0) 457 17
18. Florida St. (3-0) 455 19
19. Cal. St. Fullerton (4-0) 454 23
20. Miami, Fla. (3-0) 451 28
21. U.C. Irvine (3-0) 449 30
22. San Diego St. (3-0) 446 -
23. Arizona St. (2-1) 444 16
24. Florida (2-1) 442 24
25. Texas (2-1) 440 21
26. Louisville (2-1) 438 22
27. Texas A&M (2-1) 435 26
28. Clemson (2-1) 433 27
29. Virginia (2-0) 432 35
30. Southern Miss. (3-0) 429 36