LSU vs TCU College World Series Preview

The Fightin' Tigers and Horned Frogs will be featured in Game 3 of the College World Series and we have everything a Tiger fan needs to know before the game.

LSU Baseball Report/Bill Franques

2015 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

#3 TCU Horned Frogs (49-13) vs. #1 LSU Fighting Tigers (53-10)

DATE/TIME
Sunday, June 14 – 2 p.m. CT

STADIUM
TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

RANKINGS
LSU: (No. 2 National Seed in NCAA Tournament) – No. 1 Baseball America; No. 1 USA Today; No. 1 D1 Baseball; No. 1 Collegiate Baseball; No. 1 Perfect Game; No. 1 NCBWA
TCU: (No. 7 National Seed in NCAA Tournament) - No. 3 Collegiate Baseball; No. 4 USA Today; No. 4 NCBWA; No. 7 Baseball America; No. 10 D1 Baseball

RADIO
On the LSU Sports Radio Network and 1130 the Tiger in Shreveport, LA.

TV
ESPN

STARTING PITCHERS
LSU – So. LHP Jared Poche’ (9-1, 2.91 ERA, 105.0 IP, 23 BB, 69 SO)
TCU – Sr. RHP Preston Morrison (11-3, 2.55 ERA, 113.0 IP, 21 BB, 86 SO)

SERIES HISTORY VS. TCU
LSU leads the all-time series with TCU, 6-1, with all seven meetings occurring in Baton Rouge. The teams first met in 1967 and last faced each other in 1994. Sunday’s game marks the first NCAA Tournament matchup between the squads. LSU swept three games from the Horned Frogs in 1994 at Baton Rouge in the teams’ last meeting by scores of 13-6, 15-10 and 16-8. LSU also split two games with TCU in 1967, and the Tigers won two straight over the Frogs in 1989.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Top-ranked LSU (53-10) begins its quest for a seventh national championship at 2 p.m. CT Sunday when the Tigers face TCU in their first game of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park.

Sunday’s game will be televised by ESPN, and it may be viewed at WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.

The game will be carried on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including WDGL 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge. Live audio and stats may be accessed at www.LSUsports.net.

LSU is ranked No. 1 this week in all of the college baseball polls, marking the 10th week in a row and the 13th week overall the Tigers are No. 1 in at least one poll. LSU has won 30 of its last 35 games and 23 of its last 27.

The Tigers are playing in their 17th College World Series, and all 17 appearances have come since 1986. LSU is tied with Texas for the second-highest number of CWS championships with six. Southern California has the most NCAA baseball titles with 12.

Mainieri said Friday that sophomore left-hander Jared Poche’ (9-1) will be the Tigers’ starting pitcher on Sunday. TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle will counter with senior right-hander Preston Morrison (11-3).

“We’ve had a remarkable season with a phenomenal group of players and coaches,” Mainieri said. “Our team has worked extremely hard to get into this position, and we’re looking forward to challenging for a national championship. The path to winning the College World Series title is very difficult, of course, because every team here is obviously very good.

“TCU is in Omaha for the third time in six years, and Coach Schlossnagle has built a tremendous program. They have a lot of very talented ball players and a veteran team with College World Series experience. We’re looking forward to great matchup on Sunday between two outstanding ball clubs.”

LSU enters the College World Series No. 2 in the nation in base hits (734) and No. 4 in the nation in team batting average (.316). The LSU pitching staff is No. 10 in the nation with a 2.84 team ERA.

LSU has stolen 126 bases this season, the third-highest total in school history and the most by a Fighting Tiger squad since the 1987 club recorded a school-record is 156 steals. Four LSU players - Alex Bregman, Andrew Stevenson, Mark Laird and Jake Fraley - have 20+ steals in one season for the first time in school history.

Junior centerfielder Andrew Stevenson is LSU’s leading hitter this season, batting .356 (84-for-236) with 11 doubles, five triples, one homer, 21 RBI, 53 runs and 26 stolen bases.

Junior first baseman Chris Chinea is batting .355 this season with 17 doubles, 11 homers, 58 RBI and 42 runs. He is No. 3 in the SEC in hits (87), and he is fifth in the league in RBI, sixth in total bases (137), seventh in batting average, eighth in doubles, 10th in slugging percentage (.559) and 10th in home runs.

Senior catcher Kade Scivicque is hitting .347 this season with 20 doubles, six homers, and 45 RBI, and he has thrown out 18 runners attempting to steal.

TCU is batting .289 on the year with 27 home runs and 117 steals in 159 attempts. The Horned Frogs’ pitching staff has the nation’s second-best ERA at 2.38.

TCU is led at the plate by senior outfielder Cody Jones, who is hitting .371 with 14 doubles, one triple, five homers and 33 RBI. Junior infielder Derek Odell is batting .303 with eight doubles, three homers and 39 RBI, and freshman catcher Evan Skoug is hitting .286 with team-highs of seven homers and 44 RBI.

LSU leads the all-time series with TCU, 6-1, with all seven meetings occurring in Baton Rouge. The teams first met in 1967 and last faced each other in 1994. Sunday’s game marks the first NCAA Tournament matchup between the squads. LSU swept three games from the Horned Frogs in 1994 at Baton Rouge in the teams’ last meeting by scores of 13-6, 15-10 and 16-8. LSU also split two games with TCU in 1967, and the Tigers won two straight over the Frogs in 1989.