College Baseball Rankings & LSU Updates

LSU's overall record: 3-0
Record last week: 3-0

D1 Baseball.com: No. 1 (Last Week: No. 1)

Baseball America: No. 1 (No. 1)

Perfect Game: No. 1 (No. 1)

Current SEC Baseball Standings

More updates via LSU:

Last Week’s Results (3-0)
Feb. 17 (Fri.) – WESTERN MICHIGAN (W, 10-0)
Feb. 18 (Sat.) – WESTERN MICHIGAN (W, 5-3)
Feb. 19 (Sun.) – WESTERN MICHIGAN (W, 9-2)

This Week’s Schedule
Feb. 21 (Tue.) – SOUTHERN, 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Feb. 24 (Fri.) – vs. Kansas State, 2 p.m. CT in Round Rock Classic (D1Baseball.com)
Feb. 25 (Sat.) – vs. Iowa, 12 p.m. CT in Round Rock Classic (D1Baseball.com)
Feb. 26 (Sun.) – vs. Sam Houston, 4 p.m. CT in Round Rock Classic (D1Baseball.com)

Tigers Update
LSU opened the 2023 season with a weekend series sweep of Western Michigan, outscoring the Broncos, 24-5 … the Tigers are 12-0 this season in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field … the Tigers play host to Southern on Tuesday before traveling to Round Rock, Texas, to compete in the Karbach Round Rock Classic this weekend at Dell Diamond, the home of the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express.

Paul Skenes
Junior right-hander Paul Skenes, making his debut in an LSU uniform, worked six shutout frames on Friday to defeat Western Michigan, allowing just three hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts .. the 12 Ks represented the most by an LSU pitcher since April 15, 2021, when Landon Marceaux recorded 12 strikeouts versus South Carolina … Skenes’ effort also marked the most strikeouts by an LSU pitcher in a season opener since Scott Schultz fanned 12 Lamar batters in 1995 in the Winn-Dixie Showdown at the Louisiana Superdome.

Gavin Dugas
Graduate second baseman Gavin Dugas led LSU to a season-opening series sweep of Western Michigan over the weekend as he batted .750 (6-for-8) with two homers, two RBI, three runs, a .778 on-base percentage and 1.500 slugging percentage … batting at the top of the order in Games 2 and 3, Dugas opened the bottom of the first inning on Saturday with LSU’s first homer of the year, giving the Tigers an early lead they would not relinquish in a 5-3 victory … on Sunday, Dugas was 3-for-3 at the plate with a homer and two runs scored; his homer led off the LSU sixth inning and extended the Tigers’ lead to 6-1 in an eventual 9-2 win.

Jared Jones
True freshman designated hitter Jared Jones enjoyed a spectacular LSU debut in the Tigers’ weekend sweep of Western Michigan, batting .500 (4-for-8) with two doubles, three RBI, four runs scored and a .750 slugging percentage … Jones also walked three times and posted a .636 on-base percentage in the series … his two-run double in Friday’s 10-0 LSU win highlighted a five-run sixth inning, expanding the Tigers’ lead to 8-0 … Jones provided an RBI single in the first inning on Saturday to increase LSU’s lead to 2-0 in an eventual 5-3 victory.

Pitching Notes
The LSU pitching staff limited Western Michigan to a .105 (9-for-86) cumulative batting average in the weekend series. … junior left-hander Riley Cooper, making his second career LSU start on Saturday versus Western Michigan, did not allow a hit in 5.1 scoreless innings, and he logged two walks and seven strikeouts while throwing 71 pitches to secure the victory … sophomore left-hander Nate Ackenhausen entered Saturday’s game in the sixth inning, and he pitched the final 3.1 innings to earn the save … Ackenhausen limited the Broncos to one run on one hit in 3.1 innings with one walk and two strikeouts … junior right-hander Ty Floyd entered Sunday’s game at the start of the fifth inning with the score tied 1-1, and he fired three perfect innings with no walks and four strikeouts to earn the win.

Hitting Notes
LSU collected four doubles, two triples and four homers in the weekend series versus Western Michigan and outhit the Broncos, 26-9 … outfielder Brayden Jobert was 3-for-8 with two doubles; centerfielder Dylan Crews was 3-for-9 with one homer, two RBI and four runs; shortstop Jordan Thompson homered and drove in a team-high four runs; infielder Ben Nippolt also contributed four RBI; catcher Brady Neal was 3-for-5 with one triple, two RBI and three runs.