METAIRIE, La. – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team is set to face No. 9 LSU in the annual Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Shrine on Airline. The two teams are squaring off in the contest for the third consecutive year.
Fans can watch the game live on Cox Sports Television (CST), channel 37 on Cox and channel 35 on LUS, with Lyn Rollins, Ronnie Rantz and Kate Adams on the call. The game will also be simulcast on ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.
The Cajuns (18-13-1, 7-4-1 Sun Belt) are coming off of a series split at No. 26 Coastal Carolina. Louisiana claimed the first game of the series 1-0 before dropping a heartbreaker 9-8 on Saturday. The rubber match of the series ended in a 7-7 tie due to the travel curfew.
Right-hander Jack Burk (2-3, 2.23 ERA) will get the ball against the Tigers (22-11, 7-5 SEC) for his sixth start of the season. Burk has notched victories in his last two starts allowing only five earned runs in his last 24 innings pitched with 16 strikeouts.
The Tigers will counter with right-hander Matthew Beck (1-0, 0,69 ERA) who is expected to make a short start.
Offensively, the Cajuns are hitting .272 with 51 doubles, 10 triples and 18 home runs. Senior Ishmael Edwards comes into the contest on a seven-game hit streak and leads the squad in hitting with a .336 average including six doubles, four triples, three home runs and 18 RBI. Third baseman Joe Robbins has a team-best four home runs and 20 RBI, while Alex Pinero and Steven Sensley are tied for second on the team with 19 RBI.
LSU and Louisiana have met at the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic three times previously with the Tigers holding a 3-0 record in those meetings. A year ago, the Cajuns came up on the wrong end of an 8-5 decision after losing 8-6 in the 2015 Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic to LSU.
The Tigers lead the all-time series 53-24 having won the last four meetings between the two teams and eight of the last ten.
The Ragin’ Cajuns are 9-21 against LSU under head coach Tony Robichaux. The last win against the Tigers came back in 2014 in a rain-shortened 4-1 victory at Alex Box Stadium.
LSU is coming off of a series victory at Arkansas this past weekend. After falling in the series opener 9-3 to the Razorbacks, the Tigers bounced back to win 10-8 and 2-0 to claim their fourth series victory of the year.
Offensively, LSU is hitting .296 with 59 doubles, six triples and 30 home runs. Senior infielder Cole Freeman paces the squad with a .350 average, seven doubles, 28 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Junior outfielder Greg Deichmann has a team-best 10 home runs and 37 RBI while hitting .336 on the year.
Following the matchup with the Tigers, the Cajuns will host Arkansas State in a three-game conference series at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park starting Thursday at 6 p.m.
