Game 31: LSU at Auburn—Friday, April 5, 6:30 p.m., Auburn, Ala. Key series: LSU plays its third consecutive series against divi- About Tonight’s Game... sional foes this weekend when it visits the plains of Auburn. Records ➣ The Tigers are still after their first SEC series victory since LSU 18-12, 3-5; Auburn 23-8, 5-4 sweeping Alabama last April in Tuscaloosa. ➣ The Tigers lost to the New Orleans Zephyrs in an exhibition Rankings game on Wednesday, 8-3, but have won their last two Auburn is ranked #20 by ESPN/Baseball games over Mississippi St. on Saturday and New Orleans on Weekly and #27 by Collegiate Baseball Tuesday. ➣ The Tigers’ 3-5 mark in SEC play is their poorest after eight Radio/TV games since being 3-5 in Skip Bertman’s first season of Radio: LSU Sports Network (WDGL-98.1 FM in Baton Rouge)—Jim Hawthorne, Bill Franques, 1984. ➣ Charles Hanagriff Since the sweep of Alabama last year, LSU is 4-10 in league Auburn Network (WAUD-1230 AM in Auburn)— competition. ➣ Andy Burcham, Rod Bramblett After this weekend, the Tigers will play four of their next five Internet—www.lsusports.net (audio and live series against the SEC East, beginning next weekend stats) against Georgia. The Tigers’ remaining Western series are at home against Arkansas (Apr. 26-28) and Alabama (May 17- Umpires (assigned by the SEC) 19). Jack Cox (Powell, Tenn.), John Floyd (Columbia, S.C.) and Tony Walsh (Memphis) Scouting Auburn: Auburn is 23-8 overall and one game behind Alabama in the SEC West at 5-4. Series ➣ Auburn picked up a pair of midweek wins, beating Mercer 3- LSU leads, 67-57 (since 1907) 2 at home on Tuesday and winning 6-1 on Wednesday at South Alabama. Last Year ➣ Auburn is one of three SEC teams to make a regional in LSU won the first meeting at Baton Rouge, 20- each of the previous five years, along with LSU and Missis- 5, but Auburn rallied to take the final two sippi St. meetings, 7-5 and 9-7. ➣ The Tigers feature a pair of dangerous .400 hitters in catcher Bobby Huddleston (.437) and shortstop Jonathan Last Meeting Schuerholz (.411), the son of Atlanta Braves G.M. John Auburn 9, LSU 7 (5/13/01 at Baton Rouge) Schuerholz. Coaches ➣ Pitcher Eric Brandon, who will start on Sunday, threw a nine- Smoke Laval, LSU (18-12 at LSU; 241-159 in inning perfect game against Murray St. on Mar. 2. seven years at UL-Monroe) Steve Renfroe, Auburn (2nd year, 60-29) About the Series: Auburn won two of three last year in Skip Bertman’s final SEC series, but LSU still holds a 67-57 all-time The rest of the series edge. Game 2 Saturday at 3 p.m. CST ➣ LSU won the opening game last year, 20-5, but fell 7-5 and Game 3 Sunday at 1:30 p.m. CDT (Live TV in 9-7 in the final two games, as Auburn won both games with Louisiana on the Jumbo Sports Network late-inning rallies. Prior to last year, Auburn hadn’t won a game in Baton Rouge since 1995. ➣ The visiting team has won the last two series, as LSU scored On Deck 18-11 and 12-10 victories in 2000 at Auburn, with the hosts Wednesday ....at Tulane (Superdome), 7 p.m. claiming a 7-1 victory in the series’ middle game. Apr. 12 ...........Georgia, 6:30 p.m. ➣ In five of the last six games at Auburn, the winning team has Apr. 13 ...........Georgia, 2 p.m. scored at least 11 runs. Apr. 14 ...........Georgia, 1 p.m. ➣ LSU coach Skip Bertman won his 700th career game in Apr. 16 ...........Southern, 6:30 p.m. Apr. 19 ...........at South Carolina, 7 p.m. ET 1998 with an 11-8, 12-inning victory at Plainsman Park. ➣ Apr. 20 ...........at South Carolina, 4 p.m. ET LSU swept Auburn in 1999 at Baton Rouge and in 1994 at Apr. 21 ...........at South Carolina, 1:30 p.m. ET Auburn’s old Plainsman Park. ➣ Apr. 23 ...........at UL-Monroe, 6:30 p.m. Auburn is the last SEC team to sweep LSU at Alex Box Sta- Apr. 26 ...........Arkansas, 6:30 p.m. dium, doing so in 1988. The only other team to sweep in Apr. 27 ...........Arkansas, 4 p.m. Baton Rouge since then is Houston in 2000. Apr. 28 ...........Arkansas, 1 p.m. Apr. 30 ...........at UNO (Zephyr Field), 6:30 p.m. Tonight’s Starting Pitcher #46 Soph. LH Lane Mestepey (6-0, 187, Zachary—Central Private) Lane Mestepey’s last appearance against Auburn wasn’t so pleasant, as he took the loss in relief in Skip Bertman’s final regular season home game. Mestepey moves back to the Friday night spot in the rotation and takes on Auburn junior right-hander Levale Speigner (6-2, 2.84) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 2002: 5-2 with a 3.60 ERA in 60.0 innings with two complete games. ➣ Did not allow a walk over a span of 33.0 innings from Feb. 23 to Mar. 23. ➣ Giving up an average of 1.35 walks per nine innings. ➣ Walked none in 6.1 innings to improve to 5-2 with win over Mississippi St. (Mar. 30). ➣ Picked up second complete game victory at Ole Miss (Mar. 23) despite walking a career-high five batters. ➣ Gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits in last outing vs. Vanderbilt (Mar. 16), taking his first loss as a starter since last May 4 at Arkansas. ➣ Earned second consecutive LSWA Pitcher of the Week honor for effort vs. UL-Monroe (Mar. 9), giving up one run in eight innings. ➣ Earned complete-game victory at Houston (Feb. 23), giving up just one run on six hits in the final 7.0 innings. ➣ Followed up Houston game with brilliant 8.0 inning stint vs. Long Beach St. (Mar. 2, Game 2), striking out a career- best eight to improve to 2-0 to earn LSWA Pitcher of the Week honors. ➣ Struck out six in 7.0-plus innings against Birmingham-Southern on Feb. 9. Carried a shutout into the eighth inning. 2001: Led the SEC in victories (11) and ERA (3.75), going 11-3 in 22 games (19 starts), pitching 139.1 innings. ➣ Named the national Freshman of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and was a third team All-American by the same publication. ➣ Named the 2001 SEC Freshman of the Year and was a first team All-SEC selection. ➣ Allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of 19 starts. ➣ Yielded only 2.39 walks per nine innings. ➣ Went 7.1 or more innings in his first eight SEC starts. ➣ Named SEC Pitcher of the Week on Apr. 16 for sterling Easter Sunday effort vs. Ole Miss. In complete-game victory, Mestepey walked none and scattered nine hits. Was 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in two outings in 2001 against the Rebels. ➣ Four days before the Ole Miss victory, he allowed only one earned run over 7.2 innings against Tulane at Zephyr Field. ➣ Got victory in first career start vs. Kansas St. on Feb. 11, giving up six hits in 6.0 innings. ➣ Had superb effort in no-decision at Georgia on Mar. 10, giving up one earned run and striking out six in 7.2 innings. ➣ Fell just short of shutout on Mar. 24 at Mississippi St., allowing one run and no walks while fanning six over 8.1 in- nings. ➣ First complete-game came vs. Kentucky on Mar. 30, giving up one earned run and striking out five. ➣ Did not lose until Apr. 20 vs. Vanderbilt, and even in that loss, he threw a complete game. ➣ Turned in spectacular complete-game effort at Alabama on Apr. 27, giving up one earned run and fanning six to start LSU on its way to a three-game sweep in Tuscaloosa. He retired 18 of 19 batters faced in the fourth through eighth innings. ➣ Allowed no earned runs over 6.0 innings of victory vs. Ole Miss at SEC Tournament May 17. ➣ Made last effort of the year his best, going 10.0 innings and striking out six in Super Regional at Tulane, a game LSU won in 13 innings. MESTEPEY’S CAREER STATISTICS Year ERA WW----LL App GS CG SV IP H R ER BB SO 2001 3.75 11-3 22 19 4 1 139.1 158 77 58 37 79 2002 3.60 5-2 9 8 2 0 60.0 69 28 24 9 35 TOTALS 3.70 1616----55 31 27 6 1 199.1 227 105 72 46 114 Pitching matchups for remainder of the Auburn series: Saturday: LSU Fr. LHP Jason Vargas (1-1, 3.07) vs. Auburn Soph. RHP Colby Paxton (6-2, 3.59) Sunday: LSU Jr. RHP Bo Pettit (3-4, 4.05) vs. Auburn Soph. RHP Eric Brandon (3-1, 2.68) Lane Mestepey career game-by-game 2001 (22 appearances, 11-3, 3.75) Date Opponent GS IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR WP BK HBP DP IBB Score W-L SV ERA Feb. 11 Kansas St. * 6.0 6 5 4 2 4 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 14-8 1-0 0 6.00 Feb. 18 Houston * 3.2 10 4 3 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14-6 1-0 0 6.52 Feb. 25 Duquesne * 6.0 8 2 2 2 6 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 12-2 2-0 0 5.17 Mar.