Kansas Game 5 Friday, February 14, 6:30 p.m. Alex Box Stadium Home for seven: Tonight’s game with Kansas opens a seven-game About Tonight’s Game homestand for the Fighting Tigers. Records Ø The Tigers open the homestand with a three-game series vs. Kan- LSU 4-0, Kansas 6-3 sas this weekend. Ø The homestand continues when Smoke Laval’s former team, Lou- Radio isiana-Monroe, comes in on Tuesday. LSU hosts nationally ranked LSU Sports Network (WDGL-98.1 FM in Baton Houston next weekend. Rouge)—Charles Hanagriff, Patrick Wright Ø LSU is coming off a smashing 15-0 victory at Centenary on Tuesday night in the Tigers’ first road game of 2003. Ø The 15-0 victory was the Tigers’ largest margin of victory since a Internet—www.lsusports.net 20-5 win over Auburn at home on May 11 ,2001, and the largest in Audio broadcasts of all LSU games and live a shutout since blanking UL-Monroe, 21-0, in the 2000 NCAA Ba- stats for all regular season games are avail- ton Rouge regional. able at LSU’s official website. Ø The Centenary game marked LSU’s largest margin of victory away from Baton Rouge since a 15-0 whitewash of Vanderbilt in 1996. Rankings LSU—#6 Collegiate Baseball, #7 ESPN/USA Scouting the Jayhawks: Kansas comes in at 6-3 under first-year Today, #8 Baseball America coach Ritch Price. Ø The Jayhawks opened their season by taking four of six from Ha- Previous Games waii Hilo on the Big Island. KU split two games at Arkansas-Little LSU 15, Centenary 0 (Tuesday) Rock last weekend and won its home opener over Western Kansas 10, Western Illinois 6 (Wednesday) Ø Price came to KU from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, leading the Mus- tangs to three consecutive 30-win seasons from 2000-2002. Series Record Ø The Jayhawks have not enjoyed a wining season since 1997. KU has not reached the NCAA regionals since 1994, the year after it LSU leads, 3-0, sweeping the only series be- reached the College World Series. tween the teams in 1990. Ø Former coach Bobby Randall resigned after the 2002 season, when KU went 22-29 overall and finished last in the Big 12 at 5- Last Meeting 21. LSU 8, Kansas 2 (3/11/90 at Baton Rouge) Ø LSU is the first of three SEC opponents on the Jayhawks’ schedule. KU has a home-and-home series slated with Arkansas, and will Coaches play in Vanderbilt’s tournament at Nashville in two weeks. Smoke Laval, LSU (2nd year at LSU, 48-22; 9th year overall, 289-181) About the series: LSU and Kansas have met in only one series, with Ritch Price, Kansas (First year at KU, 6-3; the Tigers sweeping the Jayhawks in 1990 in Baton Rouge. 22nd year overall, 624-452) Ø LSU won the series by scores of 10-1, 9-3 and 8-2, part of a nine- game winning streak by the Tigers that season. Rest of the Series Ø The Jayhawks are the second Big 12 team from Kansas to come to Baton Rouge in the last three years. LSU took two of three from Game 2 Saturday at 2 p.m. Kansas State, to open the 2001 season Game 3 Sunday at 1 p.m. Ø LSU holds a 20-12 record against teams from the state of Kansas, holding a 6-4 record vs. Wichita State and an 11-8 mark vs. K- On Deck State. Tuesday ............UL-Monroe, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 .............Houston, 6:30 p.m. Recapping Tuesday night: Twelve different Tigers banged out 19 hits Feb. 22 .............Houston, 2 p.m. in LSU’s 15-0 victory over Centenary in Shreveport. Feb. 23 .............Houston, 1 p.m. Ø J.C. Holt went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI, falling just a single short of the Feb. 28 .............at Long Beach St., 8:30 p.m. cycle. Mar. 1 ...............at Long Beach St., 3 p.m. Ø Five other LSU players collected two hits, as LSU scored six runs in Mar. 2 ...............at Long Beach St., 3 p.m. the first three innings and nine in the final three. Mar. 5 ...............Southeastern La., 6:30 p.m. Ø Justin Meier worked five shutout innings in his LSU debut, and Complete Schedule on Page 9 three other pitchers preserved the shutout. Tonight’s Starting Pitcher: #12 RHP Jake Tompkins Sr.-1L, 6-0, 195, Auburn, Calif. (Sacramento City College) Jake Tompkins looked dominant in his first start of 2003, setting a career high with 11 strikeouts in the season opener. Tompkins goes for his first victory on Friday against Kansas, as the Jayhawks counter with junior left- hander Ryan Knippschild (1-0, 5.56). 2003: No decisions with a 0.00 ERA in one start. Ø A 28th-round selection of the Texas Rangers in the 2002 first-year playe r draft, Tompkins opted to return to LSU for his senior season. Ø Is the latest in a long line of LSU players to come from Sacramento City College, joining former Tigers Conan Horton, Brandon Bowe, Jake Esteves and David Raymer. Ø Ranked No. 16 in Baseball America’s pre-season survey of college baseball’s top 50 seniors. Ø Also rated by Baseball America as having best breaking ball and second best control among SEC pitchers. Ø Struck out a career high 11 batters in just 5.2 innings vs. Northwestern St. (2/7). 2002: Second team All-SEC selection, going 7 -1 with a 2.68 ERA in a team high 25 games. Ø Allowed two of 20 inherited runners to score in 19 relief outings. Ø Held opponents to a .198 batting average with runners in scoring position, and posted 32 of his 96 strikeouts (exactly one-third) in those situations. Ø Yielded only 14 extra base hits in 317 at-bats. Ø Gave up only one hit in 13 at-bats with the bases loaded. Ø Was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Baton Rouge regional, when h e went 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA. Ø Earned a win in relief vs. Southern (5/31) in the regional opener by striking out eight in five innings of work as LSU won 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th. Ø Came back with one day of rest to pitch 6.1 innings vs. UL-Lafayette (6/2, Game 1), allowing just one un- earned run and striking out five to keep the Tigers alive in the regional. Ø Closed out SEC Tournament victory over South Carolina (5/23) by striking out four in 2.0 innings of scoreless relief. Ø Struck out 10 in 4.2 innings in spot start at New Orleans (4/30), combining with Clay Harris and Brad David on a 13-0 shutout. Ø Earned win in relief vs. Arkansas (4/28), allowing one earned run in 3.2 innings to help complete sweep of Ra- zorbacks. Ø Had spectacular weekend in series at Auburn (4/5, 4/7) allowing just four hits in 5.1 scoreless innings of work. Earned save in series finale to give Tigers their first SEC series victory of the season. Ø Earned save in his relief debut vs. Mississippi St. (3/30), striking out four in 2.2 hitless innings of work. Ø Struck out six in 6.0 shutout innings vs. UL-Lafayette (3/12). Ø Pitched 8.0 strong innings in no decision vs. Long Beach St. (3/3) on sub-freezing day, walking none and strik- ing out eight. Ø Missed start at Houston (2/24) due to strained pectoral muscle. Ø Gave up only one earned run and struck out six in 6.0 innings in victory over Mercer (2/17). Ø Struck out seven in first career start, picking up win vs. Birmingham-Southern (2/10). TOMPKINS’ CAREER STATISTICS Year ERA W-L App GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2002 2.68 7-1 25 8 0 0/1 4 87.1 78 37 26 37 96 2003 0.00 0-0 1 1 0 0/0 0 5.2 4 1 0 1 11 TOTALS 2.52 7-1 26 9 0 0/1 4 93.0 82 38 26 38 107 Probable Pitching Matchups for remainder of the Kansas series: Saturday—LSU Jr. RHP Brian Wilson (1-0, 4.76) vs. Kansas Jr. LHP Josh Duran (0-1, 3.12) Sunday—LSU Jr. RHP Nate Bumstead (1-0, 2.57) vs. Kansas Sr. LHP Kevin Wheeler (0-0, 0.00) Jake Tompkins Career Game-By-Game Statistics 2002 (25 appearances, 7-1, 2.68) Date Opponent.........................IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR WP BK HBP DP IBB Score W-L SV ERA Feb. 10 Birmingham-Southern*.....6.2 6 5 5 4 7 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 11-7 1-0 0 6.75 Feb. 17 Mercer*............................6.2 4 1 1 1 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17-1 2-0 0 4.05 Mar. 3 Long Beach St.* ...............8.0 12 4 3 0 8 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5-4 2-0 0 3.80 Mar. 12 Louisiana-Lafayette*........6.0 3 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1-2 2-0 0 2.96 Mar. 17 Vanderbilt*......................7.2 6 5 4 2 7 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 7-8 2-0 0 3.34 Mar.