The unanimous preseason No. 1 LSU baseball team is set to make its long-awaited debut on Friday night against Western Michigan for a three-game series at Alex Box Stadium to kick off Year 2 under coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag].
The Tigers are coming off a 40-22 (17-13 SEC) run in Johnson’s first season, which ended with a loss in the final round at the Hattiesburg Regional to top-seeded Southern Miss. But after an offseason haul that featured the top transfer and recruiting classes in the nation, this team has a title on its mind.
The Broncos are coming off an 18-36 season and are hoping for more success this campaign, but it will have to start against arguably the most formidable roster in the sport.
“We’re taking one game at a time, trying to do things in the context of winning that day,” Johnson said in a release. “To win Division I baseball games, you have to do things right. The goal is to put our players in positions to have success, and we’ll figure out what our best team looks like as we move forward.
“Two years ago, my last Arizona team – which ended up going to Omaha – opened the season by splitting four games with Ball State, which is from the same conference as Western Michigan. That Ball State team was very good with a really good pitching staff, so we’re preparing to face a strong challenge from Western Michigan.”
LSU has won 21 consecutive season-opening games dating back to 2001, and the Tigers will look to keep that streak alive when they begin the season on Friday afternoon. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the opening weekend series.