Boston College Athletics
Weekend Preview: Baseball Travels to No. 2/4 LSU
February 19, 2015 | Baseball
THE FACTS
WHERE: Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. EST & 8 p.m. EST; Saturday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. EST
RECORD vs. OPPONENT: This is the first meeting between the two teams
HOW TO FOLLOW
Twitter: @BCBirdball
Live Stats: LSUSports.net
TV: SEC Network +
Live Video: ESPN 3
THE MATCHUPS
Pitching Matchups
Friday Game 1: RHP John Gorman (0-0, 5.06 ERA) vs. LHP Jared Poche (1-0, 0-0 ERA)
Friday Game 2: RHP Jeff Burke (0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs. RHP Alex Lange (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Nick Poore (0-0, 5.06 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Godfrey (0-0, 2.45 ERA)
Scouting the Tigers
· The Tigers are coming off a three-game home sweep of Kansas, in which the pitching staff put together a 2.00 team ERA. They fell, 6-3, to Nicholls on Wednesday night after stranding 17 and committing four errors.
· BC is taking on an LSU team that is ranked second in the nation. The Eagles are 2-21 against top-five teams under Gambino. The only wins game at home against top-ranked teams when BC beat No. 1 Virginia, 5-4, in 11 innings in 2011 and in 2012, when the Eagles recorded a 17-6 victory over No. 1 Florida State.
· This will also be the Eagles' second time playing an Southeastern Conference opponent since Gambino took over at the helm. In his first year, BC lost a three-game set to No. 1 Florida in Gainesville.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE EAGLES
· Junior Chris Shaw ended the 2014 by reaching base safely in the final 21 games. He started 2015 by reaching base in the first four games, bringing his streak to 25 games.
· Sophomore Michael Strem bats fifth behind Shaw, who was talked seven times in the first four games of the season, including four intentionally, and made opponents pay by coming through four times with two hits, four RBIs and two walks.
· Strem continues to be a doubles machine as four of his seven hits were doubles, building on his production from his freshman season in which 13 of his 22 hits were doubles. He was one of two ACC players to record three doubles in a single game, going 3-for-6 with two RBIs against Xavier on Feb. 14.
· The BC pitchers were efficient in their first outings of 2015, recording a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Eagles struck out 45 batters and allowed just nine walks in the four games Feb. 13-15. Junior LHP Jesse Adams did not allow a walk in his 4.2-inning start on Feb. 14 while only two of the relievers tallied walks. Six relievers did not allow a walk in nine combined innings.
· Sophomore RHP Bobby Skogsbergh picked up his first loss of his career, giving up the game-winning run at Wofford on Feb. 13. Coming into the game, he had not allowed an earned run in his final nine appearances - 10.2 innings - of 2014. He went 4-0 as a freshman.
OF NOTE
· For the second time in program history, the BC baseball team will play in Louisiana.
· Senior Blake Butera is returning home to Louisiana for the three-game set with the Tigers. The four-year starting second baseman is from Mandeville, La., His brother, Barry, played baseball at Boston College from 2007-09 and was drafted in the 21st round by the Houston Astros. His father, Barry Sr., played baseball at Tulane and went on to play three seasons for the Red Sox for BC alum Joe Morgan.
