Slow-starting LSU Tigers heat up late to pull away from Southern Jaguars

Not long after the LSU men’s basketball team pulled away from Southern in the second half for a 62-41 victory Monday night, fans trickled out of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and headed into the night, many of them surely searching for updates on the just-under-way Saints-Falcons game.

By then, the temperature in Baton Rouge had dipped to 31 degrees and headed toward the 20s. How fitting. For much of Monday night’s game between these two struggling teams, the Jaguars and Tigers were both ice-cold from the floor.

Assessing basketball season as SWAC play nears

Yes, the Southern men’s basketball team lost to LSU by 21 points on Monday night, 62-41.

Yes, it was the Jaguars’ ninth straight loss.

No, they probably won’t sniff a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

They probably won’t finish above fifth.

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LSU Baseball Handles TSU, 12-1

BATON ROUGE -- LSU sophomore designated hitter Blake Dean homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the top-seeded Tigers to their 21st straight win with a 12-1 victory over Texas Southern in the opening game of the 2008 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional in front of 6,536 fans on Friday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers, champions of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, improved to 44-16-1 on the year and 19-0 in NCAA regional opening games. LSU set the single-season school record for consecutive victories in its last outing and has not lost a contest since April 19.

Texas Southern dropped to 16-33 on the season. LSU advances to play the winner of tonight’s contest between Southern Miss and UNO at 6 p.m. Saturday. Texas Southern takes on the loser of tonight’s game at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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MVSU to Open NCAA play against Ninth-seeded LSU Softball

BATON ROUGE -- LSU will once again have to postpone the final game in Tiger Park for one more weekend as the overall No. 9 national seeded Tigers begin NCAA Regional competition this weekend at home, facing Mississippi Valley State on Friday at 7 p.m. as part of the three-day double-elimination tournament.

Mississippi Valley State (28-26) earned the at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament from the Southwestern Athletic Conference after winning the league tournament. The Devilettes won the SWAC Eastern Division, tied with Southern University for the overall championship, before defeating the Lady Jaguars in the tournament championship game, 6-3.

Mississippi Valley Devilettes are making their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. (Photo Courtesy of Kevin M. Robinson Photography)

The Tigers (42-16) fell to No. 3 national seed Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals last weekend at Tiger Park after knocking off NCAA College Station Regional participant Auburn. The No. 9 national seed is the highest for LSU since the NCAA Tournament went to the Super Regional format in 2005.

All of LSU's NCAA Regional games will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network in Baton Rouge on The X - 104.5/104.9 FM. The broadcasts can also be heard in the GeauxZone on LSUsports.net.

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Relief pitcher Ross stymies Southern in LSU Tigers’ 8-3 win

Photo: (L) LSU Tigers Coach Paul Mainieri; and (R) SU Jaguars Coach Roger Candor.

What was shaping up as a thriller between crosstown rivals — with Southern’s Human Jukebox grooving a cozy full house and seven runs already on the scoreboard — got quelled quickly when LSU coach Paul Mainieri made the unusual move of going to the bullpen in the second inning.

Freshman Austin Ross answered the extremely early call.

Ross struck out eight and walked one, scattering four hits, in getting his first collegiate win and making his longest appearance as LSU won 8-3 Tuesday night, in front of 660 fans, the band and onlookers from the Harding Blvd. overpass, at Lee-Hines Field.

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Southern University baseball is 2-43 all-time against LSU.

JSU first opponent for LSU women quest for fifth straight Final Four

Before LSU can worry about traveling 70 miles down I-10 for regional play they must first negotiate the tough terrain waiting for them at home where they will face No. 15 seed Jackson State (18-13) — the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament champion — at approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

The LSU-Jackson State winner faces the survivor of Saturday’s 7 p.m. game between No. 7 Marist (31-2) and No. 10 DePaul (20-11).All four first-round games in Baton Rouge will be televised by ESPN2.

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Mississippi Valley bats nearly silent in 9-1 loss at LSU

Left-handed pitcher Blake Martin made sure his first start for the LSU baseball team would be a memorable one Wednesday night. Martin, a transfer who played his first two seasons at Birmingham Southern, pitched five strong innings in leading the Tigers to an easy 9-1 victory over Mississippi Valley State before 936 fans in Alex Box Stadium.

A junior from Boaz, Ala., Martin allowed just two hits and no runs in his first starting assignment for LSU (4-1). He struck out nine and walked just one before four relievers followed him to the mound to finish off Mississippi Valley (4-2).

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HBCU baseball can be a real head scratcher. Southern Jaguars and Mississippi Vally Delta Devils both lose to LSU with respectable scores and were competitive in the two games. Florida A&M Rattlers goes to Central Florida and get bombed by 50 runs in a 3 game series by a team going nowhere in Conference USA. Are the Rattlers really that bad or Southern U. and Mississippi Valley are really good teams that can compete with the big boys? It's going to be a long season, so let us watch how this scenario develops.

-beepbeep

Verdugo’s effort paces LSU win over Southern

Bitterly cold wind blew across Alex Box Stadium, but at times the most powerful force Tuesday night was the left arm of LSU pitcher Ryan Verdugo. Making his Division I debut, Verdugo struck out nine batters in five innings and held Southern to one of its three hits as LSU defeated the Jaguars 6-1.

His coach, Paul Mainieri, called him the story of the game. “He went out there and took command of the game early,” Mainieri said. LSU led 5-0 after two innings but had only three hits and one run after that.

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LSU plays at 6:30 p.m. today at home vs. Mississippi Valley State (4-1). The Valley lost to LSU in their first ever meeting last season 4-1. The Delta Devils defeated Arkansas-Monticello 13-11 on Tuesday. Southern didn't play to bad considering it was their first game of the season. The Jaguars move on to play at #1 ranked UCLA on Friday in a weekend tournament.

This is the way Division I sports should be played--competitively! Go MVSU and SU!!

Tough stretch for SU Jaguars begins with LSU Tigers

Here’s a sentence you’ve never read about Southern University baseball: The Jaguars will play LSU tonight, and the Tigers aren’t even the best team Southern will play this week. They might not be the second-best team either.

Southern will be in California this weekend, playing in the inaugural Urban Invitational Baseball Tournament in Los Angeles and Compton. The Jaguars will play Friday vs. No. 1-ranked UCLA, Saturday vs. USC (on ESPN2) and Sunday vs. Bethune-Cookman.

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