LSU baseball will host Nicholls today

No. 3 LSU (14-2) hosts Nicholls State (8-8) at 6:30 p.m. today in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Today’s contest marks the beginning of a two-game home stand for LSU. The Tigers host Southern University at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday before traveling to Nashville Thursday for a three-game SEC weekend series at Vanderbilt.
Mainieri said junior right-hander Brady Domangue will start today’s game on the mound for the Tigers, while Nicholls coach Seth Thibodeaux will counter with junior left-hander Mike Hanchar.
Domangue, a former junior college all-American at LSU-Eunice, earned his first career LSU win Wednesday versus Sacred Heart, working three innings and allowing one run on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
“Our focus right now is completely upon this game against Nicholls,” Mainieri said. “They always compete against us at a very high level, and they’re just coming off a four-game split with BYU. We know how good BYU is because they beat us once last season. We’re looking forward to seeing Brady Domangue again in a starting role; as he continues to get more innings, he can be a factor for us moving forward.”
LSU won five games in five days last week as the Tigers hit .342 (53-for-155) with 10 doubles, one triple and two homers while outscoring the opposition, 37-7. The LSU pitching staff posted a 1.40 ERA during the week and allowed just a .177 opponent batting average (28 hits in 158 at-bats).
The Tigers raised their cumulative team batting average to .319 and lowered their staff ERA to 1.54.
Sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman led LSU to its five wins last week, batting .500 (10-for-20) with one homer, six RBIs, four runs and two stolen bases.
In the Tigers’ three-game sweep of Purdue, Bregman hit .583 (7-for-12) with one homer and four RBIs. He launched a three-run homer Friday night to highlight the Tigers’ 10-0 win against the Boilermakers.
Bregman has reached base safely in all 16 games this season, the only LSU player to accomplish the feat. He is hitting .429 (24-for-56) this season with five doubles, one homer, 12 RBIs, 11 runs and five stolen bases.
Sophomore centerfielder Andrew Stevenson hit .583 (7-for-12) in five games last week with one triple, five RBIs, four runs and two stolen bases. Stevenson extended his active hitting streak to 14 games entering today’s contest. Stevenson is hitting .432 this season with three triples, 10 RBIs, 10 runs and five steals.
Junior catcher/designated hitter Kade Scivicque batted .500 (8-for-16) in the Tigers’ five games last week with one double, three RBIs and five runs. Scivicque is LSU’s leading hitter through the first 16 games of the season, batting .455 with two doubles, one homer, nine RBIs and 14 runs scored.
Nicholls is batting .231 as team with two homers and 24 steals in 33 attempts.
Senior outfielder Keith Cormier is the Colonels’ leading hitter, batting .323 with one double, one triple, one homer and 11 RBIs.
Senior infielder Philip Lyons is hitting .286 with five doubles and 10 RBIs.
LSU has a 50-22 all-time mark against Nicholls State, and the Tigers have won 23 of the last 24 meetings with the Colonels, including two wins last season (2-0 and 9-3) in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
Nicholls’ only win in its last 24 games versus LSU was a 3-1 victory against the Tigers on April 15, 2009 in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.