By JAMES MORAN
Tiger Rag Associate Editor
Mother Nature has pushed back the start of SEC play.
The first game of LSU and Alabama’s weekend series has been postponed due to severe storms in the area. The teams will play a split-admission double header Saturday, with games scheduled to start at 2 and 6:30 p.m.
Originally scheduled for a 7 p.m. first pitch, Friday’s game was delayed indefinitely by lightning in the area before being postposed around 7:20 p.m. Fans are to use ticket 16 (Friday night’s ticket) for the first game and ticket 17 for the second.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri says Alex Lange will still start the first game. Jared Poche’ will take the ball in the nightcap. With next weekend’s series against Texas A&M set to begin on Thursday night, either Lange or Poche’ will need to come back on two-days short rest.
“Obviously it’s not the way you’d like to set it up,” Mainieri said. “That’s why we desperately wanted to get the game in tonight. It’s a delicate balance because you’re focusing on this game — you give yourself the best chance to win this game — but you have to have an eye on the future too.”
Lange, moved into the Friday night spot this week, was already going to be pitching on one day less rest than normal. Either he or Poche’ would pitch Thursday on four-days rest,
Mainieri said he and pitching coach Alan Dunn will meet after the Alabama series to determine the plan for next weekend.
“That’s not the optimal situation,” Mainieri said. “But I’ve also learned in a lot of years of coaching that it’s not a matter of what you want, it’s a matter of what you’re dealt. We wanted to play tonight. Everybody was excited for a number of reasons. But the weather didn’t cooperate. Can’t cry about it. You just have to deal with it.”
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