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Road tested LSU Tigers have a shot at revenge against Tennessee in Super Regionals

"I think we’re a completely different team than we were back then," Coach Mainieri said.
Credit: AP
File-This April 28, 2019, file photo shows LSU head coach Paul Mainieri pacing in the dugout during an LSU at Alabama NCAA college baseball game in Tuscaloosa, Ala. LSU is the sentimental favorite of many college baseball fans for as long as the Tigers keep going. Their coach, active career wins leader Mainieri, announced before the tournament he would retire after this season. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)

NEW ORLEANS — The LSU Tigers open Super Regional play tonight at 6 p.m. against the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville.

Paul Mainieri announced Friday that senior lefty Ma’Khail Hilliard will start game one for the Tigers. That will let Destrehan’s Landon Marceaux get some extra rest before game two after he closed out the regional.

If there’s a game three, Mainieri will hand the keys to AJ Labas.

The Tigers are playing with a bit of house money this weekend. Although they were swept by the Volunteers earlier this season, it was an extremely close series.

Two of their losses to Tennessee were by one run, both of which were decided in walk-off fashion. In total, they lost all three games by a combined four runs.

LSU definitely has a shot at revenge and could punch their ticket to Omaha.

Coach Mainieri believes his road dogs have grown a bunch since their first SEC road series.

“Going on the road for the first time in the SEC was a tremendous challenge. Honestly, our players were kind of feeling their way through it. But now were hardened,” Mainieri said.

The Tigers played five road series and had to face Oregon on the road in the regional round.

“We played at Ole Miss in front of a huge crowd there was no attendance limitations. And we had success,” Mainieri said. “We had success at Kentucky, we had success at Texas A&M we had success at Auburn we had success at Oregon and all those experiences allowed their confidence to continue to grow. So, I think we’re a completely different team than we were back then.”

LSU starts their Super Regional match up with Tennessee Saturday, at 6 p.m. CST, on ESPN 2.

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