RUSTON - The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs will look to maintain their strong start to the 2020 season when they head to Baton Rouge to take on the no. 11 LSU Tigers.
 
The contest with LSU will close a stretch of eight straight games away from home to open the year in a season where the Bulldogs will play 32 road games, second-most in program history. LA Tech will play its first four home games this weekend when Maine comes to Ruston for a four-game set.
 
Tech's four-game winning streak came to an end at Troy when the Bulldogs dropped two games to the Trojans. Tech bounced back in the third game of the series with a 9-0 win. Kyle Hasler (2-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) and Jarret Whorff (CG SO, 3 H, 3 K) were two of Sunday's top 30 performers in the nation per D1Baseball after the 9-0 victory.
 
Whorff missed out on his second straight Conference USA Pitcher of the Week award when the conference chose to select Logan Allen (7 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 13 K) for the weekly honor.
 
Though he may have missed out on individual honors, Whorff is a key part of a Louisiana Tech pitching staff that currently ranks 10th nationally and 1st in Conference USA with a 1.62 ERA. The Bulldogs also rank 7th nationally in WHIP (.87), 22nd in BB/9 (2.36), and 33rd in K/BB (3.75). The Winnsboro, Texas-native has thrown 15.1 shutout innings to begin the 2020 campaign, more than any other pitcher in college baseball.
 
Louisiana Tech freshman Greg Martinez (1-0, 3.86 ERA) will toe the rubber against LSU. In his first career start, Martinez allowed two earned runs against McNeese while walking just one and striking out four.
 
LSU will counter with Brandon Kaminer, a junior college transfer from Wallace College. The Coral Springs, Fla. native has pitched in three games this season, totaling 4.2 innings while allowing no earned runs. Wednesday's contest will be his second career start at LSU.
 
Game Information
Date: February 26
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Venue: Alex Box Stadium
Live Stats: lsu.statbroadcast.com
Twitter Updates: @LATechBSB
 
Media
Live Video: SEC Network+
Radio: KNBB 97.7 FM | Louisiana Tech Athletics App
PxP: Teddy Allen
 
Noting the Diamond Dogs
 
After an April 25th tornado resulted in the loss of Tech's baseball facility, the Diamond 'Dogs will play "home" games at three locations in 2020. All non-conference home tilts will be played at Ruston High School with conference series split between Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson, Miss. (Middle Tennessee, Rice, and Old Dominion) and Warhawk Field in Monroe, La. (Florida Atlantic and FIU).
 
Since 2017, the Bulldogs have posted a 51-34 mark away from home. Last year, Tech ended the regular season with the most true road wins of any C-USA team with 15. The 'Dogs will play 32 road games this season. That's the most since 1982 when Tech went 22-11 away from home.
 
Since 2016, the Bulldogs have played 39 games against Top 25 ranked opponents. Tech has won 23 of those contests (23-16), including five triumphs over ranked SEC foes (Three vs. Arkansas, One vs. Texas A&M, One vs. LSU). Under head coach Lane Burroughs, the 'Dogs are 12-9 vs. ranked competition, including a 2-0 record in 2020.
 
Junior college transfer Jarret Whorff was a late choice as the Sunday starter, but he's provided a boost to the Bulldog staff in his first two outings. The Winnsboro, Texas-native has thrown 15.1 shutout innings to begin the 2020 campaign, more than any other pitcher in college baseball.
 
Few things in life are free, including a trip to first base. The Tech pitching staff has made the opposition work for baserunners over the last three seasons, allowing the second-fewest walks per nine innings in Conference USA since Lane Burroughs took over in 2017. The Bulldogs also have the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio in C-USA over that time.