LSU baseball vs. Tennessee, College World Series 2023: Score prediction, scouting report

OMAHA, Neb. — LSU baseball will be facing a familiar foe in Omaha this week.

To begin their run at the College World Series, the Tigers (48-15) will face Tennessee (43-20) for a fourth time this season at 6 p.m. Saturday with the game televised on ESPN. LSU defeated the Volunteers twice in a three-game series at the end of March in Baton Rouge.

Here's a closer look at how LSU matches up against Tennessee this weekend.

No Paul Skenes vs. Chase Dollander part 2

LSU will almost certainly start Paul Skenes against the Volunteers on Saturday.

Not only has Skenes been the best pitcher in college baseball this season with a 1.77 ERA and a 46.3% strikeout percentage, but he also dominated Tennessee's lineup back on March 30. Skenes had 12 strikeouts and allowed just one earned run in seven innings pitched that night.

The expectation heading into this week, at least among LSU fans, was that Tennessee would match Skenes with ace starter Chase Dollander, just as it did in March. But that will not be the case.

Tennessee is rolling with right-handed pitcher Andrew Lindsey instead, Tennessee coach Tony Vitello signaled on Thursday. Lindsey, who was one of the Vols' top relievers to start the year, was moved to the rotation in the second half of the season and has been exceptional.

Lindsey, not Dollander, started Tennessee's first game of the Hattiesburg Super Regional. And although he allowed four earned runs against Southern Miss in that super regional, Lindsey also pitched well the last time Tennessee faced LSU, surrendering just one earned run in 4⅔ innings pitched in Baton Rouge.

How will both teams adjust to the bigger ballpark?

As SEC teams familiar with playing in hitter-friendly ballparks, LSU and Tennessee will have to adjust to the more pitcher-friendly conditions at Charles-Schwab Field in Omaha in order to find success at the plate.

Both teams have been reliant on hitting home runs this season to generate offense, especially LSU. The Tigers blasted seven home runs in the super regional and nine in the regional, as they have eight players with at least 10 home runs this year.

How many of those would-be home runs at Alex Box Stadium turn into doubles and triples, or flyouts, in Omaha will be critical in determining LSU's offensive output. The same can be said for Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium; the Volunteers blasted 125 home runs this year, only eight fewer than LSU.

GAVIN GUIDRY FEATURE: LSU baseball: How Gavin Guidry, as a pitcher, helped Tigers make 2023 College World Series

PRESIDENT TATE ON LSU BASEBALL: Why LSU's president sees similarities between baseball and women's basketball teams

DYLAN CREWS' GOODBYE: LSU baseball: Dylan Crews' final at-bat at Alex Box Stadium reflects storied career

Player to watch: Jared Dickey

The last time Skenes faced Tennessee, the only Volunteer who found consistent success against him was Jared Dickey. He had two of Tennessee's five hits off of LSU's ace and scored a run.

Granted, that's a small sample size. But Dickey was also arguably Tennessee's best hitter in SEC play this season. Against conference competition, Dickey was first on the team in batting average (.369), second in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.009) and third in slugging percentage (.577).

Score prediction: LSU 6, Tennessee 3

Skenes dominates Tennessee again, as LSU does enough offensively against Lindsey to force Tennessee into making tough decisions about its bullpen. Gavin Guidry then follows Skenes and pitches two innings to close out a tight game.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball score prediction, scouting report vs. Tennessee in Omaha