Tigers back home to host Kentucky in gymnastics
The 14th-ranked LSU gymnastics team returns home to take on Kentucky at 7 p.m. Friday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Tigers (1-6, 1-2 in the Southeastern Conference) moved up three spots in the most recent poll after compiling a 195.750 score at Georgia last weekend. Their season average is 194.900.
LSU is coming off back-to-back road meets, having compiled a 196.325 score at Arkansas on Jan. 20 before going to Georgia.
“We are really excited to get out in front of a big home crowd and compete well,” LSU coach D-D Breaux said.
“We want to go out there after two tough road meets and be better than we’ve been all season.”
LSU will rely on its trio of freshmen all-arounders: Rheagan Courville, Lloimincia Hall and Jessie Jordan. Jordan won the all-around last week at Georgia on the way to receiving SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors. Courville leads the team with four individual titles this year, and Hall is second with three.
Kentucky (3-3, 0-2) beat LSU in the regular season in 2010 and 2011.
Friday’s meet is Kids Day as well as a Student Point Night for LSU students. LSU will be giving away keychains before the meet, and there will be a raffle as well.
Track and Field
Men and women in New Balance meet: LSU will make its annual trip to New York this weekend to compete in the New Balance Collegiate Invitational.
The two-day meet starts at 10 a.m. CST on Friday with the field events followed by the first events on the track at 1:50 p.m. The competition continues at 8 a.m. Saturday on the track and at 8:15 a.m. in the field.
“This is a meet we really look forward to each indoor season,” LSU coach Dennis Shaver said. “This is probably the deepest field of competition we will face during the regular season.”
The No. 2-ranked Lady Tigers and No. 3-ranked Tigers will compete against a field featuring more than 100 programs from across the country. That includes 20 teams ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25.
The Tigers will face No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 Florida, No. 4 Texas, No. 9 Texas A&M, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 14 BYU, No. 18 Mississippi State, No. 19 Iowa and No. 23 Iona.
The Lady Tigers will compete against No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 Clemson, No. 5 Central Florida, No. 7 BYU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 12 Iowa State, No. 14 Baylor, No. 18 Tennessee, No. 20 Oklahoma and No. 25 Villanova.
Softball
Inaugural fan day is Saturday: LSU will hold its inaugural fan day Saturday at Tiger Park. The gates are scheduled to open at 2:30 p.m., and seating will be first-come, first-served. Festivities are scheduled to start at 3 p.m., and admission is free.
Fans will get a first glimpse at the team’s 2012 intro video and new uniforms. It also will be the first opportunity to pick up the 2012 poster.
The festivities will feature an underclassmen-against-seniors home run derby, and the pitching staff will participate in a skills challenge. Following the event, the team will be available for autographs on the Tiger Park Concourse.
LSU opens the season against Penn State at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Tiger Classic.
Women’s tennis
LSU hosts Texas A&M on Sunday: LSU (1-0) will host Texas A&M at 1 p.m. Sunday.
LSU began the season by sweeping Colorado on the road two weeks ago.