JOURNAL STAFF
Shreveport’s Hayden Travinski was a unanimous All-Tournament selection after his hot bat and leadership helped spark LSU to an unbeaten run through the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional that wrapped up Monday.
Now the former Loyola Prep and Airline standout, an All-State catcher at both schools and an AHS graduate, will be a focal figure in LSU’s bid to reach the College World Series by capturing the Super Regional over Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky.
Travinski swung a big stick in the Tigers’ three wins in the regional, leading LSU with 5 RBI. He was one of three LSU players to swat two home runs and had the team’s third-best batting average, a robust .429, going 6 for 14 and including a double along with his homers. Travinski’s .929 slugging percentage was second on the team, trailing only SEC Player of the Year Dylan Crews, who had a 1.154 slugging rate while hitting a Tiger-best .615.
Kentucky visits Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field after putting away Indiana to secure the Lexington Regional crown Monday night. The Tigers and Wildcats will collide in a best two-of-three series to begin with Game 1 on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT, with the game televised on ESPN and broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network including 1130 KWKH AM The Tiger in Shreveport.
Game 2 is Sunday and if necessary, Game 3 will be played Monday, with start times to be announced as the series continues, along with the ESPN network coverage for those contests.
LSU (46-15) beat Tulane and then outlasted Oregon State twice to win the regional. The Tigers are the No. 5 national seed and will face 13th-seeded Wildcats (40-19), who beat West Virginia and then Indiana twice to advance.
In the regular-season series at Alex Box, LSU blasted UK 16-6 in an eight-inning Thursday night rout on April 13, but the visitors squared the series with a 13-10 slugfest victory Friday. The Tigers scratched out a 7-6 triumph in the finale on April 15.
