GAMETHREAD: Texas A&M (17-9) @ LSU (18-8), 6:00 p.m., SEC Network

After a disappointing near sweep in Gainesville against Florida and a crushing loss to archrivals Tulane, LSU opens up one of the much-lauded Thursday-Saturday series with Texas A&M. The Aggies are skidding as well, losing six of the last nine contests and going one for five in SEC play so far. This weekend, something has got to give and somebody is going to come away with a win, possibly correcting their overall trajectory for the course of the season in the process.

Texas A&M leads the series with LSU, but that can swing the other way by Sunday. The Aggies hold the series record by one game, 20-19-1 all time against the Tigers. The Aggies won the series last year in College Station, but LSU was won 13 of the the last 19 of the meetings between the two schools. The record since A&M joined the SEC is tied at 6 all.

With Friday night’s game, LSU will be trotting out a new-look lineup:

Alex Lange (4.09 ERA, 33 IP, 4.30 K/BB [43/10]) will get the rock for the Tigers.

And here’s the A&M Lineup:

Here’s the line on Hill: 3.16 ERA, 37 IP, 4.09 (45/11)