LSU, Wake Forest announce starting pitchers ahead of elimination game at College World Series

Both LSU and Wake Forest will throw their aces tonight with a berth to the national championship series against Florida on the line. 

Both the Tigers’ Paul Skenes and the Demon Deacons’ Rhett Lowder last threw on Saturday, June 17, meaning they have had four days of rest. That’s the shortest amount of rest either pitcher has had all season.

Lowder, who has started in all of his 18 appearances, has 137 strikeouts  and 22 walks across 113 1/3 innings. He holds a 1.99 ERA with opponents batting .213 against him. He’s the projected No. 8 overall pick in the MLB Draft this summer. 

Skenes has also started all 18 of his appearances, and has 200 strikeouts and 19 walks through 114 2/3 innings with a 1.81 ERA. He’s held batters to a .171 batting average. 

In Lowder’s last appearance against Stanford, he allowed two earned runs on seven hits, striking out six and walking one through 5 1/3. He threw 100 pitches. It marked the second time all season Lowder has thrown at least 100 pitches. 

Skenes worked 7 2/3 innings against Tennessee, striking out 12 and walking one. He gave up two earned runs on five hits, throwing 123 pitches.