2009 College World Series: Top-ranked LSU begins a quest for its sixth national championship at 6 p.m. Saturday when the Tigers face fifth-ranked Virginia in the 2009 College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. LSU, the NCAA Tournament No. 3 national seed, enters Saturday’s game riding a 10-game win streak. Online sportsbook BetUS.com has lined LSU as -120 moneyline favorite over Virginia with an 11-run total. Cavaliers backers are getting -110 moneyline odds. Run Line odds on LSU (+1 1/2) are -170 and Virginia (-1 1/2) are +140.

The Tigers dropped a first-round SEC Tournament game on May 20 to Vanderbilt, but have since won 10 in a row to capture SEC Tournament, NCAA Regional and NCAA Super Regional titles.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri said sophomore right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (10-3, 2.95 ERA) will start for the Tigers on Saturday versus Virginia. UVA coach Brian O’Connor, who served as Mainieri’s top assistant at Notre Dame for nine seasons, will counter with freshman left-hander Danny Hultzen (9-1, 2.09 ERA).

Virginia, champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, won two of three games at Ole Miss last weekend in the Super Regional to advance to the CWS for the first time in school history. The Cavaliers, who have won 10 of their last 11 games, are hitting .327 as a team with 55 homers and 116 stolen bases.

The Cavaliers are led by sophomore outfielder Dan Grovatt, who is hitting .365 with eight doubles, four triples, seven homers and 50 RBI. Sophomore outfielder Jarrett Parker is batting .364 with 19 doubles, seven triples, 16 homers and 65 RBI, and freshman infielder Steven Proscia is hitting .332 with 20 doubles, two triples, nine homers and 57 RBI.

The Tigers enter the CWS hitting .315 as a team with 94 homers and 111 stolen bases. Sophomore second baseman DJ LeMahieu, the second-round selection this week by the Chicago Cubs in the MLB Draft, is batting .340 on the year with 12 doubles, three triples, four homers and 39 RBI.
 
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