9:15 p.m. -- Polk with the countdown

 

2 Games Remaining At The Box
 
That's what the sign near the left-field corner says now after retiring Mississippi State coach Ron Polk changed the number in the top of the sixth inning to help with the countdown for the final season at the 70-year-old ballpark. Of course, this hot streak of LSU's makes you want to put a question mark at the end of the sign.

 

A regional here looks more likely with each LSU victory from this point, especially if the crowds Saturday and Sunday are like the one tonight. The attendance tonight: a season-high crowd of 6,514.

 

That's the largest crowd at The Box since 6,631 saw Rice defeat LSU 9-7 in a winners-bracket game in the 2005 regional, the last time LSU hosted a regional.

 

Tickets sold for tonight's game: 8,548.

 

This is Polk's 64th game at Alex Box Stadium. Saturday and Sunday will mark his final two. He's retiring after the season.

 

LSU fans gave him a standing ovation before the game, plus another after the countdown. He got a ride to and from the outfield wall on a utility cart, a nice touch by LSU.

 

Unlike former LSU players who have helped with the Alex Box countdown, Polk is not available to sign autographs during the remainder of the game. He's busy coaching third base. This assumes he won't get ejected for the seventh time this season. He got tossed in all three games at Kentucky, twice by Rick Darby. Darby then ejected him from a game in the Auburn series.

 

Polk might be available for autographs while he smokes his postgame cigar. He packs one cigar for that, two if he thinks there might be a rain delay -- and three if he thinks there's a chance he could get tossed.

 

I don't know how many he packed tonight, but he's still coaching in this game.
 
The updated list of those who have done the honors of helping with the countdown:
 
Game 1: Brad Cresse, former LSU catcher.
Game 2: Kurt Ainsworth, former LSU pitcher.
Game 3: Members of LSU's 2003 and 2004 College World Series teams.
Game 4: Gregg Patterson, former LSU pitcher.
Game 5: LSU game management director emeritus Ted Stickles.
Game 6: Wally Pontiff Sr., father of LSU outfielder Nicholas Pontiff and the late Wally Pontiff Jr., a former Tigers infielder.
Game 7: Brad Wilson, former LSU first baseman and DH.
Game 8: Lou Farmer, former LSU pitcher.
Game 9: Anita Haywood, the “K Lady.”
Game 10: Chris Guillot, longtime fan and leader of cheers at The Box.
Game 11: Art Swanson, former LSU pitcher.
Game 12: Ronnie Rantz, former LSU pitcher and founder of the Jumbo Sports Network.
Game 13: Joe Civello, captain of stadium marshals at The Box.
Game 14: Six regulars from Coon's Corner.
Game 15: Warren Morris, former LSU second baseman.
Game 16: John O'Donoghue, former LSU pitcher.
Game 17: Chris Demouy, former LSU pitcher.
Game 18: Lindsey Thibodeaux, LSU graduate and longtime fan.
Game 19: David Toms, PGA pro, former LSU golfer and avid LSU fan.
Game 20: Cassie Alsfeld, LSU student body president.
Game 21: Founding members of Left Field Lunatics group of fans.
Game 22: Patrick Coogan, former LSU pitcher.
Game 23: Doug Thompson, former LSU pitcher.
Game 24: Ben McDonald, former LSU pitcher.
Game 25: Jim Hawthorne, voice of the Tigers.
Game 26: Members of the 1975 SEC championship team.
Game 27: Scott Schultz, former LSU pitcher.
Game 28: Mel Didier, former LSU baseball and football player.
Game 29: Bill Franques, stadium announcer and LSU baseball publicist.
Game 30: Jason Williams, former LSU shortstop.
Game 31: Chad Cooley, former LSU outfielder.
Game 32: Rick Greene, former LSU pitcher.
Game 33: Blair Barbier, former LSU player and coach.
Game 34: Ron Polk, longtime Mississippi State coach.

 

The final two will be:

 

Saturday -- Paul Mainieri.
Sunday -- Skip Bertman.