Just when you think LSU starting pitcher Paul Skenes can’t get any better, then he does.

College baseball’s strikeout leader fanned a career-high 15 batters and left fielder Tre’ Morgan drove in every run as the No. 1 Tigers opened their three-game series Friday night at Auburn with a 3-0 victory.

LSU tries to capture its seventh SEC series of the season in Saturday’s game 2 at 8 p.m on the SEC Network. Ty Floyd will start on the mound for the Bayou Bengals.

LSU had just five hits in Friday night’s win. But Morgan’s two-run homer in the first inning and his RBI single in the seventh gave LSU (37-8 overall, 16-5 SEC) all the runs it needed.

While Auburn (25-19-1, 9-13 SEC) had eight hits, Skenes and LSU relievers Nate Achenhausen and Thatcher Hurd combined for 19 strikeouts.

Skenes had his best SEC outing, throwing 69 percent (76 of 110) pitches for strikes. He struck out the side three times and had his longest appearance of the season at 7.1 innings.

Also, Skenes became the first LSU pitcher to record 15 strikeouts in a game since Tyler Jones fanned 15 at the University of New Orleans on May 17, 2011. It also marked the most strikeouts by an LSU pitcher in an SEC game since Anthony Ranaudo registered 15 strikeouts against Auburn on April 24, 2009, in Baton Rouge.

“When Paul Skenes is pitching, I’m living the best days of my life,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson. “It was a very special performance on the mound against a very good Auburn lineup.”

Hurd closed the game with a strong ninth inning, retiring Auburn in order including two strikeouts.

“Thatcher showed total poise, total control, and threw every pitch where it needed to be executed,” Johnson said.