Learning experience in Houston
Before taking his team to Houston last week, LSU coach Paul Mainieri said that the three games in the tournament was all part of a process.
The Tigers returned to Baton Rouge on Sunday night from the Shriners Hospitals for Children Classic with just one victory in three games – a 4-0 win against Baylor thanks to seven shutout innings from Jared Poche.
No. 1 pitcher Alex Lange was roughed up by TCU 9-6 in the first game and closer Hunter Newman permitted an inherited runner to score and allowed the winning run to score in a 5-4 loss to Texas Tech.
Mainieri was not discouraged with what happened at Minute Maid Park – two losses to teams who have made a combined five College World Series appearances in the last three years.
“The whole weekend was fabulous except for the result in two of the three games,” Mainieri said. “The competition was as good as it gets. We had a decent chance to win two games. We just couldn’t hold on in the last game. We played good baseball all weekend.
“Our kids are not dumb. They understand the competition was great. All three games could have gone either way. The good thing is that this wasn’t a regional, a super-regional or the College World Series. The team can only grow from the three games.”
The Tigers got excellent starts from Poche and Eric Walker. Poche, who extended his scoreless inning streak to 22, gave up three hits and struck out five. Walker yielded only one run and six hits against Texas Tech.
But, Lange endured the worst outing of his career. He got five outs and allowed eight base-runners – five on hits and three on walks. He was charged with six runs as he gave up two homers in the second inning.
“That was not the usual Alex Lange,” Mainieri said. “That was an aberration Friday night. I am sure he will be back to form this Friday. Alex got us off to a rough start and that had an effect on our bullpen a little bit all weekend.”
The bullpen was responsible for the loss to Texas Tech. After Antoine Duplantis’ two-run single gave the Tigers a 3-1 seventh-inning lead, freshman Todd Peterson was charged with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Peterson had been nearly perfect in his previous relief appearances.
“For four games, Todd Peterson had been outstanding,” Mainieri said. “Then, you throw him out there with a two-run lead in front of a big crowd and he was not quite as sharp. But, he needed that. How can he not get better after having that experience?”
The Tigers offense scored only 14 runs in the three games. However, Mainieri was quick to point out that LSU scored only ten runs when it went 3-0 in the same tournament in 2015.
“Our hitting was fine, not great,” Mainieri said. “It wasn’t terrible. It was not awe-inspiring. Those teams are some of the top teams in the country because of their pitching. Texas Tech brings in a guy throwing 98 and 99 miles per hour. Those guys are not easy to hit.”
Four players had a hit in each game – Cole Freeman (5-for-12), Duplantis (5-for-13), Greg Deichmann (5-for-13) and Jordan Romero (4-for-10). But, only Duplantis and Deichmann drove in as many as three runs over the weekend.
Kramer Robertson, the No. 3 hitter in the lineup, and Josh Smith, the No. 5 hitter in the batting order, were a combined 1-for-22. Robertson went 0-for-10, while Smith was 1-for-12. Jake Slaughter, a freshman like Smith, had four hits. However, three came in the game against Baylor.
“I am not worried about those two,” said Mainieri, referring to Smith and Slaughter. “It was the first time in that environment for them. Like Todd Peterson, this weekend will do nothing but help them grow.
“All of the new players learned one little play can cost you a game. You can tell them all you want, but they don’t understand that until they actually get out there in a game.”
The Tigers are down to six games before the start of the Southeastern Conference schedule against Georgia on Mar. 17. LSU has two non-conference games this week – San Diego at The Box on Tuesday (6:30 p.m. Central/SEC Digital Network) and McNeese State on Wednesday (6 p.m. Central/Cox Sports).