Tigers need quality performances from five pitchers
It seems that LSU coach Paul Mainieri has been sending messages to his veteran players all season.
About a month ago, Mainieri stressed to members of the media that Alex Lange and Jared Poche had to be true leaders of the pitching staff.
Just last Saturday, Mainieri sent a text message to senior second baseman Cole Freeman indicating that it was time for him to step up and deliver some clutch hits for the Tigers.
Everyone knows what the LSU offense is going to produce. There is the long-ball threat of Greg Deichmann and then a lineup of hitters who could go 3-for-4 or 0-for-4 on any given day.
The Tigers defense has been very good this year. So, going into the final two weeks of the regular season, LSU’s positioning for the Southeastern Conference and NCAA tournaments will depend upon the pitching staff.
The Tigers’ 7-6 loss to South Alabama at The Box on Tuesday night was quite revealing. LSU’s top five pitchers were not available – weekend starters Lange, Poche and Eric Walker and relievers Hunter Newman and Zack Hess.
Mainieri utilized ten pitchers in the one-run loss. With the exception of Will Reese’s clean third inning, nothing came easy for the Tigers pitchers. It seems like Caleb Gilbert and Nick Bush are the only two pitchers of that group in whom one could have confidence – sometimes.
When Auburn comes to The Box for the opener of a three-game SEC series Thursday (6:30 p.m. Central/ESPN2), LSU’s chances of making up its one-game deficit in the league race will be left up to the work of the five aforementioned pitchers.
There will be no change in the order of LSU’s starters this weekend – Lange followed by Poche and Walker. A disappointing statistic is LSU’s 9-7 record in the SEC games started by Lange and Poche. LSU is 4-4 in Lange’s starts and 5-3 in Poche’s starts.
Lange has pitched more effectively than Poche, but he has been the victim of little run support. Five of Lange’s eight SEC starts have been quality ones – at least six innings with no more than three earned runs. Lange has lost three of his five quality starts.
Poche has recorded only three quality starts, but all of them have resulted in LSU victories. Only in the Georgia and Alabama series has LSU won the games started by Lange and Poche. LSU has a 6-2 record in Walker’s eight conference starts.
“It is always our mentality as the Friday/Saturday guys to pitch our game and then set the tone for the whole weekend,” Poche said. “With two weeks to go, I’m treating it the same as I have all year. We have to take it one game at a time.
“Everything is still in front of us. I am looking forward to taking care of business. I feel we are real locked in and ready to go. Auburn is an all-around good team. There will be two good teams playing this weekend. Whoever gets the job done will get the wins.”
LSU is tied with Kentucky for third place in the overall SEC standings – one game behind Florida and Mississippi State. Arkansas, which lost a game due to rain, is one-half game behind LSU and Kentucky. Auburn and Texas A&M are tied for sixth place – one game behind LSU and Kentucky.
“Win,” said Lange, in response to what LSU needs to do this weekend against Auburn. “We have to go out there and win. We have put ourselves in position to do what we want to do. We have that winning mindset.”
LSU could still be a regional host and earn a national seed – depending upon the results of the last two SEC series and the conference tournament. On the other hand, LSU could end up not being a national seed and having to travel for a regional tournament.
“I knew it was going to be tough against South Alabama not having Newman and Hess to close the game,” Mainieri said. “It was more important for Newman to get some things mechanically straightened out with (pitching coach) Alan Dunn than throw in the game.
“Hess had thrown two days in a row against South Carolina and he needed some time off. Our team’s mindset is that we are going to get things done the next two weekends and in the SEC tournament and be back here for a regional.”
Both first baseman Nick Coomes and centerfielder Zach Watson were held out of the South Alabama game due to injuries. Coomes’ shoulder was sore after it popped out last Saturday against the Gamecocks. Watson has a strained calf. Mainieri expects both to play against Auburn on Thursday.
Beau Jordan, who replaced Watson in the outfield, suffered three injuries in the game against the Jaguars. Jordan ran into the leftfield fence and the wall in foul territory down the leftfield line. He also made a diving catch on a fly ball.
Jordan’s hip and elbow are sore. Jordan couldn’t bat in the bottom of the ninth because of the elbow injury. Mainieri indicated that Jordan could play against Auburn if the swelling in the elbow subsides.