4/10/2023 baseball Edit

LSU pitching injuries force faster career track for Herring and Guidry

LSU freshman reliever Griffin Herring, who has a 0.75 earned run average in eight appearances, might be in the starting rotation sooner rather than later. (Courtesy of LSU Athletics)

Ron Higgins • Death Valley Insider

Columnist

Just over three weeks ago, No. 1 ranked LSU had a full staff of healthy pitchers seemingly for every situation.

So, eager freshmen like Griffin Herring and Gavin Guidry basically were told to take a number and wait for chances like in Tuesday’s 6 p.m. non-conference game at Tulane.

As the Tigers (26-5, 7-4 SEC West) reach the halfway point of their SEC schedule this weekend at home vs. No. 11 Kentucky, it’s guaranteed Herron and Herring will have their numbers called but probably not to face the Green Wave.

Juniors Garrett Edwards and Nate Ackenhausen and freshman Chase Shores, three of LSU’s six pitchers with a sub 2.00 earned run average, are on the injury shelf.

And because LSU second-year head coach Jay Johnson doesn’t know if and when any of the injured trio will be back in action, he’s had to accelerate the growth process of Herring and Guidry to move into more prominent roles in the remaining six league weekend series.

After Edwards hurt his arm on his 29th pitch in LSU’s 8-7 comeback win last Friday at then-No. 6 South Carolina, Herring and Guidry were responsible for 14 of the Gamecocks’ last 15 outs.

LSU junior reliever Riley Cooper retired the only batter he faced in the bottom of eighth after the Tigers tied the game 7-7 in the top of the eighth on second baseman Gavin Dugas’ two-out grand slam homer.

If you look at the story of that game – poise, composure, presence – that’s what really stood out about Griffin and Gavin's performance,” Johnson said. “Our younger and older pitchers can look at those two guys and be like, `That's how we want to command ourselves on a tight game.'

"We won the game obviously, we got a couple of free passes (walks) and a big home run. But we won that game because how those guys held it together. It's really exciting to see those guys perform that way. It's a tough league for young players. They don't look like it right now."

LSU freshman reliever Gavin Guidry was credited with the first two pitching wins of his college career last week in victories over Nicholls and South Carolina. (Courtesy of LSU Athletics)

Herring, a 6-2, 195-pound left-hander from Southlake (Texas) Carroll High, threw three scoreless innings vs. the Gamecocks, allowing two hits and forcing two double plays.

In his eight appearances as a Tiger, Herring is 2-0 with one save and an ERA of 0.75 with 14 strikeouts and four walks in 12 innings spread over eight appearances.

“He executed beautifully,” said Johnson, who pulled Herring from the game after 46 pitches. “He wanted to stay in the game, and he deserved to stay in the game. I think 35 (pitches) had been the most he had done in recent times, so I thought it was a good round.

“He could certainly go further than that. He's gonna start, it's just a matter of when."

Guidry, the 2022 Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year last season at Lake Charles Barbe High where he split time as slugging shortstop (.422, 5 homers, 22 RBI) and a shutdown pitcher (8-0, 0.16 ERA, 83 strikeouts, 11 walks), has had to transition this season to being only a pitcher.

"I wouldn't trade our middle infield for anybody in the country right now,” Johnson said. “It's made it hard for a guy that's as talented even as Gavin has an infielder to play right now on this team.

“But it gives us the flexibility to get him into this pitching thing. We just needed time to get the arm built up properly. And so we started on that after Christmas and I have full confidence in him.

“He's getting in better shape. He's recovering better. He's doing the things he needs to be a key pitcher for us right now.”

Guidry, who is 2-0 in his 6.1 innings in six appearances, has a 1.42 ERA with 12 strikeouts and three walks. At South Carolina, he closed the final 1.2 innings and allowed a hit while striking out three including a game-ender with the tying run on second base and game-winning run on first base.

“You’re on the road, you had a bad game (a 13-5 loss) the night before,” Johnson said. ”One of your key guys (Edwards) goes down. Everybody could maybe understand if you mail it in right there. Everything's going against you and it’s just like `Nah, we're just gonna keep playing.'

“I told the team after the game `I've been doing this a long time and I'm always going to remember that game.' Everything going against us, all this adversity.

"Normal teams don't do that. We're not a normal team. And that's a credit to the character of our players.”