GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The LSU baseball team storms into the opening of Southeastern Conference play on Friday at No. 1 in the nation with a glittering 17-1 record.
Coach Jay Johnson’s team has scored double-figure runs 12 times and won by the 10-run rule five times. They have hit 13 home runs in their last four games. Their pitching has looked outstanding at times with blossoming sophomores and freshmen and transfers. They have a combined 3.06 ERA with 213 strikeouts and only six home runs allowed. There is depth everywhere. There are left-handed pitchers and left-handed hitters in abundance.
You have been reading about how great and deep they are for a month now. The Tiger host Missouri (8-8) at 4:30 p.m. Friday in a game moved up from 6 p.m. due to weather in the forecast. Games follow at 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
But the Tigers have exactly two wins this season over teams with winning records at the moment – No. 20 Dallas Baptist (12-4) and Kansas State (9-7).
The rest of LSU’s opponents’ records look like a conference in which the LSU basketball team (14-18, 3-15) could contend – Purdue-Fort Wayne (1-14), Southern (7-7), Omaha (5-10), Nicholls State (8-11), Nebraska (7-8), Sam Houston State (3-13), North Dakota State (2-13), North Alabama (3-12) and Xavier (7-11).
Yes, Johnson has borrowed from the Will Wade book of non-conference scheduling. So, how good is this team?
We may not find out until LSU plays at No. 11 Texas (14-1) next weekend.
And remember this, the Tigers were 16-2 and No. 2 in the nation last year at this time with as high hopes as there are now and everyone writing great things about them for the previous month.
And LSU was 22-15 and 3-12 in the SEC and not ranked five weeks into the league season.
Will it happen again?
“You’re going to get bloodied a little bit as you got through this thing,” Johnson said Thursday. “But I like our response to adversity. After the one loss (to Omaha, 5-4, on Feb. 22), excellent response. We’ve been down a few games and had an excellent response. I see some things that make me optimistic.”
But he was optimistic last year at this time, too.
LSU’S LINEUP WILL LIKELY BE FOREVER EVOLVING
There is one key difference, though, Johnson has far more options with his position and pitching lineups.
“Last year was a a very much kind of roll-with-what-you-have-type deal,” he said. “I feel like this is a very diverse lineup. I feel like we can put guys in with certain strengths.”
And this season’s schedule starts off much lighter on paper. After Missouri and Texas, it will be unranked Mississippi State (13-4), No. 12 Oklahoma (15-1) and No. 25 Auburn (14-3).
The first five SEC weekends last season featured a trip to Mississippi State, which finished 40-23 and 17-13 and reached an NCAA Regional, at home vs. No. 8 Florida, which reached the College World Series, at No. 1 Arkansas, which finished 44-16 and won the SEC West at 20-10, at home vs. No. 6 Vanderbilt, which finished 38-23 and reached an NCAA Regional, and at No. 4 Tennessee, which won the 2024 national championship with a 60-13 finish and won the SEC at 22-18 and took the SEC Tournament.
LSU lost every one of those series before turning the season around to finish 43-23 and 13-17 and reach an NCAA Regional at North Carolina.
“As soon as I saw that SEC schedule in 2024, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is going to be a lot,'” Johnson said. “It was difficult at that time. But I feel like I’m a better coach now. I feel like our players are better positioned to continue to move forward because of how difficult that stretch was.”
And against Missouri with better LSU starting pitching one through three, the home Tigers have a real chance of a sweep, which would mean three SEC wins in one weekend as opposed to three after five weekends last year.
WEEKEND STARTING PITCHERS
FRIDAY – Sophomore right-hander Kade Anderson (3-0, 2.08 ERA, 21.2 innings , 6 walks, 37 strikeouts), LSU, vs. senior left-hander Ian Lohse (0-2, 5.12 ERA, 19.1 innings, 4 walks, 26 strikeouts), Missouri, 4:30 p.m.
SATURDAY – Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson (3-0, 3.00 ERA, 24 innings, 5 walks, 35 strikeouts), LSU, vs. freshman left-hander Wil Libbert (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 13.1 innings, 9 walks, 12 strikeouts), Missouri, 6 p.m.
SUNDAY – Sophomore right-hander Chase Shores (4-0, 3.15 ERA, 20.0 IP, 7 walks, 22 strikeouts), LSU, vs. junior left-hander Kadden Drew (2-0, 3.43 ERA, 21 innings, 7 walks, 15 strikeouts), 1 p.m.
GAVIN GUIDRY UPDATE
Junior reliever Gavin Guidry has a chance to pitch for the first time this season this weekend against Missouri. He had “significant treatment” on his back this week, Johnson said, and has been moving and throwing well.
“We need him,” Johnson said. “Those relief pitchers that are a part of a lot of wins for our team, those guys are really important to me. Gavin Guidry can do no wrong in my eyes because they’re so valuable in those tough spots. Trust me, there’s nobody trying to get him out there more than I am.”
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