Welcome to the Hot Hand Report where each week we examine the LSU lineup over the past five games and look for trends, specifically which batters are on a hot streak and which ones are in a slump.
Hot Hands
Daniel Cabrera: .474 average/.524 on-base percentage/.684 slugging percentage.
The no-hitter Oklahoma’s Dane Acker threw Sunday against LSU dumped cold water on the previously white-hot Cabrera. Cabrera not only had a five-game hit streak snapped in the no-hitter, but a four-game multi-hit streak as well.
Cabrera has been the best Tiger over the past five games by a considerable margin, hitting 161 points better than the batter with the next highest average.
Cabrera went 3-4 Friday night against Texas, including a two-run home run to right field that provided the difference in a 4-3 LSU win. The home run was the second of the season for the right fielder.
Giovanni DiGiacomo: .313/.389/.313
A day after getting moved up to second in the lineup going 0 for 4 against Texas, DiGiacomo moved back down to the bottom third and went 3 for 4 against Baylor.
All of his hits Saturday were leadoff singles, but LSU failed to score him every time.
DiGiacomo’s biggest threat is his speed, and his .389 on-base percentage in the past week (bolstered by two walks against Louisiana Tech) is what LSU wants to see from the center fielder.
But for that speed to come into play, the Tigers have to start picking up hits when he gets on, which did not happen against Baylor. With DiGiacomo on base, the Tigers went 0 for 7 with four strikeouts.
Cade Beloso: .294/.368/.294
Beloso is 5 for 17 over the past five games, but cooled off considerably in Houston.
After going 5 for 7 against Eastern Kentucky Sunday and Louisiana Tech Wednesday, the first baseman didn’t a record a hit in 10 at bats in Minute Maid Park.
Even still, Beloso is the only other Tiger hitting anywhere close to .300 over the past week. The next two batters (Zack Mathis and Maurice Hampton Jr.) are hitting 44 points lower at an even .250.
Slumping Swingers
Collier Cranford: .083/.214/.083
Cranford picked up his first career hit Wednesday against Louisiana Tech, and apart from two walks against Texas and Baylor, that’s been all for the freshman shortstop.
Cranford was inserted at short in place of Hal Hughes, who has also been struggling to get it going offensively. Both players only have one hit to their credit.
Saul Garza: .125/.263/.563
Garza has collected just two hits in his last 16 at bats, but he made sure that both of them counted.
The first was an RBI triple off the high wall in left center field Friday night against Texas to score Cabrera and give LSU a 1-0 lead. Garza would come around to score on a single from second baseman Cade Doughty.
The second was a two-run home run against Baylor, also hit to left center field and scoring Cabrera. That home run pushed LSU’s lead to 4-0 after six innings, a lead they would eventually relinquish with six unanswered runs to Baylor.
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