SEC Baseball: LSU 6, Miss St. 4 | FINAL/10 | TIGERS WIN!!! | Katz 2 Bombs!! |

LETS GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!


So pumped to get this show on the road. Im a passionate basketball fan, but baseball is right there with it for me. Team this year looks Omaha bound!

Time for the real show to start

frick a grinder

BASEBALL

CST will show Kentucky @ Florida tonight... not this game

ICYMI:

Perfect Game Article


Balanced LSU heads to Mississippi State


LSU coach Paul Mainieri couldn't feel better about his club entering its opening series of Southeastern Conference play against Mississippi State.


There were plenty of question marks about LSU entering the spring. Despite a lofty ranking, the Tigers had some significant holes to fill. For instance, who would replace Austin Nola at shortstop, and would someone finally step into that No. 3 spot in the weekend rotation? Those were the primary questions, with others out there, too.


Mainieri certainly wouldn't call the Tigers flawless at this stage of the season, but he feels good about the direction this team is headed. It's easy to see why, too, when you consider the Tigers are 16-1 with an impressive balance of offensive production and consistent overall pitching.


"I couldn't be more pleased with where we are as a team right now. Most of the questions we needed answers to have evolved. Our guys have pretty much played themselves into their roles," Mainieri said. "We have a good balance of right-handed and left-handed hitters, we play solid defense, we've got some power, and we've got some good top-line starting pitchers.


Alex Bregman has been an instant infusion for the Tigers. (LSU photo)"Really, just kind of closing off the closer role is the only question mark we have left."


When discussing the Tigers before the season, the names of right-handed pitchers Aaron Nola and Ryan Eades were most talked about, and for good reason. Nola had an outstanding freshman campaign for the Tigers, while Eades is one of the elite prospects for the upcoming MLB draft.


Both pitchers had incredibly high expectations placed on them before the season, but they've flourished so far this spring. Nola, who has gained 20 pounds since arriving at LSU two falls ago, has a 2.77 ERA in 26 innings, while also flashing a fastball up to 95, while Eades has been much more consistent this spring with a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings. He also has been up to 95 with his fastball, but most importantly, he's avoiding the mistake pitches that haunted him last season.


"Nola has really picked up his velocity a bit, and his overall stuff is just better this season. He gets up to 95, but kind of works at 91-92, but that's not bad considering his overall stuff," Mainieri said. "His curveball has really tightened up, and his changeup is pretty good right now. He's a better pitcher than he was last season.


"As for Ryan, he's really made a big jump forward this season. He's not making the same mistakes he was last season," he said. "There were times in the past when he'd go 0-2 and hang a curveball. He's not doing that anymore, and consequently, he's striking out more hitters."


While Nola and Eades lead the weekend rotation, the Tigers have gotten very comfortable with sophomore left-handed hurler Cody Glenn in the No. 3 spot. LSU began the season with Brent Bonvillain in the No. 3 role, but Glenn has occupied that spot for the past couple of weeks.


The left-hander hasn't disappointed Mainieri and LSU pitching coach Alan Dunn. He has an 0.73 ERA in 24 2/3 innings of work. He also has a unique arm angle, which creates more movement and deception on his pitches. Interestingly, Glenn was recruited as more of a higher velocity type of pitcher.


"He has really emerged and didn't even give up a run through his first 19 innings. He's really done a great job, emerging as our No. 3 starter in the process," he said. "When we recruited him, we though he'd be a 90 mph type of guy, but his arm slot dropped a bit and he's having a lot of success with his new angle. He's not throwing quite as hard as he did before, but his command is better and he keeps the ball down."


With the weekend starting roles seemingly set for good, the Tigers also don't expect to have many changes in regards to the bullpen. Veteran left-handed pitcher Chris Cotton, a 5-foot-10, 166-pounder, continues to do a fantastic job on the back-end of games with an 0.84 ERA and five saves in 10 2/3 innings, while Kevin Berry, Hunter Devall, Joey Bourgeois and Will LaMarche continue to add additional stability to the bullpen.


If there's a surprise with this club at this point in the season, it's the sheer production of the offense when you factor in that second baseman JaCoby Jones and catcher Ty Ross, both Preseason All-Americans, are hitting .235 and .213, respectively. Mainieri said both players are hitting better than the averages might indicate, but it's common thought the talented duo eventually will get things back on track.


The Tigers can give much early season credit to freshmen Mark Laird and Alex Bregman. Bregman's sudden rise comes as a surprise to no one. He was chosen as the PG Preseason Freshman of the Year, and has played the part in place of Austin Nola. Bregman is hitting .391 with six doubles, two triples, a home run and 16 RBIs. He also has been solid defensively so far this spring, a sigh of relief for Mainieri considering how good Nola was last season.


Laird, though, is a huge surprise. A very under the radar recruit out of high school, the premier athlete, who has 3.58 speed from home to first base, is leading the team with an outstanding .410 batting average and six RBIs.


The Tigers also are pleased with the contributions of junior-college transfer Christian Ibarra and Chris Sciambra, who's back after a serious back injury sidelined him last season.


"Those guys all bring something new and exciting to the table. Both Laird and Bregman are fearless and not your typical freshmen. You could see it in the fall," he said. "They had something different about them out there even then. Laird has a very calm demeanor with great skills, while Bregman is more emotional and plays the game at a very high level."


Confidence is abound for the Tigers as they head to Starkville, Miss., this weekend for a huge series against the Bulldogs.


Mainieri and the Tigers are ready for the road ahead.

quote:

---

Their starting pitcher is left handed, probably going to see Edward instead of Moore

---

This....

First page

ICYMI Part 2:


Baseball America Article


Laird showed up at LSU intending to walk on to the football team, but when the Tigers unexpectedly lost outfielder Hayden Jennings as a sixth-round pick to the Nationals, it opened up a spot for Laird, who decided to focus exclusively on baseball.

"I thought pretty quickly in the fall that we had a pretty special player on our hands," Mainieri said. "He's just one of those kids who's got that something extra about him. He's very calm, poised, doesn't get flustered about anything. And he's got skill—very good hand-eye coordination, he's got that short swing, he's a very good bunter. If it bounces a couple of times in the infield, he's going to beat it out."

LSU's two preseason All-Americans in the lineup—second baseman JaCoby Jones (.235/.429/.373) and catcher Ty Ross (.213/.283/.340)—have yet to get their bats going, though Jones has made great strides with his plate discipline and both of them have hit into their share of hard outs. But with that pair scuffling, the newcomers have picked up the slack. Third baseman Christian Ibarra, a transfer from Rio Hondo (Calif.) JC, has been the other big addition, hitting .358/.453/.491. Mainieri called him "an extremely skilled defensive player" who could also handle shortstop easily, and he does a great job staying back on offspeed pitches, allowing him to hit for average despite his exaggerated leg kick.

Preseason Question No. 5: Is the talented Ryan Eades ready to become a consistent, elite SEC starter?
Answer: Early signs are very encouraging.

Eades, a junior righthander, has always had electric stuff, with a mid-90s fastball and a wipeout power curve. He showed flashes of excellence as a sophomore but was inconsistent with his command and finished 5-3, 3.83. He's off to a strong start against LSU's mediocre nonconference schedule, going 3-0, 1.80 with 28 strikeouts and just five walks in 25 innings.

"I think it's just a matter of maturity and experience," Mainieri said. "His velocity's been really good, his curveball's good, his changeup is still a work in progress. The big thing for Ryan is he's not hurting himself by not executing pitches at key times. Old Ryan Eades would hang a curveball with two strikes, that kind of thing. I see him now being more focused and making the big pitch when he needs it. Let's hope it continues; he's made great pitches at times and struggled at times."

Nola has gotten even better after earning freshman All-America honors a year ago, showing more velocity and a better breaking ball. Nola is as reliable as college pitchers come. If Eades and Glenn can maintain their high level of performance, LSU could find itself celebrating in Omaha come June, because so far, the Tigers have answered all of their question marks with flying colors. This looks like a complete ballclub.

"We're going to face arguably the best starting pitching in college baseball this weekend," Mississippi State coach John Cohen said. "I think LSU's playing really well in all phases of the game. It'll be a tremendous challenge for us."