LSU vs Tennessee - Crowdsourced weekend preview

I didn't think I'd have time to do this, and I probably don't but I'm doing it anyway.

Game 1 – Thursday, March 30 (7 p.m.) [ESPNU]
RHP Chase Dollander (4-2, 3.93 ERA) vs. RHP Paul Skenes (5-0, 0.59 ERA)

Game 2 – Friday, March 31 (6 p.m.) [SEC Network]
RHP Chase Burns (2-1, 4.15 ERA) vs. RHP Ty Floyd (4-0, 2.05 ERA)

Game 3 – Saturday, April 1 (1 p.m.)
RHP Drew Beam (3-1, 2.54 ERA) vs. RHP Thatcher Hurd (2-0, 3.91 ERA)

This is the series everyone had circled since the schedule came out. It's two of the most talented teams in the country squaring off. Tennessee has stumbled a bit as they attempt to find their identity after some hefty personnel losses in the offseason. However you may feel about him, Drew Gilbert was the straw that stirred the drink for Tennessee and his energy and attitude have been missed. At least the positive effects of it (and there were plenty, don't kid yourself).

They hit a snag in the first weekend losing a neutral site game to Arizona in Arizona and an away game at Grand Canyon. They dropped a midweek game at home to a rising Boston College team and then got swept on the road in Columbia, MO on a brutally cold weekend.

Their weekend rotation has been pretty much the same for the last two years and has high level talent. Chase Dollander came into the season as the top college arm on draft boards and has only ceded that spot due to otherworldly performance by Paul Skenes. Chase Burns is going to be a high pick next year and Drew Beam won't be far behind him. They can all throw multiple pitches for strikes. Their bullpen is rounding into form after losing a few their main guys from last year. Kirby Connell, the fat, soft throwing, mustached kid is still there. And his dad is still a terrible message board poster on VolNation trying to rag on our lefties. I hope everyone finds someone in life that loves them as much as Frank Anderson loves putting Kirby Connell into games. Andrew Lindsay (Charlotte) and Seth Halvorsen (Mizzou) are a couple of former Friday night starters at previous schools that now finish games for Tennessee. Halvorsen can run it up to triple digits. Jacob Bimbi is a JUCO lefty that was teammates with Kaleb Applebey at Wabash Valley. Expect him to pitch at some point. Aaron Combs is another JUCO arm that strikes out nearly two guys an inning.

On the position player side, Blake Burke is the bell cow. He's their second best hitter by average but their leading slugger. He doesn't strike out a ton either. Prodigious power. Christian Moore is their leading hitter by average. He split time with Burke at DH last season but now they share the right side of the infield. He's extremely talented and hits the ball real hard. He gets on base more than half the time he's up and walks more than he strikes out. Outfielder Griffin Merritt was conference player of the year last season at Cincinatti. Maui Ahuna has locked down shortstop since he became eligible (frick you Tim Corbin). He's an athletic defender that will sometimes look silly on an easy play, and the bat is coming around. He's another potential high draft pick. Third baseman Zane Denton is a transfer from Alabama who's hitting better now than he ever did in Tuscaloosa. That's not surprising to me though because I would imagine everyone's life improves dramatically when they leave Tuscaloosa. They rotate a bunch of guys at all the other spots. They've recently started playing Jared Dickey more behind the plate. He's a bit of a work in progress defensively but is the best offensive player there. He also has starts in LF and CF. Their other catchers are JUCO transfer Cal Stark, who sometimes DHs and Charlie Taylor who has been on campus three years and still looks like hasn't started shaving or found the weight room.

This weekend series will be the equivalent of LSU-Alabama in 2019 from a draft standpoint. Essentially everyone that will be on the field is a prospect. You could take the guys on each team that won't play and win the Sunbelt. It's two tireless recruiters and baseball lifers as head coaches with two of the best pitching coaches in the country. It's going to be a fun one.

The beer of the weekend is from right here in St Louis, it's the Civil Life British Best, because that's what I'm drinking this evening while I pack to travel to Baton Rouge. Civil Life is my favorite brewery in St Louis and happens to be about a half mile from my house. It was founded in 2014 by a guy who went to DeSmet Jesuit High School. The same alma mater as Robert Steeples, Mekhi Wingo, and one Anthony Vitello.