re: IMO we need to change our pitching approach

I agree. They need to have command of their two seam and four seam fast balls first, as well as their change up. They also need to work on developing the cutter or the split finger. I remember Laxton devastating Wichita State primarily with the cut fast ball.

This is primarily Dugas. If by some miracle Cade Doughty had stayed for another year, Dugas would be in the outfield.

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The 3-0 and 3-1 counts are because we can't throw the off speed for a strike. We throw off-speeds all fricking game. Because we don't want contact. We want K's.

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Absolutely. Its not even JUST not throwing them for strikes. Its that they are not even remotely CLOSE to strikes. Throwing them for balls is still fine if they are close, that actually does illicit swings. Again, its that they are SOOO bad, soo not close, that my 6 year old knows its a ball and wouldnt swing. They are literally incapable of throwing the pitches at all

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But for some god for saken reason, we're putting Morgan in left so we can keep the biggest boom/bust hitter and average fielder, Jared Jones, playing.

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Sacrifice everything else for home runs. This is Jay Johnson baseball.

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Yeah but what about the three MLB baseball catches and runs saved in left field all weekend. That’s not why we lost the game. We lost the game because of pitching. Defense is bad too don’t get me wrong but bad pitching is one of the causes of bad defense. Players lose focus get tired and make errors.

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I agree, its not why they lost, just another cog of frustration with this team and Jay Johnson.
My point overall on that front is that, while Morgan made some great plays there this weekend. As a whole this year, he's been pretty average out there. LSU has other players, Kling/Pearson, that are great outfielders, especially kling who I absolutely believe would make plays like we saw Morgan make this weekend. And while their average is lower than Jones, one, they have less plate appearance so its not really comparable, and two, who cares if the offense takes a small hit, the offense isnt a problem. Pitching and our average defense is. And there's zero need for playing these guys like Jay is.

A huge unknown is the impact of the TrackMan monitoring (in SEC games and tourney only, does not appear to be in regionals, even for SEC host sites) and the bias it produces of the subjective strike zone. Once regionals start and LSU plays non-conference teams, will the bullpen still struggle with walks or will that drop dramatically as those pitches that have been close but called balls become strikes? I mean LSU and State both had in the 50% for strikes on Sunday per the radio guys.

LSU is terrible with analytics. Worst I have seen between the two teams I follow (LSU/Braves), and as bad as anywhere else I can think of. The pitch calling defies logic, and the defensive positioning is constantly out of place. How many times did we see State hit little choppers through the right side that snuck through, while State had a guy standing right there, sometimes in the outfield, ready to field those same choppers off our bats?

When LSU wasn't hitting the ball hard, they were not rewarded. MSU just needed to put a bat on the ball, and it seemed like it magically found grass. I saw one ball hit up the middle yesterday, but LSU would not play them to pull.

All this talk about Wes Johnson's analytical approach, and Jay Johnson's non stop quest for all the latest information and technology to get ahead. Where is the evidence? I see him recruit his butt off, but why do we look like our staff are the last one's to figure out a trend of something that isn't working? Why do they keep yanking pitchers who are at least competing, to try to play some matchup that ends up imploding when the next guy in can't throw a strike?

The whole process feels very mechanical, and the results aren't validating the process.

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I understand there is a talent disparity between our roster and a major league organization, but getting beat in the strike zone is preferable to walking guys.

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Yes, 100%. It's great when you have a Paul Skenes (of which, there is only one - himself - who is anywhere near that level in college right now) who can execute a specific pitch by pitch sequence, and hit all the spots. We don't have other guys who can near consistently do that.

But aside from them not being able to execute, they seem to all rely heavily on one or two pitches. You would think they'd try something else, but they just keep calling the same pitches, despite the lack of success.

I have thought all along Kling Kong should play regardless of how he is hitting. He has too much talent and speed to keep on the bench. He would have figured out most likely with more reps. No one can change my mind about that. Jones is struggling for sure. I don’t care what his average is, the eye test doesn’t match. You can see it on every off speed pitch.

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Still to this day ripping my hair out that the best first baseman in college baseball is playing in left field

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He’s made some incredible plays in left field too. But I agree.

If we can just throw strikes and let them put the ball in play, I much rather Tre at first making his routine highlight reel plays. Rather than Jones just missing them.