re: We ain’t run ruling NOBODY this year!!

Ron Higgins had an article last week that mentioned the difference in run rule games between last year and now.

quote:

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STARKVILLE, Miss. — Last season when LSU began SEC play opening at Texas A&M, it was ranked No. 1 with a 16-1 record, mostly because of having the most outrageously potent offense in college baseball. It was batting .500 as a team with a veteran-heavy starting lineup, averaging 11.5 runs and 10.5 hits per game with 11 run-rule wins. ... The Tigers went on to win seven of their 10 SEC series and eventually captured the national title with clutch hitting and pitching all through their College World Series triumph.

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Tonight when LSU starts its 2024 SEC schedule at Mississippi State, the 16-2 Tigers are ranked No. 2. They have an almost new starting lineup batting .304, averaging 8.1 runs and 9.9 hits with one victory via the run rule.

Johnson knew before this season started that the wins by this team would look drastically different than the 2023 victories. “In games in the past where we’re not scoring runs,” Johnson said, “it would be like `Man, we better get going or this is going to blow up. “And now it’s the opposite. It’s like, `Hey, man, just keep making pitches, playing defense, and eventually somebody will hit a 2-run homer or the other team will mess up.”

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On the batting average dropoff: "The Tigers are almost 200 points in batting average under last season’s team at this point, but Johnson said all his lineup needs is more game experience.

“It’s good to be struggling and hitting over 300 as a team,” Johnson said.