re: What Needs to Happen for LSU to Make a Regional?

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Yeskie is not the problem. Sub SEC talented pitchers is.

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I'm not saying Yeskie is the problem, but the talent isn't the issue. Can you explain how we have 10 returning pitchers, but only 3-4 look as good or better than before? Yes, Evans is in a new role, but that doesn't explain his ERA going up 260% from 2.05 to 5.47. Other pitchers make that same change and do just fine. Cooper Williams went from 1.80 to 7.47. Did his talent suddenly become sub-SEC? You will always have some guys dip, but most of these guys should not be getting worse. Below is a list of the differences in their ERAs from last year to this year.

Fontenot -3.46
Rizy -0.88
Schmidt -0.56
Cowan +1.46
Noot +2.87
Evans +3.42
Benge +4.37
Guidry +4.42 (change from 2024)
Primeaux +5.14
Williams +5.67

Cowan looks the same as last year, and I think his ERA is inflated b/c of bad defense. And while the shitty defense has affected everyone's ERA to some extent, it doesn't account for the increase in walks and lack of control from the guys that returned.

The main point being that if our returning guys have regressed, it stands to reason that maybe some of the new guys aren't as bad as their stats say either. There is something wrong with this team, where everyone is simply performing below their talent level.