LSU left fielder Josh Pearson is five-foot-10, 190 pounds. Usually that body size screams a lead-off man, maybe a number two hitter, or a guy that hits down in the order.
But Pearson is the Tigers clean-up hitter. Don’t let his small size fool you, because the West Monroe native comes up big when it matters the most.
Pearson drove in three runs in the SEC Tournament opener as the Tigers blasted the Georgia Bulldogs nine to one. His two-run single in the top of the first inning set the tone and his RBI ground out in the second inning was all the runs the Tigers needed.
Pearson’s stats also do not look like a cleanup hitter.
He’s hitting .244 with 6 home runs and 25 RBIs. But again, when it matters the most, he comes up big.
Just look at last season. Pearson hit just four home runs, but three of them came in the NCAA Tournament, including a two-run shot in the national championship game.
His first home run of the 2023 season came during the final SEC series of the season as the Tigers were scuffling. Pearson blasted a two-run shot to snap 5-5 tie in the 12th inning against Georgia, a game the Tigers went on to win 8-5.
Pearson also plays exceptional defense. He made a great over the shoulder catch in the 11th inning against Florida in game one of the championship series last year that preserved a 3-3 tie. LSU would win the game in the bottom half of the inning.
In the Texas A&M series a few weeks back, Coach Jay Johnson put Pearson in the clean-up spot, and he had a couple of big hits in that series, including a two-run double in the opening game as Tigers took two of three from the Aggies.
“[Pearson] is a quality at-bat machine,” Johnson said. “He just moves our offense. He might not be your prototypical SEC four hitter, but because he can do what he can with runners on base is why I have him placed in the lineup where I do.”
Pearson also has the clutch gene. And he’ll have some more opportunities for big hits as long as Michael Braswell and Tommy White keep getting on base ahead of him.