Through 17 games this season, LSU is hitting .306 as a team. That’s middle of the pack, but the team’s slugging percentage is .490, which is among the lowest in the SEC.
Tigers coach Jay Johnson is an offensive guy. He’s certainly enjoying the outstanding pitching and defense, but he loves to see runs.
LSU ranks 9th in the SEC in runs scored with 139.
To make the Tigers lineup more explosive, Johnson started Brady Neal in right field on Tuesday night in a six to one win over North Dakota State. It was his first start in the outfield as he’s been mostly a catcher and sometimes a designated hitter at LSU.
Neal came through with a 3-for-3 night against the Bison, with a double, two RBI and two runs scored.
“Tonight was a big night for Brady in terms of his improvement,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t that he just hit the ball hard; I liked the at-bats that he took and how under control he was at the plate. It’s really good for our team to get that out of him.”
Neal has shown the ability to deliver extra base hits, which this team needs.
The sophomore has started 12 games, but he’s second on the team in extra base hits with 10. And he’s second in hitting with a .364 average.
I wrote about it earlier this week, LSU has several outfielders struggling to find consistency at the plate. Neal could be a potential answer. He’ll still get his starts behind the plate, but if playing Neal in the outfield a couple of games a week leads to more offense, expect Johnson to do it.
