The road in front of LSU to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament is difficult.
The Tigers have six regular-season games left, and they need to win four to reach 13 SEC wins, which is usually enough to get into a regional.
LSU did not look like an NCAA Tournament team after being swept by Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State.
But since that tough weekend in Starkville, the Tigers have won five in a row, to give themselves a chance to sneak into a regional.
LSU easily took care of business last weekend against South Carolina, but after beating up on the feeble Gamecocks, the Tigers face a beast this weekend in 5th-ranked Georgia, which leads the SEC with an 18-6 league record.
LSU Coach Jay Johnson must have watched a war movie to deliver this quote before the Tigers left for Athens, Georgia.
“I think we have taken the bullets, been dragged through the mud, head stepped on, all of those things, and we are still alive,” Johnson said. “Who is the best soldier? The best soldier is the one that is not afraid to be killed.
“There’s literally nothing to be afraid of, so go in there with guns blazing with a lot of confidence and play. If it’s good enough, it will be good enough; if not, it won’t, but there’s literally nothing to be afraid of at this point in time for this team.”
LSU is playing like a team that hit rock bottom and now has nothing to lose.
Catcher/designated hitter Cade Arrambide told reporters on Wednesday that the team does have a renewed sense of confidence, thanks to a five-game winning streak.
“We can go out there and beat anyone on any day,” Arrambide said. “If we go out there and play our brand of baseball and we compete to our best ability, I think we can hang and beat anybody in the country.
“I’ve never given up on this team and no one in the locker room has given up on this season, so it’s just a matter of going out there and doing it.”
Texas A&M and Mississippi State are two of the best teams LSU faced this year. The Tigers laid down against the Aggies. They fought against the Bulldogs, but LSU’s pitching couldn’t contain State’s hitters.
It will be interesting to see how LSU’s pitching holds up against the Bulldogs, who lead the nation with 131 home runs, and are fourth in the nation with a batting average of .325.
William Schmidt will start on the mound for the Tigers. He’s coming off one of his best starts of his LSU career, as he went six innings, allowing just one run on five hits nd striking out seven.
Freshman Marcos Paz is set to start Saturday. LSU has not named a starter for Sunday, but it could Zac Cowan if he’s not needed out of the bullpen.
Casan Evans is listed as questionable for Friday’s game as he continues to work his way back from arm soreness.
Georgia has five players who have hit 15 or more home runs.
Daniel Jackson might be the best player in the country. He’s hit 23 home runs and stolen 23 bases.
Tre Phelps has hit 17 home runs, and he’s been hit a school-record 28 times.
Brennan Hudson has hit more home runs than singles, 16 to 15.
Rylan Lujo has just seven home runs, but in SEC play, he’s hitting .393, which leads the league.
This is an outstanding offense, and these games could get out of hand early, so LSU must follow Johnson’s advice.
Go into this series fearless, guns blazing, and if they win the series, then a Regional berth is attainable by winning next weekend’s series at home against Florida.
