After winning a series against then top ranked Texas A&M, Coach Jay Johnson said they’ve put themselves in the fight to get in the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers are 9-15 in the SEC and getting at least 13 conference wins gives them a chance at receiving an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. If LSU finishes league play winning five of its last six that gives them 14 wins, which will certainly be enough.
Here are five keys for a run to a regional berth:
Starting Pitching
It always starts with starting pitching.
In 2022, Ole Miss was 7-14 in the SEC and there was talk of longtime head coach Mike Bianco losing his job. But the Rebels got on a run thanks to great starting pitching led by Hunter Elliot and Dylan DeLucia. Those two helped carry Ole Miss to its first ever national championship.
LSU’s one-two punch of Gage Jump and Luke Holman can do something similar. Nate Ackenhausen did not have a great start on Sunday in the 14-4 loss to Texas A&M, but he’s more than capable of giving you a good start.
Clutch hitting
Clutch hitting was missing from LSU during the first half of SEC play, but those clutch hits are starting to come.
Coach Jay Johnson had Josh Pearson in the cleanup spot in the series against Texas A&M. Pearson is only hitting .250, but put him in a big spot and he usually comes through. Pearson’s two run double on Friday against the Aggies gave LSU the lead and he also had a two-out RBI against A&M on Sunday to give LSU a 3-0 lead.
The three-run third inning on Saturday was also huge. It started with two outs and nobody on, but Tommy White and Jared Jones went back-to-back which ignited a rally.
Can LSU settle in on a center fielder?
Paxton Kling and Mac Bingham didn’t start against the Aggies. Instead, Jay Johnson went with freshman Jake Brown in center field. Brown didn’t provide much of an offensive spark as he was 1-for-6. He also couldn’t make the grab on a lead-off triple that started the nine-run 5th inning. I’ve said it all along, LSU needs Paxton Kling to be the guy in center field. But he struck out eight times in 20 at bats versus Auburn and Missouri. That doesn’t work either.
Can LSU find more relief pitching?
Griffin Herring and Christian Little have been outstanding out of the pen. Little’s performance on Saturday was electric as he’s finally reached his potential. But who else can Jay Johnson count on?
Sam Dutton looked good on Sunday until he ran out of gas. Aiden Moffett could see an expanded role after pitching well on Sunday in mop up duty. Fidel Ulloa and Gavin Guidry are key right-handed pitchers who need to perform well. Unfortunately, Thatcher Hurd and Justin Loer continue to struggle.
Schedule is favorable for wins
LSU is at Alabama this weekend. The Crimson Tide are 10-14 in the SEC and just lost a series against Mississippi State, which dropped them out of the D1baseball poll. The Tigers will then close out the regular season at home against Ole Miss. Winning four of six or possibly five of six is certainly a possibility. But playing Alabama and Ole Miss will not give the Tigers a huge RPI bump.