"Nunsensations!" (Westwego)
March 2, 2010
Woman found dead, TPSO awaiting cause
March 4, 2010
It was business as usual this weekend for the LSU baseball team.
The Tigers swept a three-game series with William and Mary College, to move the team to 7-0 on the season.
But the No. 1 team in the country was dealt a loss earlier in the week that might be more important than any loss in the standings as junior pitcher Anthony Ranaudo was forced to miss the entire weekend with a right elbow injury.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri said the Tigers’ All-American ace suffered what was diagnosed as a “stress reaction” in his elbow and said he does not expect the injury to be serious.
Mainieri said Ranaudo suffered the injury on opening night when he pitched five innings against Centenary College.
The coach stressed his pitcher does not have ligament damage and he only feels discomfort when he is winding up to throw the baseball, not when he is actually making a throw.
“He may just miss this start or it may be another two or three weeks,” Mainieri said prior to the series with William and Mary. “We don’t think it’s a serious problem.”
In Ranaudo’s absence, the LSU pitching staff took a hit. The Tigers allowed 19 runs in the three games with William and Mary, after allowing just 12 runs in last weekend’s series with Centenary.
But the LSU bats pounded the Tribe’s pitching and plated 26 runs of their own on the weekend to complete the sweep.
The Tigers will return to the field on Thursday against Pepperdine and it is undecided whether Ranaudo will take the field with the Tigers in any of the team’s weekend games.
With conference play still two and a half weeks away from starting, the coach made it clear there is no rush to bring the right-hander back.
“He is one of the top pitchers in the country and I’m certainly not going to do anything to jeopardize his career,” Mainieri said.
LSU junior pitcher Anthony Ranaudo winds up to throw a pitch during a game last season. Ranaudo missed his last start with an elbow injury, an injury the Tigers don’t expect to be serious. * Photo by STEVE FRANZ / LSU Athletics
