Tigers advance to SEC Tournament

The monkey on the backs of the LSU baseball team soon became a large chimpanzee, then a massive kicking and screaming ape – an ape that is fierce enough to possibly keep the team out of the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s almost hard to describe,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri on his weekly radio show. “It’s just painful to describe and talk about.”

The story has been told and retold, so here again.

LSU started the season 26-4 and postseason play seemed certain.

But a 2-13 record from April 24-May 18 has taken the team from No. 8 in the country to a down to the wire fight just to be ranked No. 64 in America – the number they need to be to reach the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s been a miserable four weeks,” Mainieri said. “I’ve been miserable. I’ve made my family miserable. I know the LSU fans have been miserable and I feel like we’ve let them down … We’re going to turn this thing around. We have to.”

The root of LSU’s problems all season has been pitching.

The Tigers have not had a consistent pitcher to bank on for outs all season.

Junior Anthony Ranaudo and sophomore Matty Ott, both of whom were All-Americans last year, have not filled the bill and they each have ERAs above six.

As a team, LSU’s ERA in SEC games is above seven, which puts them in the bottom half of the league.

But LSU has stayed afloat thanks to a powerhouse offense that averages more than seven runs per game. The Tigers hit nearly .300 as a team and combat their slugging with patience, leading the SEC in walks per game.

“What we’ve got to do is just start pitching better,” Mainieri said. “I think at this point, that goes without saying.”

But LSU showed signs of life this past weekend when they took two of three games against Mississippi State, which allowed them to advance to the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

The Tigers are the No. 8 seed and will play the regular season champion Florida Gators today at 4:30 p.m. Mainieri hopes the conference tournament will spring new life into LSU.

“These kids have not given up,” he said. “Their attitude has been phenomenal. There is no pointing fingers, and they are not coming apart at the seams. They’re still trying, they still care and they still want to win and you know what? Our destiny is still in our own hands.”

This week will be crucial for seeding in next week’s NCAA Tournament. Mainieri believes just getting to the SEC Tournament is enough, but collecting a few wins this week could go a long way in making it to the Field of 64.

“I know I sound like the eternal optimist, and maybe I am,” he said. “But I just really believe that we’re on the verge of turning this thing around … You haven’t heard the last of the Tigers for this year, I promise you.”

Nicholls advances to Southland Conference Tourney

Like LSU, Nicholls also punched its ticket to postseason play, earning their way into the Southland Conference Tournament.

The Colonels made it as the No. 8 seed and will play No. 1 seed at Texas State today at 4 p.m. in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Colonels won two of three regular season meetings with Texas State on the year.

The team advanced for the first time in 10 years with a 15-18 conference record, capped by a strong weekend against McNeese State to close the regular season.

Unlike LSU, pitching has been the key to Nicholls’ success.

Colonel starters Tyler Minto and Clint Dempster have combined for six complete games this season.

As a team, Nicholls has an ERA just above five, which puts them No. 5 in the 12-team Southland Conference.

The season has been one of many firsts for coach Chip Durham as this marks the first time he’s led the team to the conference tournament. This is also the team’s first 20-win season since 2005 and the first 25-win season since 2003.

The Colonels are entered the tournament with one of the final spots available. But that’s not a factor to Colonel coach Chip Durham, who knows everyone has the same record now.

“Just getting there is what matters the most,” he said. “Because the difference between one and eight in this league is not that much. Once you’re there, everyone has a chance.”