Webre fighting at charity show
February 26, 2014
New VCHS coach enthusiastic about future
February 26, 2014
Maybe I’m a pessimist.
Maybe I just don’t know what I’m talking about.
Maybe I’m just still gun shy about last year’s disappointing two-and-barbecue performance at the College World Series in Omaha.
Or maybe it’s a little bit of all three wrapped into one.
But whatever the reason may be, I just don’t have much hope for the LSU baseball team in the 2014 season.
I don’t know what it is – they just don’t pass the eye test for me in the early games of the season.
I hope I’m wrong (and I usually am), but I think it’s going to be very tough for the team to make a legitimate push at the College World Series championship.
I just think the Tigers lack experienced talent throughout its roster.
LSU had an amazing season in 2013 – one of the best regular seasons the team had in the storied history of the Tigers’ baseball program. But with great success comes guys looking to advance their careers, and LSU was certainly a victim of that, losing several underclassmen to graduation and the MLB Draft.
The Tigers lost elite hitters Mason Katz, Raph Rhymes and JaCoby Jones off last year’s group that routinely smacked around opposing pitchers for crooked numbers.
LSU also lost stopgap catcher Ty Ross – a guy who couldn’t do much with the bat, but saved runs with his defense and arm.
On the mound, the Tigers lost starting pitcher Ryan Eades and bullpen pitchers Chris Cotton, Joey Bourgeois, Brent Bonvillain, Nick Rumbelow and Will LaMarche – all guys who got critical outs for the team in some of the biggest spots of the season.
With so many holes to replace, I just don’t think the Tigers are as deep a team as they were a year ago.
And even then, how good were they? The answer to that question is this: not good enough to win in the College World Series.
Offensively, LSU has arguably the best player in college baseball with Alex Bregman, but what else? The team doesn’t have anyone to replace Katz’s home run threat, nor do they have the steady hitting machine like Rhymes to keep runners on base in key spots.
This year’s cleanup hitter is Jared Foster – a guy with just three home runs in two seasons. He’s opened 2014 with a whimper, stroking just one base hit in 13 at-bats.
Admittedly, that’s too small of a sample size to judge, but if it doesn’t turn around, Bregman will hear the words “Ball Four” often as opponents intentionally walk him to keep his bat out of the game.
If that happens, the number of crooked numbers LSU posts will greatly diminish compared to last season’s offensive juggernaut.
But with newer, watered down bats dominating college baseball, offense isn’t valued as much as it once was.
So for that reason, it’s the pitching that really has me worried about LSU’s hopes in the new season.
The Tigers have a luxury that few teams have – they have arguably the best starting pitcher in America on their roster.
Junior Aaron Nola is a legitimate ace. When he is on the mound, LSU will have a very good chance to win that night’s game.
The dude was 12-1 last season with a 1.57 ERA. His only loss came in the College World Series. In that game, LSU gave him no run support and he didn’t allow an earned run.
But Nola will only pitch in about 25 percent of LSU’s games, so he, alone, can’t decide the Tigers’ fate. That burden will fall on the team’s other pitchers to make the 2014 year a success.
In the weekend rotation, Cody Glenn has to step up and become the 1B to Nola’s 1A. Glenn was 7-3 last season with a 2.68 ERA – many of those starts coming in pivotal weekend series.
But Glenn was inconsistent in a few of his outings, which led to an early hook from Mainieri.
His leadership also came into question when he was suspended from the team’s postseason games after violating team rules.
For LSU to stay afloat on the national scene, he has to be lights out. If he isn’t, it’s bad news, because it will put a ton of pressure on unproven commodities like true freshman Jared Poche’ and Kyle Bouman.
In the bullpen, LSU must also find its identity. It surely looks like Kurt McCune, Joe Broussard and Nate Fury will be among the team’s top arms.
But if all hell breaks loose and the team needs multiple arms, who will be those middle relief guys?
Likewise, who will start for the Tigers in midweek games? Those games are important for NCAA Tournament seeding, too.
I don’t think LSU even knows its answers to those questions. That is certainly a reason for concern.
I know this sounds like a doom and gloom prognostication – it’s not nearly as bad as I’m making it sound.
I think LSU is going to answer a lot of its questions and become a team that easily qualifies for the SEC Tournament.
But to be ranked as the No. 2 team in the country? That’s a bit much for me. The team simply has too many holes to fill for me to give them that distinction.
For us to assume that the Tigers are a sure-fire lock to return to Omaha and push for the national championship? That’s a bit of a stretch, as well.
Right now, I just don’t see it.
Let’s hope the team’s play in the next few weeks puts my blurry vision into focus – a picture that paints LSU baseball’s hopes in a more favorable light.
LSU freshman pitcher Jared Porche’ fires a pitch during a game this season. The true freshman left-handed hurler has been rock-solid for the Tigers in the early stages of the season. Sports Editor Casey Gisclair said the Tigers do have holes to fill before SEC play.
