The LSU baseball program has relied heavily on sophomore classes over the past two seasons.
Prior to the 2012 campaign, three second-year starting pitchers, Kevin Gausman, Ryan Eades and Kurt McCune, were in line to lead a powerful rotation, and catcher Ty Ross and second baseman JaCoby Jones looked to provide stability in the batting order.
The result was a Super Regional berth and Gausman’s No. 4 overall selection in the MLB Draft.
In 2013, a new group of sophomores is ready to take the reins as catalysts for another postseason run.
The rotation features Cody Glenn, who quickly pitched his way into a rotation slot after starting the year as a reliever. LSU coach Paul Mainieri needed a starter to take a firm hold of the No. 3 spot, and Glenn has done so through his first three starts. He has yet to allow an earned run, recording two victories in the process.
“I’m definitely a lot more comfortable out there on the mound, and I don’t have that ‘wide-eyed’ mentality where everything is going 100 miles per hour,” Glenn said. “It’s more comfortable to pitch now.”
The other sophomore starter in the LSU rotation, Aaron Nola, thrust himself into the No. 1 rotation spot in 2013 after performing well last season.
The young right-hander claimed his spot in the rotation during the 2012 campaign as a freshman, assuming command of the third slot behind Gausman and Eades. A 7-4 record and 3.61 ERA gave Mainieri the confidence to stick Nola in the ace slot to begin his sophomore season.
In three starts, Nola has answered the call, going 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA and a team-leading 26 strikeouts.
“I’m not a kid anymore,” Nola said. “I’ve experienced every aspect of the game from regular season games to [Southeastern Conference] games to postseason games. My composure is better, and my confidence is higher. I’m just going to do whatever I’ve been doing throughout the whole year and pitch to the best of my ability.”
Glenn noted the importance of having two sophomores establish themselves in the weekend rotation.
“I think it’s huge,” Glenn said. “For us to be able to contribute to the team’s success is a big deal because we’ve got a lot of veterans who want to go to Omaha before they graduate, and I think we have the team to do it this year.”
Meanwhile, Chris Sciambra and Tyler Moore are providing youth in the batting order.
After suffering a season-ending neck injury in 2012, Sciambra battled back to obtain a starting outfield spot. Mainieri stuck Sciambra in the leadoff spot after the improvement he made in the offseason. The sophomore has thrived, hitting for a .278 average with a .477 on-base percentage.
“He’s a better player now than he was before he got hurt,” Mainieri said. “He’s a guy who just does things the right way all the time, so you can’t help but love the kid. And to see him come back and play well, I’m just so happy for him and for our team.”
Moore may not see as much time playing defense, but the contributions have been immense. The designated hitter is currently batting .321 with five RBIs and a .538 slugging percentage. Moore said he’s learned plenty since arriving in Baton Rouge.
“Just from last year getting the experience playing in [Alex Box Stadium] and playing away and really just embracing and being out here is the biggest thing I’ve taken from it all,” Moore said. “During freshman year, you’re really just trying to get in the swing of things. Team chemistry has definitely built up this year, and we all love each other and we all believe in each other.”
“I’m not a kid anymore. I’ve experienced every aspect of the game from regular season games to SEC games to postseason games.”
