When LSU junior Aaron Nola and Vanderbilt junior Tyler Beede meet in Nashville, Tenn., to night, it will be a “Goliath vs. Goliath” scenario in every sense.
It’s the sort of meeting major league scouts drool about.
Last season, Nola finished 12-1 with a 1.57 ERA, 122 strikeouts and five complete games.
Beede had a 14-1 campaign with a 2.32 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 101 innings pitched.
“There’s no question that you’re talking about two of the very top college pitchers in the country,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “There will probably be 100 professional scouts there, and there could be half a dozen general managers there because you’re talking about two pitchers that should be in the top 10 picks.”
Both Nola and Beede share similar stories during their respective college careers — both were thrown into the starting rotation during their freshman campaigns, and it wasn’t until their sophomore seasons that they became forces on the mound.
So far in 2014, the juniors have put on a solid first act in each’s final collegiate audition before expectedly heading to the pro level after this season.
In four starts, Nola is 4-0, surrendering only 11 hits and recording 36 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched. The Baton Rouge native has yet to give up an earned run this season. The last time he surrendered an earned run was last season’s SEC Tournament game against Arkansas.
Beede is almost a mirror image.
The Auburn, Mass., native has also surrendered only 11 hits while recording 33 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched.
Nola said he isn’t concerned about Vanderbilt’s ace on Friday.
“He’s definitely a great pitcher, and we’re going to be battling against one of the best teams in the SEC,” Nola said. “But it’s me pitching against their lineup, and it’s Tyler pitching against our lineup. It’s just about pitching and defense and clutch hits, and we’re going to need that this weekend.”
LSU has seen Beede before. He started in Alex Box Stadium two seasons ago, surrendering three runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings pitched.
The pitcher the Tigers will see Friday night isn’t the same freshman who struggled in Baton Rouge in 2012, though.
No regular in LSU’s lineup was on the team two seasons ago, so Mainieri has had to prepare his hitters for what Beede brings to the mound. His arsenal includes a fastball that tops out at 97 mph, a 12-6 curveball and a changeup that some scouts have called his best pitch.
“You just get ready to hit on time,” said LSU sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman. “We’ve faced guys in our past — before we played at LSU and while we’ve been here — who throw very hard. I think we just go about it ready to hit early and put a good swing on it.”
Mainieri said any SEC game will be a challenge for his squad this season, so starting off against a top squad like Vanderbilt will help prepare his players for the road ahead.
Junior left-hander Kyle Bouman will start for LSU on Saturday, while freshman lefthander Jared Poche’ will take the mound for the Tigers on Sunday. Both have combined for seven wins so far this season, surrendering six runs in 44 2/3 total innings pitched.
Offensively, both Bregman and sophomore outfielder Andrew Stevenson enter the Vanderbilt series on a 10 and 15-game hitting streak, respectively.
Mainieri was more than fired up about battling the Commodores at Hawkins Field this weekend.
“There’s no easing in to the SEC schedule,” Mainieri said. “You just jump in feet first. Let’s go. Let’s line it up and play. This is what you come to LSU for is these kinds of series and games.”
“There will probably be 100 professional scouts there, and there could be half-a-dozen general managers there because you’re talking about two pitchers that should be in the top 10 picks.”