One thing is clear since the LSU baseball team arrived back in Baton Rouge after getting swept by Florida: the team needs a confidence boost.
Heading into the team’s first Southeastern Conference matchup against Vanderbilt on March 14, LSU (20-8-1, 3-5-1 SEC) had won 16 of 18 games. Behind junior
right-hander Aaron Nola, the Tigers took game one with a late offensive surge.
The next weekend, the Tigers took two of three from Georgia.
Since then, the squad has dropped further down the SEC West standings, and it now sits in last place following losses to unranked Tulane and conference-rival Florida.
But this isn’t a new situation for LSU coach Paul Mainieri.
While at Notre Dame in 2001, Mainieri’s Fighting Irish lost 10 of its first 19 contests. After a late surge, though, his squad found itself on the bus to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series.
Mainieri said his current LSU squad has the same potential. He said the key to turning the season around is keeping a positive attitude both on and off the diamond.
“We’re a little bit short of where we wanted to be,” Mainieri said. “We’re 3-5-1 [in SEC play], and we’re staring up at the rest of the league. We still have seven weekends to go, and nobody on our team is down.”
LSU has its first opportunity to shift momentum with McNeese State arriving at Alex Box Stadium today. Mainieri will send junior southpaw Cody Glenn to the mound, and fellow bullpen arms will follow the Houston, Texas, native following his short performance. Glenn won’t pitch more than a couple innings, Mainieri said.
Glenn has struggled in his limited appearances this season, going 1-1 with a 4.39 ERA with 15 strikeouts in eight appearances, including six starts.
The contest will also be a prime opportunity for sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman to break out of his recent hitting slump. Beginning with the Vanderbilt series, Bregman has struggled mightily against SEC pitching, going 4-for-41 in his past 11 games and dropping his batting
average down to .291.
“I think anyone who has played the game has gone through it,” Bregman said. “It’s part of the game, and you have to deal with it. I’m not discouraged at all. It’s a team sport, and I’m not worried about myself at all. I’m worried about us winning.”
Bregman went hitless against Florida in Gainesville, including hitting into a crucial double play in a tie ballgame Friday night.
Both Bregman and Mainieri have worked on the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year’s mechanics at the plate in a private batting practice session Monday.
“If you would’ve told me Alex Bregman would be 3-for-35, and we won three of the games, I’d say, ‘How did we do that?’” Mainieri said. “Bregman is such an important part of our offense, and the poor kid has struggled. It’s been somewhat mechanical and somewhat mental. He’s somewhat pressing. But I can tell you this, the kid has no quit in him.”
McNeese State has won 16 games in 2014, including key victories against Missouri, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech.
Beating the Cowboys could provide the correct dose of adrenaline needed to get the Tigers back on their feet before battling Mississippi State next weekend.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Mainieri said. “You’re talking to a coach who was 9-10 once and went to Omaha. We’re not going to give up.”
“We’ve got a long way to go. You’re talking to a coach who was 9-11 once and went to Omaha. We’re not going to give up. There’s only one way to deal with this, and that’s to keep working hard, keep believing and keep showing faith in your players.”