When the weather heats up, the LSU bats follow suit.
Tennessee provided the Tigers with a challenge that surprised fans in Alex Box Stadium last weekend.
The Volunteers pounded LSU’s pitching for the entirety of the three-game series, bringing 17 runs home, including 10 off Tigers’ relievers.
That being said, the Tigers scored 20 of their own, winning the series with victories on Friday night and Sunday afternoon.
It was a change of pace for a Tigers team that has heavily relied on pitching and defense to achieve victory this season.
“I thought, for a consistent period of time, [the Tennessee series] was as well as we’ve swung the bats all year,” Mainieri said. “We got runners on, we advanced them and we had a lot of clutch hits. When we needed to rally, we did.”
Mainieri said the offense is heating up at the right time, and the Tigers will need every hit they can muster with only three Southeastern Conference series remaining.
“It started last Tuesday against Tulane,” Mainieri said. “We went up against Tulane’s No. 1 starting pitcher in a midweek game, and we had 14 hits that night, and we swung the bats really well and confidently. It’s really carried right into the weekend.”
LSU’s bullpen will get a chance at redemption when the Tigers play Alcorn State tonight in Alex Box, and freshman right-hander Parker Bugg will get his first career start.
Mainieri said he expects Bugg to pitch two innings, and other bullpen pitchers will follow him in the later innings.
Bugg struggled in his most recent outing Saturday against Tennessee, when he tossed one inning and surrendered one hit, two runs and one walk.
Mainieri said he wants to get his freshman back into a rhythm before the Tigers play Texas A&M this weekend.
“We want to get him back out there right away,” Mainieri said. “Parker’s been so good for us all year. [He has] really inordinate composure and poise for a freshman. The other night, he felt like he let the whole team down. He’s a really intelligent kid, and sometimes really intelligent kids have a knack for over-analyzing things when they don’t go well.”
Bugg’s pitching arsenal hasn’t been used effectively in 2014 because of his use in close contests, so Mainieri said he sees tonight as an opportunity to unleash the San Diego, Calif., native’s potential.
“He’s been pitching late in the game where one bad pitch can hurt the team, so when you’re calling the pitches, you’re reluctant to use all of his pitches,” Mainieri said. “I think by starting the game, it will allow [LSU pitching coach Alan Dunn] to make him throw all of his pitches and make him get back into a rhythm.”