Prior to the 2014 campaign, LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri constantly referred to his upcoming schedule as a grind that would test his team to its very core.
The Tigers have found themselves at both ends of the emotional spectrum – they endured a four-game losing streak after falling to Tulane and getting swept at Florida, but they rebounded the weekend after, winning seven in a row and taking two Southeastern Conference series against Mississippi State and Arkansas.
Now with only a few conference series remaining, including one more in Alex Box Stadium against Alabama, the Tigers continue to search for the perfect formula that will land them back in Omaha, Neb., for the 2014 College World Series.
As the weather has warmed up in Baton Rouge, so have the LSU bats – the Tigers experienced a cold spell following a 13-inning tie against Georgia on March 23.
Since then, the LSU bats have roared back, scoring 20 runs in a three-game series against Tennessee and scoring nine late runs in a comeback victory against Alcorn State.
“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.”
That is the sort of production LSU will need if it wants to continue to compete in a tight SEC race.
Mainieri has received several sparks from unexpected sources, one of whom being freshman outfielder Jake Fraley.
Fraley has forced himself into the everyday lineup, moving into the No. 5 spot and batting .348 with two home runs, 24 RBIs and a .408 on-base percentage.
The Middletown, Del., native isn’t considered a freshman by his coach.
“Early in the year, we had to answer a lot of questions like, ‘Why are you playing so many different guys?’ This is why,” Mainieri said. “You get to this point in the year, and you don’t want to look at them as freshmen anymore. They have almost a full season under their belt. I don’t treat them as inexperienced players. They’ve been out there plenty, and they’re expected to do the job.”
LSU will need every bat it can get with the difficult road ahead.
Both Ole Miss and Alabama lead the SEC West, and LSU will take on the Crimson Tide in Baton Rouge in a three-game series starting on Friday, May 9.
The Tigers continue to fight for the opportunity to host a Regional contest in Alex Box Stadium, but their focus remains on coming out on top in the conference.
Both SEC West leaders rank ahead of LSU in overall batting statistics, and Ole Miss is second in the conference with a .308 team batting average. Alabama ranks sixth in the conference with a .281 mark.
Mainieri said his team will need to keep up with the explosive rival offenses.
“As the weather is warming up and we’re going down the stretch run, honestly I think Texas A&M, Alabama and Auburn all swing the bats well, too,” Mainieri said. “We’re going to have to be able to meet them and match them punch-for-punch.”
“As the weather is warming up and we’re going down the stretch run, honestly I think Texas A&M, Alabama and Auburn all swing the bats well, too. We’re going to have to be able to meet them and match them punch-for-punch.”