The LSU Tigers defeated the McNeese Cowboys in a midweek matchup on Wednesday evening at Alex Box Stadium. LSU took the game with six runs to McNeese’s three.
The pitching staff of the night for the Tigers, five pitchers total, held the Cowboys to just five hits throughout the nine innings. They collectively walked only four. Will Hellmers, a sophomore, was credited with the win. In the three innings he pitched, Hellmers rounded up an ERA of 1.08.
“I think we did a great job as a pitching staff tonight,” Hellmers said. “We were keeping them off balance and staying in the zone, which was a huge part of our success tonight.”
Defensively, the Tigers literally played a perfect game, with no errors committed throughout the night. LSU has only played two error-free games, which were both against Southern University. This was something that Head Coach Jay Johnson was particularly happy with, as some of the losses that LSU has collected have been somewhat attributed to multiple fielding errors.
“We worked hard,” Johnson explained. “I mean, we work hard every day. They all have the right fundamentals. I give Jordan [Thompson], Jack [Merrifield], and Cade [Doughty] a lot of credit for kind of getting back up on the horse and doing what they need to do. And that’s what we will continue to do.”
At the plate, LSU roped in 11 hits total. Though there was action coming from the box, Johnson believes that there is always improvement to be made, especially offensively. There were a few instances when big hitters in the lineup struck out, leaving both an ample amount of runners and opportunity to put extra runs on the board. The Tigers had a total of nine left stranded on bases after the game. Overall, though, Johnson was pleased with the amount of his players that are getting to a base during their at-bats.
“I think pitching development has exceeded hitting development across the country, and I think it lends itself to leaving guys out there,” Johnson said. “You get pitched differently obviously in those spots. Some of the at-bats that we had tonight really show me that we’re headed in a good direction, and that makes me feel better.”
Of the 11 hits tonight, two Tigers knocked in homeruns; the first from left fielder, Gavin Dugas and the second from right fielder, Jacob Berry. This hit was Berry’s sixth homerun of the season. For Dugas, this deep homer to the student section in right field was his first of the season. Dugas ended up going three for three at the plate this game, and played a major role in collecting runs for the team. His homerun was a two run RBI.
“I knew I was going to be aggressive,” Dugas recalled. “I was getting a good pitch and I was able to put a good swing on it.”
Dugas explained further that an aggressive approach at the plate was a common theme for the entirety of the lineup.
“We put some good swings and we just missed some balls,” he said. “But we had the right mindset today and we had a great approach from everybody. The whole lineup kind of looked like we were really prepared, and like we were really locked in.”
After coming back from a tough weekend in Houston at the Shriners Children’s College Classic, the overall excitement and bond radiating off of the team seems to be stronger than it was before those games.
“The poise of the team was really good tonight,” Johnson said proudly. “I think there was just kind of a confidence that we were going to come through and get the job done. You want them to win them all, and we play to win them all, but you have to create value in losing or failure, and I think we did that from that trip. I think you’ll continue to see that and I think it will make us better.”
Next up for the LSU Tigers is a three game series against Bethune-Cookman at Alex Box Stadium. The first game will take place on Friday, Mar. 11, at 6:30 p.m. C.T. Fans at home can listen live or watch on ESPN.
