The LSU baseball team is coming off a one-win, two-loss series at home against Auburn, and is heading into a potential make-or-break series on Friday against the defending national champions, Mississippi State.
But if the team needed a confidence boost coming off of a tough series, and heading into the most important one so far this season, it came Tuesday night against Grambling State. LSU dominated for a 16-3 win and tied their season-high of 18 hits as a team.
Every member of the starting lineup had at least one hit.
“Our players were fresh and ready to go, and eager to get back out on the field,” said LSU Coach Jay Johnson. “It was a good performance by a lot of guys tonight. We put together a lot of good swings, and everyone contributed to it, which was great.”
While LSU did a lot of great things, they didn’t get off to an ideal start. Starting right-handed pitcher, Grant Taylor, a freshman, made his first start Tuesday night, but his defense didn’t help him out right away. Grambling started with a double down the right-field line by Trevor Hatton and three singles gave them an early 2-0 lead.
The bottom of the second inning is when the dam broke, and LSU started to pull away. Hayden Travinski started the inning by slapping a 423-foot home run over the outfield bleachers. After Jacob Berry allowed Collier Cranford to score off a delayed steal, Jordan Thompson hit a ground-rule double off the batter’s eye, scoring two runs. LSU had a 6-2 lead after two innings.
LSU’s bats exploded in the fourth inning, where they scored nine runs on 10 hits. After Brayden Jobert and Gavin Dugas both got on base, Hayden Travinski hit his second home run of the game to make the score 9-2. They batted around the order, scored four more runs, and carried a 15-2 lead after four innings.
LSU’s bats shined all game long. Berry, Crews and Travinski all hit home runs. Travinski hit two, and Berry and Crews each hit one. Travinski also had three RBIs, and Berry and Crews each had two. Tre’ Morgan went two-for-two with two RBIs. Jordan Thompson hit a ground-rule double, and contributed three RBIs. Brayden Jobert added a double, and Josh Pearson and Josh Stevenson each hit doubles off the bench. Tyler McManus also hit a triple off the bench.
Grambling was able to get on the board in the fifth inning, however, the scoring discrepancy was already too large. Two sacrifice fly outs allowed Trevor Hatton to score, the score read 15-3. LSU’s bats continued to find success. Josh Stevenson entered the game in the sixth inning, doubled into left field, and scored on a passed ball shortly after. Tyler McManus also entered the game in the sixth inning, hit a triple into right field, and the inning ended with the score 16-3.
Relievers Trent Vietmeier, Garrett Edwards, Michael Fowler and Jacob Hasty combined to limit Grambling to one unearned run on one hit over the final five innings with 13 strikeouts. Vietmeier relieved Taylor and immediately showed why LSU’s staff believes in the fifth-year senior.
Vietmeier and LSU’s bullpen are on pace to set a school record for strikeouts per every 9 batters, as the Tigers struck out 18 batters on Tuesday night. The record is 9.88 set in the 1997 season and the 2022 Tigers average 10.59. The NCAA average in 2022 is 8.80.
Right-handed pitcher Taylor was credited with his third win this season and his first from the starting role. “I have a lot of faith in Grant,” Johnson said. “He’s very good for his age and his maturity. This is a guy LSU fans should be excited about being in our program for the next couple of years.”
After LSU held Grambling to a three-up, three-down inning, both coaches agreed to end the game and implemented the NCAA 10-run rule. This is the eighth meeting between these Louisiana universities and LSU has each contest.
LSU improves their overall record to 20-9, and picks up a much needed, confidence-boosting win headed into their weekend series at Mississippi State. The Tigers will face the Bulldogs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Dudy Noble Field on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi.
