LSU’s season is on the line Tuesday; if it loses its season is over. That would be a lot of pressure for any player or any team, but the pressure would be significantly reduced if you’ve been on this stage before.
Riley Cooper has been on this stage. Coming into the College World Series (CWS), Cooper was one of two pitchers that have pitched in Omaha before. Cooper played in the College World Series for Arizona before transferring to LSU last season.
Cooper came first in relief in Arizona’s CWS opener against Vanderbilt, in which the Wildcats lost 7-6 in 12 innings. While the opening game of the CWS doesn’t have nearly as much pressure as an elimination game, the opening game sets the tone for teams in Omaha, as it determines whether the team will have control of their bracket or will be fighting an uphill battle right away.
With his experience, Cooper should be the one to start against Tennessee during Tuesday night’s elimination game.
Experience could be a swing factor in games like these. Tennessee was last in Omaha during the 2021 season, and several players on this year’s team were on that squad such as Jared Dickey and Christian Scott.
In addition, Tennessee was on the verge of elimination in their 2021 CWS appearance. They lost their opening game 6-0 to Virginia, and lost in their elimination game to Texas 8-4.
Not to mention, the Vols were played to continue their season in a third game of the Hattiesburg Super Regional against Southern Miss. Tennessee lost the opening game of the Super Regional 5-3, but came back and won their next two games to secure a spot in the CWS. Not only playing in Omaha, but playing in elimination games takes experience.
With LSU not having made it to the CWS since 2017, no players on LSU’s current squad would have been on that team. In addition, this season, LSU won all their NCAA Tournament games up to Monday night’s 3-2 loss to Wake Forest. This is the first time all season LSU has had their backs against the wall.
In games like Tuesday’s, LSU needs to look for every advantage it may have that will put the team in a good position to win. While LSU defeated Tennessee in its opening game of the CWS, different pitchers on the mound and higher stakes requires a different approach.
Cooper’s experience in high-pressure games like Tuesday night’s is certainly an advantage. While Tennessee has experience in these situations as well, Cooper’s experience would at least even the score.
