The No. 1 LSU baseball team continues to roll into its weekend series against Southeastern Conference opponent Kentucky, with Game 1 set for 7 p.m. tonight at Alex Box Stadium.
The Tigers (22-3, 4-2 SEC) are on a tear, dropping only two of their last nine games while outscoring opponents, 75-36, during that span. The Wildcats (16-9, 2-4 SEC) have received an opposite fate, winning three of its last nine while being outscored 54-28.
Although the programs may be heading in opposite directions, LSU coach Paul Mainieri said Kentucky isn’t a team to overlook.
“Kentucky’s got good players,” Mainieri said. “They’ve got some really good athletes in their lineup. Kentucky as recently as two years ago was the No. 1 team in the country in a poll and they’ve done amazing things in their program over their. They have our utmost respect.”
The Wildcats’ weakness lies in its pitching. The team is ranked second to last in the SEC with a 4.29 ERA along with being ranked 10th in the SEC with a .246 opposing batting average. Kentucky pitcher Kyle Cody, who will pitch Sunday, comes into the weekend with a 4.88 ERA, which is worst among starters.
Cody’s struggles come as a surprise after being named the 19th-best prospect available in the 2015 MLB Draft by Baseball America in the preseason and being the starting pitcher in the 2014 Cape Cod League All-Star Game.
LSU junior right fielder Mark Laird said the Wildcats’ rough start on the mound is a surprise to him after playing some of their pitchers over the summer.
“I faced some of their guys from the summer,” Laird said. “They have a talented pitching staff. They have three righty starters and they’re going to be tough to hit, so we got to prepare and take it one game at a time this weekend.”
The Tigers have proved so far this season they’re capable of hitting any rotation. LSU currently leads the nation with a .332 batting average and lead the SEC with a .491 slugging percentage, good enough for third in the nation.
LSU is the most efficient offensive team in the SEC with only 108 strikeouts this season, which is 29 less than Florida. Both Laird and junior shortstop Alex Bregman tied for the team lead for least strikeouts with three apiece this season.
Bregman said the team’s attitude at the plate has helped it become an efficient team in the batters’ box.
“Just being aggressive in the zone,” Bregman said. “I’m just trying to attack the pitches I’m trying to hit. That’s our whole team’s mindset. Just being aggressive on pitches we can impact to all fields, and if we do that, we can be very successful against this team.”
While on paper it may seem the Tigers should do away with the Wildcats with relative ease, in an SEC series, nothing comes guaranteed.
“It’s just going to be like every other SEC weekend,” Bregman said. “It’s a continuous fight and battle through nine hard innings of baseball and we’re going to have to go out there and play like we’ve played all year.”
You can reach Jack Chascin on Twitter @Chascin_TDR.