OMAHA – The lineup was altered, the team wore gold and, at his players’ request, coach Paul Mainieri put on a jersey for the first time in a few years.
It was all method to change the mojo for an LSU club needing a lift at the College World Series. As junior shortstop Alex Bregman would say, the Tigers got their swagger back. As Mainieri will acknowledge, the proverbial curse at TD Ameritrade Park was lifted. Most importantly, though, LSU is still alive.
Despite a three-run deficit to start the game, Bregman and the LSU bats turned it on, and freshman ace Alex Lange grew stronger through a complete game as the Tigers avoided elimination with a 5-3 victory against Cal State-Fullerton.
After losses in their first three games since the College World Series changed venues, Mainieri was relieved to win the first one.
“Obviously, the understatement of the day is that we’re so happy to get a win finally at TD Ameritrade Ballpark,” Mainieri said. “Beautiful ballpark and wonderful city, but it was like it was a curse on the LSU Tigers for a couple of years. Just to get a victory is very relieving… Obviously, the story of the game was this young, right-handed pitcher on your team who has been just absolutely terrific all year. He just put the team on his shoulders after a rough first inning.”
Based on his stat line, it’s hard to believe Lange (12-0) looked uncomfortable in his first ever inning in Omaha. Lange finished the game by tossing just a pitch shy of his 119-pitch career high while striking out 10 and only allowing two hits through the last eight innings. But his start didn’t look promising.
Cal State-Fullerton jumped all over Lange in the bottom of the first inning, turning in three runs on four hits. After a one-out single by junior center fielder Tyler Stieb, junior designated hitter David Olmedo-Barrera followed with a screaming RBI triple into right-center field to put the Titans on the board.
A batter later, junior third baseman Jerrod Bravo drove an RBI single into center field, and junior first baseman Tanner Pinkston notched the fourth hit in a row on the next at bat. Junior right fielder Dalton Blaser laid down safety squeeze to score Bravo to cap a three-run first frame for the Titans.
“I wasn’t really nervous or amped up,” Lange said of his first inning. “I left a couple of pitches up, and they do what good hitters do: they hit the ball. I took a step back, regrouped in the dugout and just really focused on needing to go out there and execute my pitches.”
With Lange finding his groove, Mainieri’s adjusted lineup proved be the right move in the fourth inning. Back-to-back singles from Bregman, who was 4-for-5 in the leadoff spot, and sophomore left fielder Jake Fraley set up an RBI single from senior catcher Kade Scivicque.
After a strikeout by senior third baseman Conner Hale, the Tigers notched three singles and a sacrifice fly, which chased Titan freshman starting pitcher Connor Seabold from the game, producing a 4-3 lead by the end of the frame.
Of the players who were batting in an unusual spot in the order, the group was a combined for an 11-for-16 clip with four RBIs, including a 3-for-4 day from junior eight-hole hitter Mark Laird.
Mainieri intended on changing the lineup, especially the top of the order, to prepare for either Vanderbilt or Cal State Fullerton’s No. 2 pitcher, who both happened to be left-handed. But when Titan coach Rick Vanderhook decided to give the ball to right-handed Seabold, Mainieri had a decision to make.
Bregman, who tied his career high for hits in a game, convinced Mainieri to put him in the leadoff spot.
“If I’m hitting first or ninth, as long as we’re winning I’m happy,” Bregman said. “I felt comfortable out there. I was trying to square balls up and put together quality at-bats, find ways on base and try to create some offense. We wanted to kind get our swagger back offensively. We’ve had a really good offense all year long, and it’s coming.
After the big third inning, the LSU offense had trouble generating much more offense, but it was able to grab a crucial insurance run in the top of the seventh through sophomore pinch hitter Danny Zardon’s RBI sacrifice fly. Lange, though, didn’t need anything else.
Following a walk in the first inning, the national Freshman Pitcher of Year retired 25 of the next 28 batters, allowing only one runner to reach third base. Despite reaching 98 pitches by the end of the the bottom of seventh, the only thing on Lange’s mind was finishing the game.
“You’re not overthinking anything,” Lange said. “You’re not thinking about what’s going on after – just finish it at all costs.”
Lange struck out four of the next 10 batters he faced and finished the bottom of ninth on just six pitches.
“Once you give Alex Lange the lead, man, he’s tough,” Mainieri said. “I wouldn’t want to hit against him.”
With the win, LSU advances to play Thursday at 7 p.m. against the loser of tonight’s game between Vanderbilt and TCU. Mainieri will use a combination of pitchers against either foe but has not named a starter.