LSU can’t hit.
It’s something LSU coach Paul Mainieri won’t shy away from admitting, and the numbers don’t hide the truth. The No. 7 Tigers recorded 93 plate appearances in three games against Appalachian State (4-2) this past weekend. In 70 of those, they failed to reach base.
LSU (5-2) combined for 16 hits on the weekend, and nine of those come in the Tigers’ lone victory — a 4-0 win on Friday.
The next two days were worse, as LSU managed just seven hits in the two games — an 11-1 loss on Sunday and a 1-0 defeat on Saturday, the first time a non-conference opponent had shut out LSU since Tulane did it in 2004.
“Every once in a while a team comes out and kicks your ass,” said junior first baseman Mason Katz. “And they did. They came out here and kicked our ass. That’s plain and simple.”
LSU had a team batting average of .186 against Appalachian State and notched just two extra base hits in the three-game series. The only run in the Tigers’ two losses came in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game, when LSU was already trailing by 11 runs.
“Obviously we have a little bit of a confidence problem offensively,” Mainieri said. “They’re kids. No matter how much you tell them to keep their confidence, it snowballs, and in their minds, they wonder if they’re ever going to get a hit.”
After dominant performances by LSU sophomore pitchers Kevin Gausman and Ryan Eades on Friday and Saturday, the third game was a different story for the Tigers’ pitching staff.
Sophomore pitcher Kurt McCune lasted three innings Sunday, the shortest outing of his career, and surrendered four runs on seven hits. The next six pitchers didn’t fare much better, as Appalachian State tacked on seven more runs with as many hits.
“The starting pitcher’s role is to set the tone for the game,” McCune said. “Whenever you come out and give up four runs in three innings, that’s not setting the tone. I take full blame for the start [Sunday] and giving them confidence at the plate.”
Though players and coaches admit they feel frustrated following the Appalachian State series, junior outfielder Raph Rhymes did manage to find a positive from the weekend.
“Facing adversity is good for the team,” Rhymes said. “I’d rather face it now than later.”
LSU will have plenty of opportunities to rebound as the Tigers have five games in the coming week. The team will practice Monday instead of taking a day off as it normally does after a weekend series.
“We’re going to take a hard look at everything,” Mainieri said. “I’m going to do a lot of evaluation of where we are. I’ve never been one to sit back and let it happen if it’s not going good.”
The Tigers return to action Tuesday against Grambling State, then travel to Lake Charles to face McNeese State before hosting Dartmouth for a three-game series during the weekend.
“We have to regroup, do a lot of self-analysis, figure out where we need to improve and get ready to do that,” Mainieri said. “And we will. It’s early in the year, and sometimes these games happen. I’ve been on the wrong side of several of these, and they’re hard to explain.”
 
 
 
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Contact Hunter Paniagua at [email protected]