Thirty-six days.
That’s how long until the LSU baseball team faces a team currently ranked in the Baseball America Top 25.
I don’t like it one bit.
For any team to be successful in the postseason — no matter the sport — it must be challenged early in the season to learn what it takes to win against elite teams.
LSU is severely lacking formidable opponents in its non-conference slate that could help build confidence going into Southeastern Conference play. The failure of coach Paul Mainieri to schedule any early games against upper-echelon teams could have a huge impact on how his squad fares in the NCAA Tournament.
One of the reasons the LSU football team was able to do so well during the regular season was that it started off with top-5 foe Oregon. Allowing the new starters to gain experience against a quality team paid dividends down the stretch when the Tigers had to face elite teams like Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas.
I’m also disappointed that the baseball team won’t leave the state until it takes on Auburn on March 23. With senior leaders like Austin Nola, Tyler Hanover and Grant Dozar, it doesn’t make sense that the Tigers wouldn’t want to test themselves early on the road.
Instead of playing both Michigan and Notre Dame at home, LSU should have traveled for one of those series.
After an opening weekend when the Tigers outscored their opponents, 33-2, someone might question why I’m worried about this team after only three games.
The answer to that question can be found in the 2011 baseball season.
Mainieri and his squad followed basically the same script as what we’ve seen so far this season. The Tigers opened with cupcake Wake Forest and didn’t play outside Louisiana until conference games began.
The lack of road games on LSU’s early season schedule last season doomed it down the stretch. During SEC play, the Tigers only won one conference series played away from Alex Box Stadium.
An even more recent example is the New England Patriots.
Tom Brady led New England into the 2012 NFL Playoffs without beating a team with a winning record that season. The lack of wins against quality football teams was one of the main factors that led to the Patriots losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
Losing to a lesser quality team might also hurt a team’s NCAA Tournament chances.
Last season, LSU suffered its first and worst loss of the season to Princeton at home. That loss might have been one of the deciding factors that led to the Tigers missing out on the tournament.
I’d rather see LSU play a series or two against a top-25 opponent and lose a few of those games than watch it drub Alcorn State, 19-0.
I’m not saying LSU doesn’t have what it takes to make it to Omaha. The Tigers might have one of the best weekend rotations in the nation.
If the Tigers plan on making it back to the College World Series, they will have to win big games on the road down the stretch.
I’m not convinced they will be able to do that.
Micah Bedard is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Houma. Follow him on Twitter @DardDog.
 
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Contact Micah Bedard at [email protected]