For most college males, spring break is full of sunny skies, sandy beaches and sun screen.
But for the 37 guys on the LSU baseball team, this spring break did not hold the same level of fulfillment.
After starting the break winning two of three games against the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the Tigers (18-15-1, 4-7-1 SEC) dropped three of their next four games to go 3-4 over the week-long school hiatus.
LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri said he was disappointed how the week turned out after a good start.
“The Alabama weekend series started pretty well, but obviously Tuesday night at Tulane and the first two games against Auburn [University] didn’t go as planned,” Mainieri said. “But you have to just keep chugging along, battling hard and good things will happen.”
The Tigers started the break on the right foot by winning the first and third games of the three-game series against the Crimson Tide 5-4 and 7-3, respectively.
The Tigers play went downhill from there as they lost Tuesday night 16-9 against Tulane University at Zephyr Field.
LSU junior starting pitcher Kyle Beerbohm (0-1) was roughed up for four runs on five hits in 1.2 innings pitched.
Freshman reliever Chris Sorce did not have much luck either after giving up six earned runs in 0.2 innings pitched coming out of the bullpen.
The Green Wave opened the game with 10 runs in the first four innings and finished the contest with 22 hits.
After losing 6-1 Friday and being shut out Saturday for the first time in three years at Alex Box Stadium, 7-0, the Tigers avoided the sweep Sunday and salvaged a win against Auburn, 10-1.
Junior pitcher Jared Bradford bailed out the Tigers once again by giving up just one earned run in seven innings to pick up his fifth win of the season.
Bradford’s nine strikeout performance marked the third time this season he has started the Sunday match-up of a series and helped the Tigers avoid a three-game sweep.
Although Bradford began the season as the closer and has picked up four saves this year, he improved his record to 5-2 in just his sixth start of the season.
Bradford said not having a distinct role on the pitching staff has not affected him as much as he initially thought.
“It’s tough getting comfortable, but I think now I’ve gotten used to it,” Bradford said. “I’ve gotten adapted to the situation … and I’ve become comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Prior to Sunday’s 10-run offensive output, the Tigers had been outscored 41-24 over the break.
Along with being outscored by 17 runs, the Tigers season-long offensive woes continued as they batted a dismal .254 (59-232) as a team this past week.
Through the first 35 games this season the Tigers have batted .248 as a team.
Mainieri said he did not expect the sub-.300 batting average coming into the season.
“I’ve been coaching for 24 years before this year, and I have never had a team that has hit under .300 as a team,” Mainieri said. “So to have a team that is hitting [.248], I didn’t even think it was possible. And maybe the last 20 games of the season we’ll get hot and really swing the bats well.”
Junior infielder Chris Jackson provided a spark for the Tigers this past week after batting .357 (5-14) with two runs and one RBI in the three games he played in over spring break.
Jackson has been limited in his playing time as he recovers from injuries.
Jackson said although the team struggled over the past seven games, he believes the younger players are coming along very well.
“I think they’re coming through,” Jackson said. “We’ve got some young guys and they’ve come a long way from the first weekend to now. You can’t go up there and go down easily. We had guys that at first they were kind of that way – kind of laid back and kind of watch pitches – but now they are attacking the ball more, and that’s the biggest aspect.”
The Tigers’ first game since the break will be Wednesday when they take on Mississippi Valley State University at 6:30 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium.
—–Contact Jay St. Pierre at [email protected]