LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri isn’t afraid to change his starting lineup midseason.Last season, the third-year Tiger coach replaced then-sophomore Sean Ochinko with then-freshman Micah Gibbs behind the plate, a move that helped spark a 23-game winning streak and an eventual College World Series run.This season, Mainieri has made similar changes and has moved sophomore DJ LeMahieu from shortstop to second base and has made freshman Austin Nola the team’s new shortstop. The team has also placed former second baseman Ryan Schimpf to left field, where he spent time as a freshman.Through two games of the new experiment, things have been going well and the Tigers have made just one error in their two midweek wins.”I knew it was the right thing to do,” Mainieri said. “Sometimes you worry about hurting feelings or how players will react, but you’d like to think that, over the course of time as a coach, that you’ve proven yourself to your players and they have confidence in the decisions you make.” The Tigers hope their new lineup continues to fire on all cylinders this weekend when LSU (30-12, 11-7) hosts Auburn (25-16, 8-10).Mainieri said he told LeMahieu he had the option of moving to either third base or second base when Nola was announced as the starting shortstop.After a workout session Monday, Mainieri was convinced second base was where LeMahieu could best help the Tigers. “We went out for what was supposed to be a 20-minute workout,” Mainieri said. “But we ended up being out there for an hour, because it seemed like DJ was really enjoying himself, and I told him when we were done that I had just gotten done watching a professional second baseman.”LeMahieu said the transition has been a smooth one because of the similarities between the positions.”You have more time [at second base],” he said. “When you get the ball, you don’t have to worry about firing it to the bag.” LSU’s bats backed up its new defensive alignment in the Tigers’ midweek games — LSU scored 16 runs and hit five home runs against Southeastern Louisiana and Louisiana-Lafayette.Schimpf and junior outfielder Blake Dean have been scorching for the LSU offense and have combined to go 17-for-40 with five home runs and 13 RBI in the team’s last five games.LeMahieu said the duo’s hot streak reminds him of the run Dean and former LSU first baseman Matt Clark went on the second half of last season.”It inspires everyone when you’re hitting with runners on base,” LeMahieu said. “You want to get up as often as you can to knock them in.” This weekend, the Tigers may be without their first baseman and cleanup hitter, junior Sean Ochinko, who Mainieri said will be a game-time decision with a hamstring injury.”It’s just a little minor injury,” Mainieri said. “We’re going to evaluate before the series whether he can play first base, be a DH or be a pinch hitter.” But pitching was the problem in LSU’s series loss last weekend against Tennessee and the Volunteers scored 19 runs in three games.Six of those runs were scored off the Tigers’ Sunday starter sophomore Austin Ross.Mainieri said following Sunday’s game he would consider moving the Shreveport native out of the weekend rotation.But following a dominant midweek start Wednesday against the Ragin’ Cajuns, Mainieri expects Ross to again be on the mound on Sunday.”He threw really well,” Mainieri said. “His breaking ball was really good, and he made some great pitches. It was very encouraging how he kept the ball down.”—-Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]