Coming off an Southeastern Conference Championship in the regular season, the Tigers will attempt to capture another championship in the SEC Tournament this week.
LSU heads to Hoover having won 11 of its last 12 conference games, and hopes to continue the hot streak into the postseason. The team will also try to lock up a national seed and the right to host a super regional.
“I feel very confident about hosting a regional,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. “I think we are in pretty good position to host a national seed, but you never know what a committee is thinking or will decide. A good run in the SEC Tournament could solidify a national seed.”
Junior pitcher Alex Lange, who is slated to pitch LSU’s second game of the tournament, said that the team is playing with a sense of urgency, and that they view playing in Hoover as home game.
“I have been saying it all year our best baseball is in front of us,” said Lange. “We are peaking at the right time, and playing our best baseball when it matters.”
The Tigers will also look to get revenge against some conference foes such as Florida and Kentucky, both of whom got the best of them in the regular season.
“That’s the natural thing,” Lange said, “You want to play the guys that took you down. I think it’s just going to be fun a weekend.”
The Tigers are attempting to win the tournament for the first time since 2014, and will open play on Wednesday against the winner of Tuesday’s matchup between Texas A&M and Missouri.
Mainieri announced that he will rely upon freshman pitcher Todd Peterson in the team’s opening game. Peterson has made three starts on the season, including one last week against Northwestern State.
“If we want to win the tournament at some point somebody other than the name Lange, Poche, Walker are going to have to win a game for us,” Mainieri said. “So let’s see if we can do it in the beginning.”
Peterson has made 19 appearances for the Tigers on the mound, but Wednesday’s game will be a big one for the freshman.
“I know he came out of the bullpen in big situations when we were in Houston, and did fine,” junior catcher Michael Papierski said. “He has a lot of confidence and composure on the mound.”
Papierski, whose bat has been one of the reasons for LSU’s late season surge, said the team has finally played to their expectations.
“It’s fun,” Papierski said. “They say hitting is contagious, and it definitely seemed like that this weekend.”
The junior catcher has been joined by senior shortstop Kramer Robertson as players who have shown life at the plate for the Tigers. Robertson enters the SEC Tournament fresh off being named SEC player of the week.
“It’s the last time we get to prove ourselves before the postseason starts,” Robertson said. “I think a good showing will favor us well for a national seed, and we have an opportunity for our third championship this season.”
