The Tigers are off to the Super Regional.
LSU (46-17) defeated Rice 5-0 behind a dominant pitching performance from freshman Eric Walker. Walker threw eight innings, allowing no runs on seven hits and tied his career high in strikeouts with eight.
After Walker allowed back-to-back single to open the ninth, freshman reliever Zach Hess got the Tigers out of a jam with three strikeouts.
With the win, Walker notched his eighth win on the season for the Tigers.
“Eric is unbelievable,” said freshman first baseman Jake Slaughter. “Every game he comes out there, and he just throws a gem. Every time he is pitching you know you have chance to win if you put up a couple runs.”
The Freshman has now been the starting pitcher in three of LSU’s biggest wins of the season against Mississippi State in the regular season finale, the SEC Tournament final against Arkansas, and the win against Rice on Sunday.
“He’s makes it really easy for a catcher,” senior catcher Michael Papierski said. “I barely moved my glove the first time I caught for him. I knew right then he would be our Sunday starter.”
LSU failed to match its recent offensive output on Sunday, but the … runs scored in the first four innings were enough for victory. Freshman third baseman Josh Smith opened the scoring for the Tigers with an RBI double in the second inning. Papierski and Slaughter both followed that up with two more RBIs in the second inning.
“Even though we did not put up the numbers with our hits, I think we swang it really well,” senior second baseman Cole Freeman said. “We had a bunch of hard hit outs, but as long as we have more runs on the board at the end of the day I am fine with it.”
It was only the third time in the last 10 games LSU has recorded single digit runs. The win pushes LSU’s win streak to 14, and gives LSU a 19-2 record since April 25.
LSU will face either Southern Miss or Mississippi State in the Baton Rouge Super Regional next weekend. It is now the seventh time LSU has reached the Super Regionals under Mainieri.
The return to the Super Regional can’t come soon enough for senior shortstop Kramer Robertson.
“I’ve been preparing for this weekend since Coastal Carolina walked off on our field last year, and dogpiled on my position,” Robertson said. “There is nothing more I want then to win two more games and get to Omaha.”
