I was watching the Elite Eight on Friday night, and I received an e-mail from the LSU Sports Information Office saying the LSU baseball team would be playing a doubleheader Saturday because inclement weather was expected in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sunday.I watched most of game one of Saturday’s doubleheader when LSU headed to Tennessee for its first road trip of the season — by most, I mean the innings thrown by LSU’s equivalent of New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, left-hander Chris Matulis.I say Matulis is Joba-like because, like the Yankees pitcher, the Tigers’ sophomore has great stuff, but the organization doesn’t seem to have a place for the hurler.But I digress.All I saw watching the game were sunny skies and an LSU team that seemed to find a way to win even without the dominant pitching it displayed last season.The Tigers swept the Volunteers after losing last year’s series against Tennessee, 2-1. The Tigers showed they could correct the errors that led to some early season losses against a Kansas team that played out of its mind against LSU.The Tigers have been on a roll since the 2-1 series loss to the Jayhawks, losing only in the Southeastern Conference series opener against Arkansas. Anyone watching the Tigers can see this team is different from the team that won the program’s sixth national championship — but that may not be a bad thing.Last year’s team won with dominant pitching and a potent offense that sent balls flying into the stands. This year’s team relies more on manufacturing runs and playing solid defense.The pitchers for LSU haven’t been bad this year. They look like minor leaguers compared to last year’s squad.Last year’s team featured the 2009 SEC Pitcher of the Year, Louis Coleman, and 2009 All-American Anthony Ranaudo. Ranaudo returned but has been a non-factor, making just his second start of the season in game one of the doubleheader Saturday against Tennessee.The staff instead has been fronted by junior Austin Ross, who at times has shown himself to be an elite pitcher in the conference but at other times has looked just plan awful on the mound.Filling out the rest of the rotation are freshman Jordan Rittiner, who is a solid pitcher but needs a good defense behind him to be successful, and sophomore Joey Bourgeois, who at times has looked like a veteran ace on the mound and other times not so much.To put things in perspective, last year’s staff finished with an ERA of 4.02, while this year’s staff sports an average of 4.30. It isn’t too dramatic an ERA spike, but the numbers don’t show the Tigers’ on-field woes. LSU pitchers have allowed quite a few big innings this season. The Tigers have allowed four or more runs in an inning seven times this season.But this hasn’t translated to losses. The Tigers have dropped just three of their 23 games this season.Why? This team is mature. The hitters have confidence in themselves, and LSU never feels like it’s out of the game when it falls behind.This is why there is no substitute for experience. Take game two of the LSU-Arkansas series as an example.The Tigers fell behind, 4-1, after Bourgeois had a rough third inning. But LSU maintained its composure and was able to mount a rally in the seventh inning to take an 8-7 victory.The pitchers don’t panic and get nervous when they make mistakes. They just regroup and try to do better against the next batters.LSU’s hitters don’t add extra pressure, either. And that’s why they are winning. LSU is playing every phase of the game well, not just certain parts. The Tigers are playing smart, and that is what makes them a championship contender.If LSU can keep playing smart and finding ways to win, it is almost guaranteed a trip to Omaha in June.  Amos Morale is a 22 year-old history major from Houston. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_amosmorale3.—-Contact Amos Morale at [email protected]