There were too many storylines to count entering LSU’s game against Southeastern’s baseball team Tuesday night, a contest the Tigers won 10-7.
Cade Doughty and his bat scorched through weekend opponent UTSA’s pitching staff. Doughty hit four home runs and brought in nine runs in the three-game series, and was surely hoping to extend his hot streak through Tuesday and into the upcoming weekend.
Hayden Travinski, whose role has been increasing as he’s worked his way back from an elbow injury, hit a crucial extra-inning home run in LSU’s comeback win on Sunday. He was then announced as the starting catcher against Southeastern, something his injury had withheld him from doing so far this season.
Giovanni DiGiacomo was on track to return to the lineup soon. The opening day starting center fielder had been sidelined since Feb. 21, LSU’s second game of the season, with a hamstring injury. Coach Paul Mainieri told reporters Monday that he was at about “80%” and that he had a chance to play Tuesday if all went well.
Lastly, the well-documented struggles of the Tigers’ bullpen were thrown into the spotlight over the weekend. Pitchers not named Hill, Marceaux or Labas allowed 20 runs over the weekend. They blew three late-game leads and forced LSU’s bats to clean up for their mistakes.
Doughty and Travinski provided explanations to the curiosity surrounding them immediately. In the first inning, Travinski whacked a ball 431 feet to left field for a three-RBI home run to give LSU an early 4-0 lead after a Mitchell Sanford RBI single. The home run hit the left field scoreboard, and it became LSU’s longest home run of the season.
“Travinski’s had good at bats all year,” Mainieri said. “He’s an intimidating force up there. When he hits the ball, he hits it harder than everybody.”
In the next inning, Travinski threw out an attempting base stealer, proving his elbow was healthy and disproving any remaining concern.
In the fourth inning, Doughty hit a three-run shot of his own. His went sailing over the Tobasco sign in left-center field for a projected 442 feet, topping Travinski’s 431-footer hit just over an hour earlier.
“I’m seeing the ball really well,” Doughty said. “I’m not chasing pitches. I’m able to recognize the offspeed pretty early. I just feel really comfortable in the box right now. Hopefully I can keep it rolling.”
Not to be outdone, Travsinki hit a laser over the centerfielder’s head for a two-run double later in the same inning. LSU Baseball Data tracked the exit velocity at 109.6 miles per hour.
Travinski was replaced for Jake Wyeth to start the fifth inning. Mainieri explained that they wanted to keep his innings and number of pitches caught low in an effort to ease him into longer outings behind the plate. Travinski said he’s ready to go nine innings and his arm is feeling well, but says, “we’ll get to that point.”
“I didn’t want to push it with him too much,” Mainieri said. “We monitored how many throws he actually made. I’m very motivated to get him into the lineup and get as many at bats as I can.”
Also in the fifth, Ma’Khail Hilliard was the first out of the LSU bullpen to relieve starter Will Hellmers, who tossed four innings and allowed three runs. All three were off back-to-back home runs in the third inning. Hilliard allowed three runs to cross the plate before ending the inning. Hilliard allowed a two-run double after loading the bases, and a sacrifice fly brought home the final run.
Theo Millas came on to pitch the sixth inning and struggled to find consistency. He gave up one run and was replaced in favor of Ty Floyd after only retiring two batters. Suddenly, a seven-run lead became a three-run advantage in less than two full innings. It was beginning to look eerily similar to the LSU bullpen’s last three games.
LSU found sure-handedness with Floyd, who returned the following inning and pitched a scoreless seventh.
Elsewhere in the inning, DiGiacomo made his return to the outfield. He was inserted into the game as a defensive replacement for Sanford and received applause from the home crowd when the defensive change was announced over the stadium speakers.
The bullpen continued to find consistency in the later innings. Devin Fontenot retired the first three batters in a perfect eighth inning, and Garrett Edwards ended the evening with a clean ninth. They avoided what was beginning to believe to be the inevitable: another blown late-inning lead.
“Our bullpen was terrific in the later innings,” Mainieri said. “Fontenot gave us his best inning of the year, and Garrett Edwards was really outstanding also.”
LSU now approaches the conference portion of its schedule, with Mississippi State as the first SEC opponent this weekend. Beginning Friday, capacity at Alex Box Stadium will be increased to 50% with about 5,000 fans expected to be in attendance.
“Now it’s time to get ready for the Southeastern Conference which is what you come to LSU for,” Mainieri said. “I know the fans are chomping at the bits. We’re ready.”