LSU baseball is now two weeks in to the regular season, and the big question mark has been the pitching staff.
Tiger fans have been spoiled the last few seasons with Alex Lange, Jared Poché and, before them, Aaron Nola. The experience factor that Lange and Poché brought to the group last season is invaluable.
This year’s weekend starters have had a learning curve to undergo and are still figuring out what it takes to be effective throughout the weekend.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri decided to move sophomore Zack Hess to be the Friday starter, and move junior Caleb Gilbert to the Saturday slot.
After an underwhelming first performance from the ace pitcher on opening weekend, Hess rebounded and threw 10 strikeouts and allowed just two runs in six innings of work against the Texas Longhorns.
Pitching coach Alan Dunn said there’s one pitch that if Hess is throwing well will set up the rest of his pitches making him dominant on the mound.
“Having command of his fastball is the whole thing that gets Zack going,” Dunn said. “That allows him to get to his slider which is his put away pitch. His pitching counts [on Friday] were very favorable which gives him a chance to be very successful.”
Gilbert has been a different story for LSU early in the season.
In his first two appearances, the Saturday starter boasted a 10.80 ERA, allowed 20 hits and three strikeouts. However, Dunn said those numbers are not indicative of what he’s seen from Gilbert.
Gilbert put the ball in play in game one against Notre Dame, but a few errors from his infield didn’t help his performance. In game two against Texas, Gilbert was throwing strikes and getting ahead in multiple counts, but was just unable to put any batters away.
“We’re trying to get him to put away situations a little better,” Dunn said. “It’s about execution and command. I think last week [against Texas] his velocity and his stuff were more toward where we wanted it. Obviously we know he has the ability to do that so we’re just staying the course right now.”
Sophomore Todd Peterson has been in a similar boat to Gilbert and has had some effective innings, but the consistency hasn’t always been there. Through two games, Peterson has a 9.0 ERA, four strikeouts with opposing batters hitting a .393 clip.
Dunn said every week is an evaluation process between he and Mainieri about putting guys in a position to be successful.
In regards to Peterson, Dunn said the plan is to keep him as the Sunday starter for now and evaluate as needed. Peterson pitched three shutout innings against the Longhorns on Sunday, but the fourth inning got away from him, allowing four runs before being pulled in the fifth inning.
“With Todd, we have to eliminate the big innings,” Dunn said. “I think his stuff at times has been there but there’s been times where we feel he could put away certain situations better.”
The bullpen is an area that Dunn and Mainieri have been pleased with as a unit overall.
Veterans like senior Austin Bain and sophomores Matthew Beck and Nick Bush have been the most consistent in Dunn’s eyes.
“Those have been the guys we look to when we’re trying to hold games and take us to the end,” Dunn said. “When you have young guys behind you, there needs to be dudes like that who go out and win you a game.”
Dunn is also satisfied and optimistic with some of the younger talent from the bullpen such as Trent Vietmeier and Ma’Khail Hilliard. In two game appearances, Vietmeier has a 1.35 ERA with eight strikeouts while Hilliard has a 0.00 ERA in his three appearances.
“What coach Mainieri and I are looking for is for those young guys to throw the ball in the strike zone,” Dunn said. “Vietmeier has done that while also showing some great poise. You’re trying to figure out through the course of a 56 game schedule, who are guys we’re going to be able to count on and the only way you do that is to give them opportunities.”