Put the ball in play, and the defense is bound to make mistakes every so often.
The No. 17 LSU baseball team’s adversaries are making a habit of those mistakes.
LSU ranks second in the Southeastern Conference with 40 errors, yet opponents have still committed 17 more errors than the Tigers this season.
Those errors have contributed to 59 unearned runs for the Tigers, just under 28 percent of LSU’s total run output this season.
Florida, Vanderbilt and South Carolina — the top three teams in the SEC — have fewer than 40 unearned runs each, equaling less than 22 percent of the total run output for every team.
Opponents have committed at least two errors in 19 of LSU’s 28 games. The Tigers are 2-3 in the five games opponents have had a clean defensive slate.
“I was just in my office and watching the first baseman for the Chicago Cubs make an error on a ground ball in the eighth inning with a one-run lead,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “It’s part of the game. People make errors.”
Mainieri said the errors are a result of LSU putting pressure on the other team. The Tigers have done that in a multitude of ways as small ball has overtaken the “gorilla ball” of past teams.
LSU has 21 more steals and 16 more successful sacrifice bunts than its opponents.
One of those sacrifices led to an Ole Miss error and three eventual unearned runs in the first inning of the Tigers’ 8-2 win Sunday against the Rebels.
Junior third baseman Tyler Hanover laid a bunt down the first base line, which was thrown into right field.
“Tyler put a great bunt down,” said sophomore left fielder Alex Edward. “For a left-handed pitcher, that’s a really tough play for him to make. He has to go to the line and then spin and throw it, and with Tyler’s speed, he has to make a perfect play.”
Another Ole Miss error came later in the inning on a blazing one-hopper from junior center fielder Mikie Mahtook to third base, which was fielded and thrown low across the diamond and past the first baseman for two unearned runs.
“You put the ball on the ground, you make them make plays, and good things happen,” Mahtook said. “You hit the ball in the air, anybody can catch a fly ball.”
Even Cal State Fullerton — the No. 12 team in the nation — couldn’t field the ball cleanly against the Tigers, committing at least three errors in all three games of LSU’s sweep.
“It’s how baseball is,” Mainieri said. “These kids are not perfect. They’re not robots. If you cut their arm, they bleed just like you and I. They try their best, and sometimes they have misplays.”
LSU makes contact more often than not, striking out 54 fewer times than its opponents. When the Tigers force the defense to make plays, botched fielding attempts are inevitable.
LSU has scored 19 more runs than any team in the SEC. The Tigers’ batting average is 67 points higher, and its slugging percentage is more than 100 points higher than their opponents.’
“You just put the ball in play and hit the ball hard and have good at-bats, and good things happen for you,” Mahtook said.
Follow Rowan Kavner on Twitter @TDR_Kavner.
 
—-
Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]