LSU coach Smoke Laval still has a lot of friends at Louisiana-Monroe from the time he spent there as head coach, and he still enjoys playing the Indians because they are a competitive baseball team.
LSU travels to ULM today for a 6:30 p.m. game, and Laval said the only negative of playing the Indians (8-6) in Monroe is the long drive up to North Louisiana.
“It’s too long of a drive, and you get back at one or two in the morning,” said Laval, who coached at ULM from 1994-to-2000. “That’s tough. That wears on you.”
It takes its toll on the team as well, but right fielder Jon Zeringue said the team needs to treat the mid-week game like any weekend series.
“It’s just like coming out for a Friday night game,” Zeringue said. “We’ve got to go up there and get a win. Last year we would lose focus in those games. We lost a couple of them when there was no way we should have lost. We’ve got to get the mindset to go up there and whoop some butt. It kind of sucks that we have to go all the way to Monroe to do it, but whatever, we’ll take it.”
The Tigers (11-2) beat ULM 7-1 at Alex Box Stadium on Feb. 17 behind the pitching of Michael Bonura and a six-run first inning.
Freshman left-hander Clay Dirks will get his second consecutive mid-week start after pitching a complete-game shutout against Tulane at Zephyr Field last Tuesday.
Dirks (2-0, 1.37 ERA), who only allowed four hits to the Green Wave and threw 130 pitches, said that was the most he has thrown since his senior year in high school.
“[My arm] was pretty sore,” Dirks said. “It was good soreness — soreness I needed to go through. My arm needed to go through that. I needed to throw that much so I can prove to myself that my arm is back and there’s nothing to worry about at all.”
Dirks, who was named Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week, said he is hoping to improve with each start and tonight’s game is no exception.
“I am anxiously awaiting every start,” he said. “I am pretty excited to see what’s going to happen. I’ve just got to get ready, got to get focused for Tuesday night.”
Dirks will not pitch another complete game tonight, according to Laval. He said he has quite a few pitchers he wants to use against the Indians, including left-handed relievers Jason Determann and Greg Smith, along with right-hander Jordan Faircloth.
“There’s a possibility to see five or six pitchers regardless,” Laval said. “We’ve got to get guys ready for conference.”
Laval also wants to use tonight’s game to play some other players who have yet to get an opportunity.
Laval plans to start Dustin Weaver at catcher and give starter Matt Liuzza some time off, despite his current 13-game hitting streak. He also wants to get Will Harris in the lineup for some at-bats. Weaver is hitting .429 in seven at-bats and Will Harris is hitting .389 in 13 at-bats with one home run and two RBIs.
“I want to let some guys relax and see the game from a different perspective,” Laval said. “You still try to go out and win the ballgame and that’s the tough part. Sometimes you’re not always putting your best nine out there.”