LSU endured its first loss in the first game of their Saturday doubleheader against Omaha.
A high-variance weekend confirmed some strengths, introduced potential concerns and brought about new uncertainties.
Here are the main takeaways from the Tigers’ second weekend of baseball.
Is hitting a weakness?
Though a single-inning disaster from the bullpen is also to blame, LSU did nothing offensively while losing its midday game against the Mavericks on Saturday.
LSU went seven innings without any hits. Omaha set the Tigers up for success with hit batters and walks, but LSU failed to score until the last inning.
The Tigers were impatient at the plate and swinging at pitches outside the zone, leading to easy outs or missed opportunities trying to play catch up.
Mavericks pitcher Ben Weber took advantage of this by working deep counts and forcing LSU hitters to chase, which slowed down the offensive production in certain innings.
But despite the negatives behind the plate, LSU’s batting lineup was on full display the next game.
The Tigers won their third game against Omaha 12-1 while showcasing their depth and ability to hit for power, a reassuring response to their first loss.
Pitching ups and downs
One of the other key aspects for LSU this weekend was the performance of its pitching staff. Starters delivered strong outings, allowing just two combined runs all series.
After starting the game with a couple of hit batters, Kade Anderson allowed just one hit through the first five innings. Two walks and two singles led to two runs before he was pulled from the game in the sixth.
“I feel like there’s a lot of room for growth, and just continue to work every day,” Anderson said.
Anthony Eyanson shut out Omaha through six full innings, striking out seven.
Chase Shores also allowed no runs, striking out six and showing great composure with runners on.
The bullpen had more variance.
Connor Benge performed well in relief for Anderson, surrendering just one run on a sacrifice fly.
In the next game, Grant Fontenot hit three consecutive batters before Benge replaced him in the seventh.
A couple of wild pitches and a single set up a three-run home run that gave Omaha five in a single inning.
The Maverick’s sole run in the series’ third game came off Jacob Mayers in the eighth, following two hit batters and two walks.
Outside of this, the LSU bullpen allowed just one hit and no runs through 8.2 innings the rest of the weekend.
Struggle on the base paths
Another area where LSU showed room for improvement was on the base paths. The Tigers were caught stealing and taking unnecessary risks on a few occasions.
“To me, nothing seemed really out of control. I just felt like we needed to make a move,” head coach Jay Johnson said.
Base running mistakes, including missed signs and poor judgment, put additional stress on LSU and prevented them from taking full advantage of scoring opportunities.
The Tigers’ roster construction offers high potential for baserunning aggression, but the team must better assess when to push the envelope and when to play it safe.
This loss can be a chance for this young team to learn from it, as it proved itself capable in their third game.
