LSU baseball took two of the games in Knoxville to top Tennessee for its second conference series win of the season.
The Tigers are trying to turn the season around after a rough opening stretch of conference play, and in this series win in Knoxville, there are three notable things that could help or hurt LSU later in the season.
Leaving too many runners on base
While every team says leaving runners on base is an issue, it truly becomes a detrimental problem when hot-and-cold moments are trying to be settled on the other side of the ball.
Over the course of the series, LSU left 17 runners on base.
It has shown such offensive fervor at various points this season, including Game 3 of this very series, so being able to consistently hit the runners who get on base will set this team apart from where it is currently.
When pitching and defense are posing to be issues as the season progresses, being able to consistently move runners into and out of scoring position will be key in the one-run games.
Other batters needed to step up, and they did
The conundrum each hot lineup faces is that the opposing team will circle the biggest bat among them. For LSU, this usually means junior right fielder Jake Brown is the one being scouted against the most.
Most teams the Tigers have faced have handicapped them by forcing one of the other eight batters to step up and get the clutch job done. This weekend, the Tigers had several other players get the job done, from center fielder Derek Curiel to catcher Cade Arrambide.
To consistently beat the tough competition, the others need to continue to give Brown breaks from being the hottest hitter in the lineup. Sure, his clutch gene is what will make him money in the future, but for right now, he’s going to need some help while he’s hunting opposing pitchers’ mistakes.
Momentum needs to come earlier
The series finale in Knoxville ended in a 16-6 blowout, but not before the game was stretched to 12 innings and LSU had to hit four solo home runs to make it a tied ballgame. If this team had tapped into the energy it felt in the top of the 12th inning, the game could’ve been done in the seventh.
LSU showcased all of its offensive prowess in Game 3, and that is critical to success later in the season, but long games are hard on the pitching staff. To be able to hold a team to little runs in extra innings, the Tigers need to consider what keeps their pitchers healthy, and that’s rest.
This team has finally shown up in conference play and showed why it can be a contender later in the season. If these three things continue to go up for LSU, it can be a force to be reckoned with in June.
