Opening weekend has officially arrived in the world of college baseball, and for LSU, its season began with an 11-8 win against VMI.
Fans arrived in droves to Alex Box Stadium. Not only were they excited to take part in LSU’s Fan Fest, but they were even more excited to be back in the Box, cheering on their favorite team. That passion and excitement made the dark clouds that hung over Baton Rouge feel a little brighter.
In a closer battle than what fans may have expected, LSU walked away with the win, thanks in part to consistent errors from VMI’s bullpen. The Tiger’s showcased some faults coupled with strengths that are sure to aid their run for another national championship.
Adjusting at the plate
LSU lost its lead more than once throughout the nine innings, but each time, someone on the Tigers’ roster managed to push them back over the edge.
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After a slow first inning at the plate, LSU entered the bottom of the second with guns blazing. Energy was reignited after first baseman Jared Jones hit the first homerun of the season. It was a 3-run RBI that brought in second baseman Josh Pearson and catcher Hayden Travinski.
Center fielder Paxton Kling had a big moment at the plate in the bottom of the third inning, when his double to left field brought in two. Kling put the Tigers back on top by one after VMI brought in four runs earlier in the inning.
Some of LSU’s runs after Klings hit came from that faulty VMI bullpen, filled with walks and hit by pitches that allowed the Tigers to regain their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Left fielder Mac Bingham, however, started molding the seal that would be punched on his team’s win. His double to left field was a 2-run RBI, giving the Tigers a five-run lead in the bottom of the sixth.
“That’s our deal,” head coach Jay Johnson said, referring to the sixth inning. “Free bases from the plate, strikes on discipline. Then we got a big two out hit right there with Mac. So everybody contributed in the middle of that. I thought the middle of our order was great today.”
Travinski was the final line for the Tigers in the box. His home run to left field gave the Tigers an 11-run score.
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This roster is filled with dominant bats. Games were won last season solely because of big time plate appearances from guys like Travinksi or third baseman Tommy White. With a bit of time, this lineup could find last year’s success.
Looking ahead, continuing to adjust at the plate early in the game will be crucial for LSU when facing some of the strongest bullpens in the conference.
Bullpen Flexibility
Veteran Tiger Thatcher Hurd got the start in the season opener for LSU and for good reason.
Hurd enters this season with quite a bit of experience. He was the winning pitcher in the 2023 College World Championship Game, in which he limited Florida to only two runs on two hits across six innings.
Despite the many accolades, Hurd got behind in the count which allowed the Keydet batters to work him early. The first batter of the game saw 10 pitches in that plate appearance.
Xavier transfer Justin Loer came to the mound after Hurd saw 13 batters. He faced six hitters and allowed one run on two hits. He struck out one and walked one.
Nate Ackenhausen was the unsung hero for LSU on the rubber.
He was credited with the win, and though he allowed three runs on three hits through three innings, he also struck out six.
“My fastball, slider was going well,” Ackenhausen said in regards to what was working for him against VMI.. “Just having control of where I wanted to throw the fastball.”
Fans also saw sophomore Gavin Guidry on the mound. He threw 19 pitches, 10 of which were strikes.
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Junior right-hander Sam Dutton made an appearance but only threw three pitches.
To close it out for the Tigers, UCLA transfer Gage Jump appeared on the mound.
Due to injury, it was the first time the redshirt sophomore had seen real play time since the 2022 season.
Jump struck out two of the three batters he faced, making the top of the ninth inning a quick one.
Johnson credited VMI’s sturdy lineup for working his bullpen this much.
“Fourth in the country in hitting last year with every returning player back is a good hitting team, and they competed really hard,” Johnson said after the win. “They do things a lot more than college baseball, and so they just go out there and compete. They did a good job of that today.”
Moving forward, this LSU bullpen has some things to work on. The elite-level talent it contains should be a powerhouse in of itself, but experience may be what it needs.
Getting settled earlier on the mound, coupled with a better pitch count awareness are keys to getting there.
