The nearly two-hour rain delay the Tigers had to sit through Saturday before winning a share of the Southeastern Conference regular season title may end up working to their advantage.
LSU sophomore right-hander Anthony Ranaudo threw 128 pitches Thursday night against the Bulldogs on short rest. With the start of the SEC tournament Wednesday, Ranaudo would have had to pitch on short rest again, but sophomore right-hander Austin Ross only pitched two innings Saturday because of the rain delay.
Ross (5-6, 5.07 ERA) will get the start in Game 1 of the Tigers’ quest to repeat as SEC tournament champions, and Ranaudo will likely get the nod to start Game 2, said LSU coach Paul Mainieri.
“With the NCAAs waiting in the wings, it would be the prudent thing to not run your pitchers into the ground,” Mainieri said. “[Ranaudo] has pitched two times in a row on shortened rest, so … we absolutely need to give him his normal six days rest, if not seven.”
The No. 2 Tigers (41-15, 20-10) have a 54-34 all-time record in the tournament and are seeking to be the first team to win back-to-back crowns since Alabama in 2002 and 2003.
LSU will open their tournament play against eighth-seeded Vanderbilt (31-24, 12-17).
Although the teams did not meet in the regular season, Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said that may have played to the Commodores’ advantage.
“Had we played [LSU] in the regular season, we might not be in the tournament,” Corbin said. “They are a very good team.”
The Commodores have won five of the past seven meetings between the clubs, but LSU had the upper hand the last time the teams met, defeating Vandy, 8-2, in the second round of the SEC tournament last season.
This will be the second year in a row the Tigers will be playing the Commodores in the tournament without having played them in the regular season.
“It makes it feel like an NCAA regional, where you are facing teams you don’t normally face during the regular season,” Mainieri said.
Mainieri continued, saying the SEC tournament is tougher than any NCAA regional the Tigers will be placed in.
“If we are the one seed in our bracket, you think of Vanderbilt as a fourth seed in our bracket, and they are much tougher than any fourth seed you would play in the regionals,” Mainieri said.
If LSU defeats Vandy, the Tigers will advance to face the winner of the Alabama vs. South Carolina game. If the Tigers lose to the Commodores, they will play an elimination game against the loser of the Alabama vs. South Carolina game.—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]