With the first pitch for LSU Baseball just over a week away, the Tigers have questions that, if answered correctly, could mean the difference between a successful season and one that will falter before even getting out of Baton Rouge. The team returns a mix of veterans and freshmen, all looking to make an impact in the loaded Southeastern Conference. D1Baseball.com ranks nine SEC teams in their preseason top 25 (Florida, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Arkansas, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Auburn), leading the country in teams featured in the poll. But LSU is no stranger to elite collegiate talent, and they will focus on themselves to make sure they can compete in stacked conference play. Here are four questions that will determine if LSU can be looking at plane tickets to Omaha this summer.

1. Who will rise to the top of the outfielders?

This is probably the best question LSU faces this year. The Tigers are loaded with options at the outfield position group, so much so that head coach Paul Mainieri is going to have to leave some guys out of the mix. Junior Giovanni DiGiacomo seems to have locked up his place in centerfield, with his electric speed and strong glove making him the ideal candidate to man the middle, and freshman Dylan Crews will most likely take one of the other fields, as he has lived up to the hype around him and shown the coaches a serious work ethic.
However, Crews can’t play every game and there is still one spot left. Newly converted outfielder Cade Beloso has been the leading candidate, but Drew Bianco and Gavin Dugas may give him a run for his money. Mitchell Sanford, Brody Drost and Maurice Hampton could also easily hop into the mix. Keep an eye on the quality of play out there; it could be very fluid depending on who’s hot and who’s not.

2. Can the left side of the infield shape up?

One of the primary concerns Mainieri has had about a position group so far through camp has been the left side of the infield. Four guys have emerged above the rest of the team for the two spots in Collier Cranford, Zach Arnold, Jordan Thompson and Will Safford, but none of the four can jump over the others to clear the pack. Each have shown flashes of good baseball with their time, but no one has been consistent enough to definitively lock in a spot for regular time. As of Thursday, the situation continues to be fluid. It will be interesting to see who emerges from the position battle.

3. Will the freshmen hitters meet the team’s needs?

LSU brings a unique mashup of veterans and newcomers, but the distinction has found itself split between the older pitchers and the younger hitters. All three of LSU’s projected rotation have at least three years of experience, and their bullpen returns seven pitchers, like fifth year senior Matthew Beck or preseason All-American closer Devin Fontenot. Meanwhile, with the loss of contributors like Zach Mathis and Saul Garza, an already inexperienced lineup got even younger this offseason.
The good news is there are freshmen, specifically Crews and first baseman Tre’ Morgan, that could hit at the top of the order from day one. It’s a tall order to ask of two players who have never seen a live collegiate pitch yet, but if anyone can handle it, it may be these two guys. Morgan was a top hitter on the New Orleans prep baseball circuit at Brother Martin, and the combination of timely hitting and consistent defense won him the first base job over two-year starter Beloso. He has shown consistent contact and good speed on the base pads as well.
We have already talked about Crews’s ability to work, but the talent is also undeniable. He is the closest thing to a five-tool outfielder LSU has had since Mikie Mahtook, so it is no secret why he was the highest rated MLB Draft prospect to fulfill his commitment to a college program. Mainieri has compared his attitude and passion to LSU great Alex Bregman and firmly believes he will be one of those special players to come through LSU.
If the two, among other freshmen like Thompson, Safford and Drost, can give consistently good at-bats every game, their offense should be good enough to where the seasoned pitching can dominate matchups.

4. Will the team stay healthy enough in a pandemic?

While every team will be dealing with this big question at some point this season, the teams that can overcome this obstacle best will almost certainly be the ones in the best position to win come June. It is a huge question that also has the most uncertain outcome. No one can predict what players will be available at different segments of the season, so being able to adapt when the virus strikes is crucial. LSU has already dealt with their fair share of shutdowns throughout the preseason, with a freezing of all activities in the fall after a team outbreak and the absence of a few players in these past few weeks before the season. If the Tigers can stay out of the virus’s sights while also keeping their physical injuries to a minimum, they’ll be in a terrific position to compete this year.