Midterm examinations are one of the most dreaded parts of the academic calendar. These exams come at the halfway point of the semester and carry the same stress of a typical finals week.
Although there are a host of reasons for students to hate midterm exams, they can also be extremely useful. After all, it is often said that self-evaluation is the genesis of improvement, and the best means of evaluation is to take a physical test.
Self-evaluation in the present is crucial to success in the future, and there is no place this is better understood than in the world of sports.
Unlike tests replete with multiple choice questions and short-answer essays, the tests used for evaluating a sports team are the games that team plays.
As of the beginning of this week, the LSU baseball team is 29 games into its 56-game regular season, which means the Tigers are one game past the halfway point.
Since it’s midterm time for the baseball team, let’s see where they stand.
LSU is currently 18-11 (5-4 Southeastern Conference.) That record may seem extremely mediocre on the surface, but many fans have probably forgotten that the Tigers were 19-10 (5-4 SEC) halfway through the 2017 season.
As we all know, the 2017 team went on a postseason tear that included a trip to the College World Series where the Tigers captured national runner-up honors.
I’m not saying the 2018 team will replicate last year’s success, but I am saying this year’s goals are still well within reach.
To attain those goals, LSU needs to overhaul several aspects of its play to stay alive in the dog days of summer.
When the season began, many fans thought the Tigers’ biggest obstacle would be pitching, especially since the weekend rotation was going to feature three new starters.
Stellar performances from closing-pitcher-turned-ace Zack Hess, dependence on the reliable arm of Caleb Gilbert and the emergence of freshman phenom Ma’Khail Hilliard has proven to be LSU’s bread and butter as of late.
Surprisingly, the starting rotation hasn’t been the only consistent part of the pitching staff. The Tiger bullpen has not allowed a run in seven consecutive games.
Now would be a good time to knock on wood.
Unfortunately, LSU’s offense has been anything but consistent recently. The Tigers struggled to plate runs in the Vanderbilt series and the midweek game against UL-Lafayette but scored 10 runs in the first game of the Mississippi State series.
Productivity at the plate has been a burden for LSU all season. The Tigers’ .295 team batting average is good for fourth in the SEC, but LSU is only 12th in the league in runs scored.
It should go without saying that the Tigers will need to greatly improve at the plate when runners are in scoring position if they plan on having a competitive postseason.
The good news is LSU should get an offensive boost when infielders Josh Smith and Brandt Broussard return from injury.
In fact, I think it would be warranted for fans to raise their expectations for the Tigers in the remainder of the season. This young team is gaining experience with each passing game, and I have a feeling the purple and gold faithful will be in for a treat as we inch closer to the summer.