Just like Zach Watson’s walk-up song, the sophomore center fielder brings the thunder when he steps in the batter’s box.
Watson has been one of LSU’s best players this season (20-13, 6-6 Southeastern Conference) despite missing nine games with a strained oblique muscle.
In Watson’s first at-bat in nearly three weeks, the sophomore doubled down the left field line against Southern, finishing the game going 3-of-5 adding two singles and scoring twice.
The Tigers’ terrific lead off hitter was back in the lineup and was already making his presence known to opposing pitchers.
Since coming back from an injury in early March, Watson has been fantastic for the Tigers. Watson has a .330 batting average out of the leadoff spot and is tied for the team high in home runs with five.
Watson’s ability to mix speed and power is what makes him one of the Tigers’ hardest outs in the lineup. He eads the team with a .580 slugging percentage, but is also third on the team in steals with seven.
The impact that Watson has made since his injury has been remarkable for the Tigers, and LSU coach Paul Mainieri believes Watson has provided a much needed boost to the team.
“His bat is lightning going through the hitting zone,” Mainieri said. “He’s a really good ballplayer. He’s the key to our team, there is no doubt about that.”
Watson’s ability to target fastballs early in the count is something that he says he looks for when he leads off the game for the Tigers.
“First pitch, usually I’m going up there looking for a fastball, and most of the time it is a fastball but sometimes it’s not, and I’m just swinging through it,” Watson said. “First pitch is usually good, and that’s why I usually swing at it.”
Watson’s approach at the plate is something he says he did throughout his high school career as lead off man for West Ouachita. Watson mastered the art of hunting fastballs in high school, hitting over .400 in all four years as a starter.
Two years removed from a spectacular high school career, Watson still has the same aggressive mentality out of the leadoff spot.
“That’s just where I come from, that’s what I’ve done my whole life,” Watson said. “In high school, I lead off and so I would always look first pitch fastball and try to hit it over early.”
The Tigers have a pivotal week ahead of them with home games against a red hot Louisiana Tech and a three game series with Tennessee. The No. 19 ranked Tigers lost last week’s series to Texas A&M and are on the verge of falling out of a Top-25 poll for the first time since the beginning of the 2012 season.
If the Tigers hope to win this week, they will need a strong performance from its powerful leadoff hitter in Watson.
With only three more SEC
series at home, it is pivotal that Watson and the Tigers can start the game fast and begin to pressure for a regular season SEC title as the season comes to a close.
