By Hunt Palmer
After the first losing weekend of the season, LSU returns to action Tuesday night as Louisiana-Lafayette visits Alex Box Stadium.
This marks the 89th meeting between the two in-state rivals. LSU leads the series 58-28 and beat the Ragin Cajuns last season at the Astros College Foundation Classic.
LSU has not announced any pitching plans, but with a Thursday start to this weekend’s SEC series against Mississippi State in Baton Rouge, it’s reasonable to assume a number of pitchers will see some mound time.
First pitch is set for 6:30 and can be streamed on the SEC Network+.
BATS BREAKOUT
LSU’s offense has shown remarkable consistency all year long. Saturday and Sunday were a speedbump, however. Over the last 12 innings of the weekend, the Tigers managed just two runs.
To be clear, my concern level over 12 innings of baseball is essentially zero. LSU went 11 innings without a run against Omaha earlier this season. They scored seven or more in 17 of the next 18.
Rough patches happen, but a little Tuesday-night confidence would be nice considering one of the best aces in the SEC is waiting at some point this weekend. Pico Kohn has been exceptional for Mississippi State so far.
ULL will start left hander Andrew Herrmann, so Michael Braswell and Ethan Frey are likely to get starts. As soon as a right hander enters, Josh Pearson, Tanner Reaves and/or Jake Brown generally enter.
CAJUNS COMING
ULL did a nice job over the weekend taking 2-of-3 in Mobile against South Alabama. It’s been a bumpy start for Matt Deggs’s team, though. They’re 11-14 overall.
The offense has been iffy all year. Only three regulars are batting better than .263, and Conor Higgs has nine of the team’s 21 home runs.
Higgs has been a star, though. The fifth-year Cajun is hitting a team best .338 with those nine blasts. He also leads the team in walks, on base percentage, RBI, hits and hit by pitches. He’s very, very clearly the guy LSU must circle on the scouting report.
Baton Rouge native and Parkview Baptist product Caleb Stelly is off to a good start as well. He’s hitting .287 with four homers. Both of those are second on the team.
Deggs’s teams are known for their aggressiveness and small ball style. They will hit and run. They will squeeze bunt. They will try creative baserunning plays. It’s the reason Jay Johnson likes to scrimmage UL in the fall. If LSU relaxes, the constant pressure can be a problem.
Interestingly, the Cajuns have been credited with seven saves by seven different pitchers. Herrmann, the projected starter, has one of those. Like LSU. ULL will likely use a handful of arms to get through the game.
PITCHING PLAN
William Schmidt and Conner Ware need to step forward for LSU. Both are great talents that the Tigers will need out of the bullpen this season.
The weekend in Austin was a pressure cooker. Neither handled it well. Midweek games with sub-.500 opponents can be good pallet cleansers. If I were making the call, and I’m very much not, I would throw Schmidt and Ware an inning a piece on Tuesday and hope they cruise. Get them out and ready for the weekend.
Casan Evans will not be available for LSU after throwing 60 pitches on Sunday. Someone else will have to get late outs for the Tigers if the game is close.
