LSU hosts Grambling in midweek matchup

By Hunt Palmer

LSU’s schedule has been shaken up this week.

The team was unable to leave Nashville on Sunday due to inclement weather. That pushed their arrival back in Baton Rouge to Monday. The weekend versus Oklahoma is a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series. So, everything is condensed a little bit over the next five days.

The LSU offense found a little something in Music City. Tuesday offers a chance to keep that rolling a little bit as Grambling comes south to Baton Rouge.

Grambling has allowed at least 10 runs in 11 of 18 games so far this season. Their team ERA is 9.19, and they’re fielding .952. For perspective, LSU has kicked the ball around more than a youth soccer team and is fielding .964. Grambling has been considerably worse.

SWAC pitching is different than what LSU sees on a nightly basis. There are 65 mph curveballs, and every once in a while, an 83 mph fastball shows up. That can be an adjustment, but LSU needs to make it on Tuesday night.

PITCHING AVAILABILITY

Obviously, LSU’s three weekend starters will be down. That goes without saying. Deven Sheerin’s 40 pitches on Sunday could keep him out of Tuesday’s game. Maybe not. Everyone else should be ready to go.

Zac Cowan threw his best baseball of the season on Friday. He got through 3.1 innings on 41 pitches. He’s had three days off and could be used. Jaden Noot only got two outs on Friday. He’s ready.

I think there’s a good chance Jay Johnson gets Marcos Paz back on the mound. The talented freshman struck out the side on Saturday in LSU’s lopsided loss.

This should be a game that is chopped up between seven or eight arms as LSU prepares for a quick and important turnaround for Thursday’s game.

DOWN AND HARD

Conditions will be chilly Tuesday night, and a slight wind will be out of the north. That’s in. LSU’s approach at the plate should be to hit hard ground balls and line drives.

SWAC defenses, Grambling very much included, can kick the ball around and throw inaccurately. Hasani Johnson, their shortstop, has nine errors already.

Modern baseball says to elevate the ball and slug. That’s often a great plan. It certainly was Sunday in a tiny ballpark with the wind howling out. Those aren’t the conditions for Tuesday. LSU has been awful in these midweek games for three weeks. It’s important to focus on winning this game as opposed to finding something out for Thursday’s contest during this one.

Get on top of the baseball and run. Force Grambling to play defense. Speaking of run, Grambling opponents are 60-for-66 on stolen bases in 18 games. That’s a 91 percent success rate and more than three stolen bases per game. Obviously, the catching situation is not good.

RUN RULE

Johnson won’t bring this up to his players, but I will.

LSU needs to come out and run rule Grambling in seven innings. Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State, Northeastern, ULM and Southern have all run ruled these Tigers.

It was a bad travel situation over the weekend. The next series is a quick turnaround. Take care of business. Cut the last two innings off the back end of the game. Move on.

This team is not in a position to overlook anyone or come to the ballpark complacent. Too many losses have piled up for anything like that. If LSU plays focused, throws strikes and catches the ball, a 14-1 win is perfectly reasonable.

Walk people, misplay bunts and pop up into a chilly north wind, and you’ll have a game on your hands. Grambling has also played Southeastern Louisiana, Dartmouth and Northeastern to tight games.

First pitch on Tuesday is set for 6:30 p.m. Baton Rouge listeners can tune in on Eagle 98.1 FM, the flagship for LSU Athletics.