By Hunt Palmer
For the first time all season, Kade Anderson will not start LSU’s weekend opener.
LSU and South Carolina released pitching plans on Wednesday for their series which begins Thursday evening in Columbia.
THURSDAY:
- LSU: TBA
- SOUTH CAROLINA: LHP Ashton Crowther 2-2, 4.13ERA)
FRIDAY
- LSU: LHP Kade Anderson 6-1, 3.57ERA
- SOUTH CAROLINA: LHP Jake McCoy 4-4, 6.71ERA
SATURDAY
- LSU: RHP Anthony Eyanson 7-2, 3.16ERA)
- SOUTH CAROLINA: TBA
LSU has pitched Anderson and Eyanson in the first and second games of every weekend through 13 weeks. With the series being moved up a day, head coach Jay Johnson is giving Anderson and Eyanson full rest for their final SEC weekend start.
Anderson left last week’s start for precautionary reasons after 106 pitches. He had a cramp in his left wrist. Johnson said postgame that his two “practice pitches” to test the wrist on the mound were both clocked at 92 mph which alleviated his concern.
Johnson said Tuesday that Anderson has been able to throw his normal bullpen schedule.
HUNT’S TAKE
I love this decision.
Keep those two guys on their normal schedule. Give them the rest they need this time of year. South Carolina does not have an ace LSU needs to match Anderson up with. The Gamecock staff has yielded a jaw-dropping 76 runs in its last five SEC games.
It appears, based on current metrics, that the Tigers need to get out of Columbia with two wins. If LSU can win a bullpen game on Thursday, it’s overwhelmingly likely LSU can split the last two with its dynamic duo on the mound.
If Carolina were to steal game one, Anderson is a pretty good option to win a game LSU may feel it must have.
