We are about 24 hours from the first pitch inside Alex Box Stadium when the LSU Tigers start the season off against Air Force. Since we’re that close to the start of the season, let’s dive fully into a preview of what’s to come for Paul Mainieri and his staff in 2017.
Last Season:
It was another successful season for LSU, especially late in the season. They went on a tear that saw them win 11 of their last 12 games before the SEC Tournament and were able to clinch a top eight seed in the College Baseball Playoffs.
The season would end with the Tigers going 45-21 after losing to the eventual national champions in Coastal Carolina in the Super Regionals.
Returning Starters of Note:
The amount of starters from last season returning is a blessing for the Tigers after having the last few seasons seeing their best prospects going to the MLB Draft and continuing their professional careers.
There are several players coming back for their senior season and the biggest one has to be Kramer Robertson. His junior season was very strong and he showed extreme toughness towards the end of the season when he took a baseball to the face and kept playing through the pain. Robertson has become one of the more intense players on this team and that experience can only help this team in 2017.
Another player to watch is the speedy Cole Freeman. Last year he ended the season with 26 stolen bases on 35 attempts. Basically, almost three-quarters of the time he tried to steal a base, he did it. He may not have been a power hitter, what he did was just as important and gave the Tigers chances to get in scoring position.
Speaking of power hitters, the biggest bat of them all has to be the neon green bat of Greg Deichmann. The junior outfielder led the team in 2016 with 11 home runs and had a .513 slugging percentage. At the time of this writing, his status for opening day is in question due to having surgery on Sunday after getting hit in the face by a pitch. He had practiced on Wednesday, but nothing official about his status has been announced by Mainieri and could be announced as late as Thursday night. (UPDATE: Greg Deichmann has been cleared to play opening weekend)
But enough about the people on the field, there are some other returning players that will be leading things on the mound. Starting things off is senior Jared Poche. Poche was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 14th round, but decided to return after the negotiations went south last summer. Much like with Kramer Robertson, Poche returning is huge for the Tigers when it comes to developing the younger talent waiting in the wings like Zach Hess.
Another great pitcher coming back is Alex Lange, who saw his productivity drop off somewhat, but still had a strong sophomore campaign and ended up with a 3.79 ERA and an 8-4 record. He’ll be in that coveted Friday night starting slot and looks to try and bounce back from last season.
Storylines to Watch:
Moving Away From Johnny Wholestaff?:
When it comes to how Mainieri plans out his rotation, it’s the midweek pitcher that is the most unstable part of the lineup. Over the last few seasons, it has largely been a Jack and/or Johnny Wholestaff setup where most of the bullpen gets a chance to play against these teams.
While it’s smart to keep the bullpen’s arms fresh, it seems like at least for now that there will be a consistent starter for the midweek in Zach Hess. The true freshman will be the starter next week and a long-term decision will be made as the season progresses. Could this be a change in philosophy for LSU? Only time will tell.
Big Year with Numerous Returning Starters:
As mentioned earlier the number of returning starters is huge for the Tigers as they will have tons of experience coming back to try and finish what they started last season after the famed “Rally Possum” game. Having a strong Friday and Saturday starter and having their biggest producers offensively back can only increase their chances of making it back to Omaha.
Injuries Before First Pitch:
While the Tigers have several starters returning, there are some major injuries that could lead to some troubles. The biggest issue is that Bryce Jordan will be out for the year after going down with a knee injury. For the time being, it seems like Jordan Romero will be filling the void and he did an admirable job for the Tigers last season with 9 home runs and a team leading .545 slugging percentage.
-Clint Domingue