The weather is finally starting to warm up (for now) and that can only mean one thing: college baseball is back! When it comes to LSU baseball, there are some question marks, especially on the pitching staff. You’re losing the heart and soul of the weekend rotation and moving one of the best bullpen guys in the country into a starter role. It’s a little interesting to see what this team can do with the pieces they have.
However, there’s still a lot to like about this team even with the aforementioned question marks. Without further ado, let’s get to the preview for the Tigers!
Strong Outfield
If there’s one aspect to LSU’s lineup that has consistency, it’s the outfield. You’ve got the most consistent hitter from last season in Antoine Duplantis and a solid centerfielder in Zach Watson being the headliners. Duplantis really shined during the Tigers trip to Omaha and looks to keep that momentum going into his junior season while Watson tries to avoid a sophomore slump.
When you look at the rest of the players slated to play the outfield, they’re going to be in good hands if something happens during the season. Daniel Cabrera seems poised to be the starter in left field, but you’ve also got a senior in Beau Jordan that primarily played at the DH position last year. The wild card in the outfield will be Teurlings product Nick Webre.
Could you see Webre take over at left field as they start SEC play or could it be Cabrera? Either way, this outfield seems to be stacked.
Intriguing Infield
The infield, at least for opening weekend will be interesting. Starting off at catcher, Hunter Feduccia will not be playing against Notre Dame due to injury and you’ll see Bryce Jordan fill that role this weekend. Think about everything that Jordan went through last season with his knee injury and it’s interesting as to why Paul Mainieri chose to start him, but it makes sense when you think that it was either him or freshman Braden Doughty. You’d be better off starting Jordan simply because of his leadership abilities.
When you look at the rest of the infield, they’re pretty stacked with players like Josh Smith potentially at shortstop replacing Kramer Robertson. You’ve even got Austin Bain being talked about as getting some time as an infielder as opposed to a pitcher. 2018 has been a crazy year and it looks like there’s a chance that the Tigers season is going to be just as crazy.
Pitching Staff
It’s one thing to lose two of your best pitchers (Lange and Poche) to the MLB Draft. It’s a whole different monster to lose a potential Friday night starter in Eric Walker. That puts the Tigers in an interesting position for the weekend rotation.
For opening weekend, you have Caleb Gilbert on the hill for game one, Zack Hess transitioning into a full-time starter in game two, and sophomore Todd Peterson in game three. Between the three pitchers, they have a total of 14 starts. It’s a good thing that they still have players experienced with being on the bump for the start of a ballgame, but can they stay there for the long haul or will they have to rely on their younger arms as the bridge guy?
Overall Thoughts
The positives on this team really outweigh some of the negative things that have been nitpicked as the season starts. However, the million dollar question is how the rotation will work out without a “true” starter on the mound? Can Hess last more than three or four innings as a starter?
The expectations after last season are fairly high, but duplicating what the Tigers did in 2017 is easier said than done.
-Clint Domingue