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February 14, 2020 Play Ball!


Hatchertiger

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While most of us are still enjoying the hangover from the NC (I will be until first snap this fall) first pitch is right around the corner.  Assuming no injuries looks like this year's team will be big on pitching after losing some of its big bats from last year's team.  Here is a good article that gives an overview of all of the new players:

https://247sports.com/college/lsu/Article/LSUs-Jorge-Munoz-set-to-join-Baylor-staff-142623795

Baseball media today is at noon for anyone who wants to follow that:

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_502ecaa8-3e61-11ea-9cda-7b506dea11e6.html

Make no mistake about it although the Tigers are ranked 12th, the SEC is stacked this year with 6 teams ranked ahead us. Pre-season polls don't usually pan out exactly, however, it certainly speaks to the talent in the SEC this year and in reference to LSU whether we can generate the hitting it will take complete at a high level. In fact the SEC has 9 teams ranked and 5 from the West:

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Rank

School (2019 record)  

1

Vanderbilt (59-12)  

2

Louisville (51-18)  

3

Texas Tech (46-20)  

4

Georgia (46-17)  

5

Arkansas (46-20)  

6

Mississippi State (52-15)  

7

Miami (Fla.) (41-20)  

8

UCLA (52-11)  

9

Auburn (38-28)  

10

Florida (34-26)  

11

Michigan (50-22)  

12

LSU (40-26)  

13

Arizona State (38-19)  

14

Florida State (42-23)  

15

Stanford (45-14)  

16

North Carolina (46-19)  

17

Oklahoma State (40-21)  

18

North Carolina State (42-18)  

19

East Carolina (47-18)  

20

Duke (35-27)  

21

Texas A&M (39-23)  

22

Georgia Tech (43-19)  

23

Mississippi (41-27)  

24

Wake Forest (31-26)  

25

Oregon State (36-20)

https://lsutigerswire.usatoday.com/2020/01/23/lsu-baseball-ranks-no-12-in-usa-today-poll/

Lastly, there is a Fan Fest this Sunday at Alex Box that includes a scrimmage, admission is free (you supply the chicken, we supply the smoke 🙂 ) :

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_44b36bb4-2e91-11ea-8a38-bb27e29ae68f.html

 

Edited by Hatchertiger
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Here is somebody to watch. From DandyDon today:

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One more baseball tidbit: Here’s a name you’ll get to know real quickly this season: Zach Mathis. He’s a JUCO transfer from San Joaquin Delta College, who is projected to start at third base and is sure to be a fan favorite. You’ll love him for his smile – “He’s always smiling,” Mainieri told me – and for his production at the plate. Mainieri described him as a combination of Ryan Schimpf (power) and Antoine Duplantis (uses the entire field), which are pretty strong words. I mention Mathis today because in each of the team’s two scrimmages this weekend, he’s been awesome at the plate. He went 2-for-2 with a home run on Friday, and 1-for-2 with another home last night.

 

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not ready to project the lineup yet, but my best guess at the rotation (at least to start the season)

 

Friday - Cole Henry (but don't be shocked if an upper classman gets opening day nod)
Saturday - AJ Labas
Sunday - Landon Marceaux

Midweek - Eric Walker (could potentially move into a weekend spot at some point during season)

Bullpen - Jayden Hill ; Ma'Khail Hilliard ; Devin Fontenot (all 3 capable of eating up innings too)
 

Setup guy - could be one of the bullpen guys I already mentioned. Could be a Vietmeir maybe. We'll see

Closer - Matthew Beck. I think he's a 17th year senior now (or at least seems like hes been here that long).

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From PM re pitching:

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When LSU opens the season on Feb. 14 against Indiana, sophomore Cole Henry is expected to take the ball to the mound. He overcame an injury to earn freshman All America honors with a 4-2 record and a 3.39 earned run average in 58.1 innings.

Mainieri has high hopes for Henry, calling him a “potential All American and first round draft pick.” Henry, who established himself as the staff ace until arm troubles hit him in late April, said he’s ready to take charge.

“I feel great so far, the whole fall, no problems,” he said. “Every start felt good. Going into spring taking it one day at a time and doing everything to keep myself healthy.”

Mainieri listed three pitchers behind Henry, vying for the two remaining weekend spots and the midweek job. A surprise among them was A.J. Labas, a 2018 freshman All American who missed all of 2019 because of Tommy John surgery.

“He out-pitched everybody in the fall,” Mainieri said of the 6-3, 223-pound sophomore who got a medical redshirt for 2019. “He threw strikes, had great command and his velocity was up to about 93. He looks like a starting pitcher.”

Sophomore Landon Marceaux and junior Eric Walker are also in the mix. Marceaux had a strong freshman year with a 5-2 record and 4.66 earned run average. Walker struggled with control with his comeback season after Tommy John surgery.

Mainieri also has a pair of wildcards in the deck in Jaden Hill and Nick Storz. Hill looked strong in a couple of early outings but was shut down and missed most of 2019. He pitched one dominant inning at the end of fall and hit 97 miles per hour. He could start out as the closer. Storz, a hard-throwing righthander, is ready to compete after three surgeries in his first two seasons, Mainieri said.

Those two plus holdovers like Devin Fontenot, Ma’Khail Hilliard, Matthew Beck and Trent Vietmeier, who combined for 173 innings last year, give LSU depth and experience. Fontenot led LSU with seven saves and Beck was 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings.

https://lsu.rivals.com/news/paul-mainieri-previews-2020-season-as-tigers-open-preseason-practice

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  • 2 weeks later...
4 hours ago, watson said:

Since I’m not in BR, is this thing on tv?   I was thinking the espn app,  it don’t see the game listed anywhere.

 

Well, the advocate says...

HOW TO WATCH

TV: SECN+

STREAMING

— Watch ESPN

Yeah, SECN+, but it's obviously not available yet.  Gotta wait till game time and it'll have an option for "Watch Live".  That's my theory and my plan. 

 

GEAUX TIGERS!

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