Wanted: Sunday starting pitcher

Published 7:00 pm Friday, March 2, 2018

Labas to audition for job

And behind LSU’s curtain No. 3 you’ll find …

… right-hander AJ Labas.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri hopes the freshman may be the answer — on Sundays at least — to the Tigers’ pitching woes.

Labas was one of the Tigers’ most heavily recruited players in this freshman class, but December back surgery delayed his progress.

But he will make his college debut Sunday at Alex Box Stadium, auditioning for the starter role, to cap a busy weekend of baseball.

The Tigers will play three teams over the weekend, beginning tonight against Toledo. They’ll play Sacred Heart on Saturday before Labas makes his debut Sunday in LSU’s rematch with Southeastern Louisiana.

Labas will be on a strict pitch count, Mainieri said, presumably fairly low.

“I wouldn’t run him out there if he wasn’t healthy enough,” Mainieri said. “His endurance won’t be great. We’ll see how much he can do, but he’s ready for it. 

“He’s not going to be as good as he’s going to be later in the year, but it’s time for him to get out there and we’ve done everything we can do to prepare him.”

Labas will replace Todd Peterson (0-3, 9.90 ERA) in the No. 3 starter’s role.

Finding a No. 3 starter is hardly the only thing on LSU’s to-do list. The Tigers, 5-4 after a 5-4 loss at Southeastern on Wednesday night, have had one quality start in nine games.

But Mainieri apparently has little choice but to assume tonight’s starter Zack Hess and Saturday starter Caleb Gilbert regain the form that made them dominant during the Tigers’ postseason run to the College World Series finals last season.

As a staff LSU is last in the SEC in virtually every pitching category — 6.53 ERA, a .298 batting average for opponents, 45 walks in 80 innings, to say nothing of 14 hit batters that brings the free pass total to 59.

“I knew there would be growing pains,” Mainieri said. “We’ve pretty much run all of our pitchers out there.”

Except Labas, who wasn’t ready until this week. As a high school senior last year in Fleming Island, Florida, the 6-foot-3, 217-pounder was 9-0 with 0.50 ERA while striking out 82 in 65 innings with 11 walks.

LSU has a long history of freshmen stepping into prominent weekend starting pitching roles, most recently last year when Eric Walker stepped up and went 8-2 as the Sunday starter.

But Walker is unavailable this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, or ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, in the offseason.

Toledo head coach Cory Mee was an assistant under Mainieri at Notre Dame from 1995-99. The Rockets are 2-5.

Sacred Heart, out of the Northeast Conference and located in Fairfield, Connecticut, is 1-2.

There will be two games each day at LSU. Southeastern will play Sacred Heart this afternoon and the Lions will play Toledo on Saturday. Sacred Heart and Toledo will face each other on Sunday before the LSU-SLU game.

Pitching Matchups

7 p.m. Today

LSU vs. Toledo

Toledo, LH Michael Jacob (0-1, 7.15 ERA, 11.1 IP, 6 BB, 11 SO) vs. LSU, RH Zack Hess (1-1, 10.80 ERA, 8.1 IP, 8 BB, 12 SO).

6 p.m. Saturday

LSU vs. Sacred Heart

SH, TBA vs. LSU, RH Caleb Gilbert (0-0, 10.80 ERA, 8.1 IP, 0 BB, 2 SO).

3 p.m. Sunday

LSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana

SLU, TBA vs. LSU, RH AJ Labas (college debut).