LSU simplifies season goals

Published 6:00 pm Friday, May 4, 2018

Getting into NCAA Tournament will suffice

<p>LSU’s Antoine Duplantis runs to third base on a hit by Greg Deichmann against Auburn during the first inning of an NCAA college baseball game Thursday, May 11, 2017, in Baton Rouge, La. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP)</p>Hilary Scheinuk

{{tncms-inline alignment="left" content="&amp;lt;p class=&amp;quot;p1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Arkansas at LSU&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;" id="011f6be5-2182-4e2a-84fd-57aefbe918cf" style-type="fact" title="TONIGHT 7 P.M." type="relcontent" width="half"}}

<p class="p1">LSU seems to have already lowered its season expectations.

<p class="p3">And the Tigers may be running out of time to hit the amended version.

<p class="p3">At any rate, this weekend could be telling when LSU (26-19, 10-11 Southeastern Conference) hosts fourth-ranked Arkansas (32-13, 13-8), the SEC West leader, in a three-game series. 

<p class="p3">Speaking of the series’ importance, head coach Paul Mainieri was no longer talking in terms of hosting an NCAA Tournament regional, as LSU has done every season since 2012.

<p class="p3">Maybe the Tigers can’t be that picky. LSU is fighting simply to get into the NCAA Tournament anywhere, anyhow.

<p class="p3">“If we want to make a move to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, we’ll have to get it done against a quality team like Arkansas,” Mainieri said.

<p class="p3"> “This is it,” he added. “We’re down to the stretch run here. There’s no ‘Let’s wait around, let’s keep improving.’ We need to win. We’re playing a tremendous team that’s ranked No. 4 in the country.”

<p class="p3">At least it’s at home, where the Tigers are 7-2 in conference and haven’t lost an SEC series (while going 3-9 on the road in league games). Arkansas has also struggled some on the road.

<p class="p3">And it could be worse than playing Arkansas, even though the Razorbacks lead the SEC with a .310 batting average, have the most home runs with 69 and are third in league with a team ERA of 3.42.

<p class="p3">LSU has won 12 of the last 13 regular series against the Hogs — Arkansas’ last series win came in 2011 — and the Tigers added a victory in the SEC Tournament championship game last spring.

<p class="p3">Few of those teams, however, compared to the current Razorbacks.

<p class="p3">“We’ve got to go out and battle against one of the best teams in the country, and we’ve got to get the job done,” Mainieri said. “This is an amazing opportunity for us, and I know our players are ready to embrace this challenge.”

<p class="p3">Mainieri said he was not sure about the status of third baseman Josh Smith, whose return last weekend was aborted after his back stiffened up again in the second game at Ole Miss.

<p class="p3">Mainieri said Smith was feeling better and the soreness is muscular, not structural, but that he doubts Smith will play, at least early in the series.

<hr /><p class="p4"><strong>Team Comparisons</strong>

<p class="p6">LSU (26-19⁄ 10-11 SEC): .288 BA; 4.56 ERA; .979 FA.

<p class="p6">Arkansas (32-13⁄ 13-8 SEC): .310 BA; 3.42 ERA; .974 FA.

<p class="p5"><strong>Pitching Matchups</strong>

<p class="p5"><strong>7 p.m. Today</strong>

<p class="p6">Ark, RH Blaine Knight (7-0, 2.45, 62.1 IP, 15 BB, 54 SO) vs. LSU, RH Zack Hess (6-4, 3.92 ERA, 64.1 IP, 31 BB, 77 SO).

<p class="p5"><strong>7 p.m. Saturday, SECN</strong>

<p class="p6">Ark, LH Kacey Muphy (5-3, 2.54 ERA, 56.2 IP, 8 BB, 53 SO) vs. LSU, RH Ma’Khail Hilliard (8-3, 2.89 ERA, 56 IP, 29 BB, 54 SO).

<p class="p5"><strong>2 p.m. Sunday</strong>

<p class="p6">Ark, TBA vs. LSU, TBA.

<p class="p1"><strong>Arkansas at LSU</strong>