LSU ‘still in the fight’
Published 6:00 pm Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Mainieri: Goal to get NCAA Tournament bid
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<p class="p1">LSU coach Paul Mainieri has just about given up on figuring out what it takes to clinch a berth in the NCAA baseball tournament.
<p class="p3">But he does know one thing — his Tigers haven’t done it yet.
<p class="p3">“Still got a lot of work to do,” he said after the Tigers took two of three over the weekend against the SEC’s last-place team, Alabama. “But we’re still in the fight and can see the finish line.”
<p class="p3">The Tigers were probably fortunate to get two out of three on a weekend when they weren’t particularly sharp until Sunday’s 7-3 victory.
<p class="p3">But it kept them in the hunt.
<p class="p3">“Our team has hung in there and battled throughout the year despite facing significant adversity,” Mainieri said. “Our goal right now is to get an NCAA Tournament bid, and we’ve still got some work to do to get there.”
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<p class="p3">Mainieri didn’t mince words leading into Sunday’s rubber match, telling the team shortly after Saturday’s 7-1 loss that it would be a “must-win” game for their postseason plans.
<p class="p3">“It was another notch on the belt of what we needed to do,” said first baseman Austin Bain, who got the Sunday victory going with a solo home run in the second inning. “I felt like we went out there and took care of business today.
<p class="p3">“The pressure (of a must-win game) is just going to make everybody grow. This is going to mold our team for future games.”
<p class="p3">This will be the crucial week for the Tigers, including the final home game of the season tonight against Northwestern State before a season-defining road trip to Auburn that begins on Thursday.
<p class="p3">The first two games against Auburn will be televised, the Thursday game on ESPNU and the Friday game on the SEC Network.
<p class="p3">But tonight’s game might be a “must-win” in the overall scheme of things.
<p class="p3">Mainieri, who said he was “open to suggestions” on who to pitch tonight after sore arms to AJ Labas and Nick Storz kept them off the mound over the weekend, will go with Matt Beck (1-1, 3.91), who’s spent most of his time in the bullpen, against the Demons’ Tyler Pigott (1-1, 4.37).
<p class="p3">Northwestern is 31-20.
<p class="p3">Mainieri sounded hopeful that Labas might be available for the Auburn series.
<p class="p3">But after developing shoulder soreness last Tuesday, he rested until Friday and “felt great,” according to Mainieri.
<p class="p3">“Then on Saturday the last throw that he made in his drill he felt a little discomfort in his shoulder. So it was the prudent move not to pitch him.
<p class="p3">“He’s done a phenomenal job this year.”
<p class="p3">Nick Bush stepped in and gave the Tigers six strong innings in Labas’ place.
<p class="p3">Mainieri sounded like Storz, a highly touted recruit who’s thrown only three innings this season, might not pitch again this year after throwing two inning in last week’s game against McNeese.
<p class="p3">But at least Daniel Cabrera, maybe the hottest player in the SEC, will be available at the plate.
<p class="p3">Cabrera was named the SEC freshman of the week on Monday after going 10-for-13 (.769) in the week’s four games, with two doubles, a triple, two homers and 10 RBIs.
<p class="p3">He now leads LSU with 44 RBIs.
<p class="p3">“This is the final week of the regular season,” Mainieri said. “We’re working hard every week to try and earn a place in the postseason. It’s a grind every year to get to this point because the parity in college baseball is greater than it’s ever been.”
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<p class="p1"><strong>Northwestern at LSU, </strong><strong>6:30 p.m.</strong>
