Deja Vu? Maybe, but Tigers face much tougher road after being routed by Oregon State

Published 8:47 am Sunday, June 3, 2018

Scooter Hobbs

CORVALLIS, Ore. — If you’re looking for an LSU omen in this little Revenge Party that Oregon State is staging at the Tigers’ expense, it was something similar to Saturday night’s debacle that sparked this whole Beaver shindig.

The Beavers’ fans had themselves a merry old time at LSU’s expense Saturday in a game that apparently everybody in orange and black had been wishing for and pointing to.

They had bitter memories.

Yes, the Tigers abruptly ended the then-No. 1 ranked Beavers run in Omaha last season with back-to-back, must-win victories for LSU that instead put the Tigers in the College World Series championship round.

But that unlikely comeback run started only after a 13-1 Oregon State victory in the CWS’ second round.

Saturday’s second round score of the Corvallis Regional: Oregon State 14,  LSU 1.

“One of those nights where we didn’t seem to be able to get much done right,” Mainieri said. “We paid the consequences for it.”

OK, so the Tigers were off by a run from last year’s scenario.

“When you play like we did against a team the caliber of Oregon State, you’re going to end up on the wrong side of a big score,” Mainieri said.

But a year ago the Tigers bounced back from the embarrassment and, technically, the situation is identical.

LSU has to win three games in the next two days, beginning with an elimination game at 2 p.m. today against in-state rival Northwestern State.

The winner of that game will turn around and play the Beavers Sunday night, needing another win in that game to force a deciding game against OSU Monday.

But that’s about where the similarities end.

The Tigers will have a much tougher time reprising last year’s script with a depleted pitching staff missing two of its top four starters.

“I told the team, if you think about what we have to do to to win this tournament, it’s awfully daunting,” Mainieri said. “Let’s just focus on winning the first game tomorrow. Then we’ll worry about game two. You’ve just got to deal with the most immediate challenge, not look too far ahead.”

A big early hole against OSU did keep Mainieri from burning the pitchers he was hoping to have help him today.

Mainieri said Cam Sanders will start against Northwestern and, of course, he’ll have to spare no arms just to avoid elimination.

But his best-case scenario would be to survive the Demons while keeping Matt Beck available for another shot at the Beavers.

Both have had ups and downs, but pitched well during the Tigers’ run through the SEC tournament last week.

Northwestern has already gotten through one elimination game, sending San Diego State home Saturday after a 9-0 victory.

The Demons played Oregon State a closer game Friday night before losing 9-3.

Against LSU the Beavers (46-10-1) jumped on Tigers ace Zack Hess early, scoring five runs in the first three innings — all with two outs — then put the game away with a five-run fourth inning where the Tigers couldn’t buy the second out.

LSU had its chances against OSU ace Luke Heimlich (15-1) when it was still close but had only Jake Slaughter’s solo home run to lead off the fourth to show for it.

Heimlich, who gave up six hits in seven innings, was as impressive with his glove as his arm.

The first inning might have summed it up.

After OSU opened the inning with two outs and nobody on, the Beavers got two runs.

In the bottom of the inning, LSU loaded the bases with no outs — and got no runs. 

It got worse for the Tigers, who also got the first two batters aboard in the second inning.

But their best two bunters, N0. 8 hitter Brandt Broussard and No. 9 Hal Hughes, couldn’t get bunts down, including a pop-up by Hughes  that turned into the second double play in as many innings.

“That seemed to be the theme of the night,” Mainieri said. “Next thing you know they put up a crooked number.”

Oregon State’s No. 8 and No. 9 hitters fared much better.

The game unraveled for Hess in the fourth when a two-out nubber back to the mound got under his glove to allow a run to score instead of ending the inning.

He then walked the bottom three in the Beavers’ order in succession, with the last two forcing in runs.

He lasted 3.1 innings, giving up nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits. He struck out six, but walked four and hit another.

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri.

Associated Press