One eye on Auburn, one on Hoover

Published 6:00 pm Thursday, May 16, 2019

Mainieri hedging his bets on best way to host regional

lsu tigers baseball graphic

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri will tinker with things until the very end.

The crucial final weekend of the regular season will see yet another adjustment in the Tigers’ pitching rotation, this time with the ever-popular TBA penciled in for Saturday’s final game against Auburn (31-21, 13-14 SEC).

For tonight the Tigers (32-21, 15-12) will replace Ma’Khail Hilliard (0-3, 5.70 ERA) with Eric Walker (4-4, 5.21), followed by Landon Marceaux (3-2, 6.56) on Friday before playing it by ear for Saturday’s senior day game.

The Southeastern Conference Tournament, which could be just as important to LSU’s hopes of hosting an NCAA regional, begins on Tuesday in Hoover, Alabama. Most likely, LSU needs a solid showing over the next two weeks if it hopes to host an NCAA tournament regional.

LSU has a remote chance of getting a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament, but it would require not only sweeping Auburn, but for South Carolina to sweep Mississippi State.

More likely, the Tigers will have a quick turnaround before its first SEC Tournament game, which is all the more important because the first round is single elimination.

“Eric Walker gives us the best chance opening night (against Auburn),” Mainieri said. “But I also have to have an eye on Hoover so (Walker would) be in line to pitch Tuesday in Hoover.”

The Tigers’ best-case scenario for Saturday would be red-hot Todd Peterson (4-2, 3.63, 2 Sv), but Mainieri said he won’t save him if there’s a chance to win one of the first two games with him out of the bullpen.

The infield will also stick with an unintended new look with Chris Reid (.276) staying at first base and Cade Beloso (.274) sticking at designated hitter.

Reid, the starter at third base most of the year, had never played first base in his life before last weekend, taking over when a Beloso injury kept him from playing in the field but able to DH.

Mainieri, who started Hal Hughes (.209) at third base in the new arrangement, said he liked the new look of the makeshift infield so much that he plans to stick with it even though Beloso is fully recovered.

Auburn’s starters for the first two games are both left-handers, which have given LSU problems this season.

“We’re going to be challenged, no question about it,” Mainieri said.

For what it’s worth, both Baseball America and d1baseball.com agree with Mainieri. Both media websites’ projections have LSU hosting a regional, although there are disclaimers involved in both.

“Some are curious about LSU, which has an unimpressive overall record and certainly has been up and down this season,” d1baseball.com said. “However, should the Tigers take care of business at home against Auburn, they’d have 17 SEC wins entering the conference tournament with a host-worthy RPI.”

Added Baseball America: “We went with LSU and North Carolina (for the final two host spots), but they both must win their final regular-season series or make deep conference tournament runs to get those spots. Both teams are at home and should finish in the top 20 in RPI with series wins.”

Mainieri said he thinks LSU’s biggest selling point is the Tigers’ 17 wins over teams in the top 50 RPI. Only four teams in the country have more, he said, all from the SEC.

“I think that’s a metric the selection committee looks at very strongly,” he said. “I just feel like our best baseball is still ahead of us. If we could put it all together, why can’t we make a run in postseason?”

If so, the Tigers might get some much-needed help on the mound.

Both Jaden Hill (1-0, 1.80) and Cole Henry (4-2, 3.26) have thrown bullpen sessions this week with no discomfort, Mainieri said. They are scheduled to throw simulated games this weekend, and if all goes well, should be available for the SEC Tournament.

Hill hasn’t thrown since February when he was named SEC Freshman of the Week. Henry was the Tigers’ most effective starter before missing the last three weekends with a sore elbow.

Pitching Matchups
6:30 p.m. today

AU, LH Patrick Wicklander (5-1, 3.91 ERA, 50 2/3 IP, 29 BB, 71 SO) vs. LSU, RH Eric Walker (4-4, 5.21 ERA, 57 2/3 IP, 22 BB, 47 SO).

7 p.m. Friday

AU, LH Jack Owen (4-1, 1.91 ERA, 42 1/3 IP, 7 BB, 40 SO) vs. LSU, RH Landon Marceaux (3-2, 6.56 ERA, 35 2/3 IP, 17 BB, 26 SO).

2 p.m. Saturday

AU, RH Tanner Burns (4-3, 2.83 ERA, 70 IP, 20 BB, 91 SO) vs. LSU, TBA.