Bama might be just what LSU needs

Published 6:00 pm Friday, May 11, 2018

LSU’s Zack Hess reacts after the final out against Oregon State during an NCAA College World Series baseball game Saturday, June 24, 2017, in Omaha, Neb. 

The Associated Press

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Teams never really go into a Southeastern Conference baseball weekend thinking the “S” word — for sweep.

Too many variables. Too much parity. And, besides, it’s baseball.

As LSU head coach Paul Mainieri once said, “First you want to win one, just to make sure you don’t get swept.”

But if LSU was ever to think about taking three straight, this weekend the Tigers have the need, the momentum and maybe, just maybe, the team to do it against.

The Tigers (29-20, 12-12 SEC) get Alabama in their final home series of the season beginning tonight.

“Any time LSU and Alabama meet in any sport, there is a very intense environment,” Mainieri said.

OK. But this is not Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.

Bama baseball (25-25, 6-18 SEC) is in last place in the SEC West and overall conference standings (by three full games in latter). The Tide is at the very bottom of the league in hitting (.255), ninth in team ERA (3.90) and statistically the SEC’s worst fielding team.

Of course, this isn’t a typical Mainieri team either — hence, the urgency to do something outlandish like a sweep.

Normally this time of the season the Tigers might just be polishing the résumé for the best possible postseason seeding. 

This year LSU is just trying to make sure it makes the postseason.

Mainieri says he still can’t figure out the RPI that may or not figure heavily in which teams make the postseason.

The Tigers beat No. 5 RPI Arkansas two out of three last weekend and moved up only three sports.

Wednesday night they run-ruled McNeese State (No. 145) and moved up six spots, to No. 47.

That’s still very much on the 64-team tournament bubble as the regular season comes down the stretch for the finish line.

A general consensus among the website bracketologists is that the Tigers need to win four of their remaining six SEC games to settle things before the conference tournament.

Anything less than a sweep against the Tide might mean having to take two of three next week at Auburn, No. 6 in the RPI, which is tied for second in the West, a game ahead of LSU at 13-11.

Mainieri will worry about this week first.

“They know what’s at stake,” he said. “Our players are very excited about the weekend.

“I mapped the whole thing out for them, where we are in the standings, who everybody else has to play. I want them to understand.”

The Tigers also seem to be gearing up for another late run. They backed up the series win over Arkansas with a 14 hits in six at-bats against McNeese on Wednesday.

“The biggest thing of the night was that we just swung the bats so well,” he said after that game.

Team Comparisons

LSU (29-20⁄ 12-12 SEC): .293 BA; 4.51 ERA; .980 FA.

Alabama (25-25⁄ 6-18 SEC): .258 BA; 4.06 ERA; .968 FA.

Pitching Matchups

7 p.m. Today

UA, RH Sam Finnerty (4-3, 4.82, 74.2 IP, 30 BB, 72 SO) vs. LSU, RH Zack Hess (6-4, 4.04 ERA, 71.1 IP, 32 BB, 85 SO).

7 p.m. Saturday, SECN

UA, RH Jake Walters (2-5, 4.57 ERA, 65 IP, 30 BB, 72 SO) vs. LSU, RH Ma’Khail Hilliard (8-3, 3.10 ERA, 61 IP, 21 BB, 58 SO).

2 p.m. Sunday

UA, LH Garret Rukes (1-2, 2.84 ERA, 25.1 IP, 12 BB, 21 SO) vs. LSU, RH AJ Labas (6-1, 2.98, 51.1 IP, 6 BB, 31 SO).

Alabama at LSU