LSU pitching regains respectability

{{tncms-inline content="<p class="p1" style="text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><strong>LSU at Texas A&M, </strong></span><strong>7 p.m., SECN</strong></p>" id="9c572571-e288-4454-87c9-0e95ba86cccb" style-type="quote" title="Pull Quote" type="relcontent"}}

<p class="p1">Evidently Paul Mainieri had done the math in advance.

<p class="p3">But shortly after No. 3 starter Ma’Khail Hilliard keyed LSU’s combined shutout of Mississippi State to clinch the Southeastern Conference series last Saturday, Mainieri did one last double-check of the box score.

<p class="p3">“It’s official,” he shouted in hallelujah style. “Our ERA is under four.”

<p class="p3">He was right — 3.82 to be exact.

<p class="p3">It took seven weeks.

<p class="p3">But it’s been steadily improving ever since a disastrous opening week — when the team ERA was 7.50 — to where pitching now seems the least of the Tigers’ problems.

<p class="p3">And that ERA is still dropping after the Tigers tuned up for this week’s key SEC series at Texas A&amp;M with a 10-1 victory over Nicholls State on Tuesday night.

<p class="p3">That brought it to 3.73 heading into College Station.

<p class="p3">Even that is misleading.

<p class="p3">The Tigers still rank No. 12 among the 14 SEC teams in team ERA.

<p class="p3">But in SEC games only — where typically, considering the competition, the numbers are worse — the Tigers’ ERA is 3.04.

<p class="p3">In conference play, the Tigers’ ERA ranks No. 2 in the SEC.

<p class="p3">LSU first two weekend starters, Zack Hess (4-3, 4.93 ERA) and Caleb Gilbert (3-2, 3.79) have shown steady improvement and Hilliard (6-1, 0.76), a freshman, has been one of the season’s most pleasant surprises in locking down the No. 3 spot. His ERA leads the SEC.

<p class="p3">But the bullpen, which had its own struggles early, has been even better of late. The relievers have not allowed a run in their last 291⁄3 innings while allowing one inherited runner to score over that period.

<p class="p3">“The bullpen has been phenomenal,” said Mainieri, who suddenly has a wealth of options to mix and match while trying to get the game to closer Austin Bain.

<p class="p3">The Tigers (19-11, 5-4 SEC) head into A&amp;M’s Blue Bell Park tied for second place with Arkansas in a tight SEC race. Those two are one game behind first-place Ole Miss.

<p class="p3">The Aggies (21-8, 3-6) have the opposite dynamic at work.

<p class="p3">Texas A&amp;M is 18-2 in nonconference games and at one time was ranked in the top 10 nationally before a slow start to conference play.

<p class="p3">The Aggies’ 2.83 overall ERA is the best in the conference, eighth best nationally. But in nine conference games that number inflates to 4.68 ERA, 11th in the league.

<p class="p3">A&amp;M is batting .288 overall, but .237 in conference games.

<hr /><p class="p5"> 

<p class="p5"><strong>Team Comparisons</strong>

<p class="p6">LSU (19-11, 5-4 SEC): .299 BA; 3.73 ERA; .982 FA.

<p class="p6">Texas A&amp;M (21-8, 3-6 SEC): .288 BA; 2.83 ERA; .970 FA.

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

<p class="p6"><strong>7 p.m. Today, SECN</strong>

<p class="p6">LSU, RH Zack Hess (4-3, 4.93 ERA, 38.1 IP, 21 BB, 37 SO) vs. A&amp;M, RH Stephen Kolek (3-3, 3.02, 41.2 IP, 16 BB, 40 SO).

<p class="p5"><strong>6 p.m. Friday, SECN</strong>

<p class="p6">LSU, RH Caleb Gilbert (3-2, 3.79 ERA, 38 IP, 9 BB, 26 SO) vs. A&amp;M, LH John Doxakis (4-1, 2.03, 40 IP, 8 BB, 38 SO).

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

<p class="p6">LSU, RH Ma’Khail Hilliard (6-1, 0.76 ERA, 35.1 IP, 11 BB, 37 SO) vs. A&amp;M, RH Mitchell Kilkenny (6-0, 1.59 ERA, 45.1 IP, 11 BB, 40 SO).

<p class="p1" style="text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><strong>LSU at Texas A&amp;M, </strong></span><strong>7 p.m., SECN</strong>

      4274bbee-f59c-11e7-a72f-e7d4ef59e4142018-01-10T00:21:00ZFlorida Legislative SessionHali Tauxe/Tallahassee Democrat via APFlorida Gov. Rick Scott delivers his State of the State Address in the House chambers on the opening day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, in Tallahassee, Fla. ””

SportsPlus

  • Special Sections

Local News

Tigers tune up for Texas with run-rule win over UNO

Local News

UPDATE: NASA astronauts Butch return to Earth after 9 months stuck in space

Local News

PHOTO GALLERY: McNeese Basketball heads to Rhode Island

Local News

Project Build A Future breaks ground for Kingman Crossing neighborhood of resilient homes

Local News

BREAKING: Trump, Putin agree to seek limited ceasefire on energy, infrastructure

life

Affordable health screenings to be offered in Sulphur

Local News

Roberts rejects Trump’s call for impeaching judge who ruled against his deportation plans

Local News

City gives update on ongoing infrastructure, overlay projects

Crime

3/18: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff announces arrest list

Local News

Stuck astronauts finally on their way back to Earth

McNeese Sports

Clemson looks for another run

Local News

Beauregard School Board approves 4- and 5-day hybrid school calendars for next year

McNeese Sports

Role reversal

Local News

More than 400 killed as Israel launches airstrikes across Gaza

Local News

Columbia University student, US government spar over his detention in Louisiana

Local News

Wade has fond memories of time at Clemson

Local News

Cost of inspections and permits will be going up in Jeff Davis Parish

Local News

Associated Builders and Contractors bringing new life to stretch of north LC

Crime

3/17: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff announces arrest list

life

Banners Series: Two groups join artistic forces for three ballet performances

life

Wellness on the Water festival coming May 31

Local News

Guantanamo immigrant detainees moved to Louisiana

Local News

Reunion time: Back to roots for couple of Cowboys

Local News

Spring drills add building blocks day by day