By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
TUSCALOOSA. Ala. – Ask LSU’s baseball players where the Tigers rank in RPI (rating percentage index) or how RPI works in the NCAA tournament at-large invitation process.
None of them can likely tell you.
That’s how it is and has been for LSU, which has lost its first five league series and now has won its last three including last weekend vs. No. 1 Texas A&M.
For the record, the defending national champion Tigers’ (32-18 9-15 SEC) RPI is No. 35, heading into the start of tonight’s series here vs. Alabama (30-18, 10-14 SEC), which has an RPI of 12.
With six remaining regular SEC games including next week’s final regular season series at home vs. Ole Miss, all LSU head coach Jay Johnson’s squad knows is “just win baby.”
“We’re in a spot where let’s just play hard no matter what the score is,” LSU catcher Brady Neal said. “We’re just playing ball against nameless and faceless teams, just going out there with nothing to lose, competing our butts off and making guys have to beat us.”
It’s the only approach the Tigers could have taken after a top-heavy conference schedule loaded with ranked teams just about sank their season.
At one point, LSU was equally deficient in every phase. It couldn’t hang its hat on its hitting, starting and relief pitching and fielding.
Yet when LSU’s pitching from Game 1 and Game 2 weekend series starters Gage Jump and Luke Holman finally steadied starting in the second half of league play and new effective relievers bloomed like Griffin Herring and Christian Little, the Tigers stopped the bleeding.
In LSU’s consecutive series wins over Missouri, Auburn and Texas A&M, Jump had a combined 1.86 ERA with 4 runs allowed in 19.1 innings and a 24 to 3 strikeouts-to-walks ratio.
On the backend as a reliever, Little has an ERA of 1.23 in his last three SEC appearances, striking out 12 and walking 1.
“I just think they’re seeing the difference in us at our best versus where we were and that should develop a lot of confidence,” Johnson said of his team that has won 9 of its last 12 games. “We have two of the best starting pitchers that can match up against anybody and some emerging bullpen pieces.
“And we have a lineup that shows a little more aptitude to get guys on base and score against good pitching.”
The consensus is LSU needs to win 4 of its last 6 SEC games (and likely at least one win in the conference tournament) to have a chance of getting an NCAA at-large tourney invite.
Usually, SEC teams need 13 league wins and a top 30 RPI or 14 conference wins with a top 40 to make the NCAA tourney field.
LSU (32-18 9-15 SEC) at Alabama (30-18, 10-14 SEC)
SCHEDULE/PITCHING MATCHUP
Game 1: Tonight, 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU –So. LH Gage Jump (4-1, 3.76 ERA, 55 IP, 16 BB, 67 SO)
UA –Sr. LH Greg Farone (4-2, 4.07 ERA, 55.1 IP, 18 BB, 57 SO)
Game 2: Saturday, 4 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU –Jr. RH Luke Holman (6-3, 2.84 ERA, 66.2 IP, 26 BB, 98 SO)
UA –Fr. LH Zane Adams (4-3, 4.71 ERA, 49.2 IP, 18 BB, 35 SO)
Game 3: Sunday, 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU – TBA
UA – Jr. RH Ben Hess (3-04, 6.89 ERA, 48.1 IP, 29 BB, 79 SO)
LSU-ALABAMA SERIES: Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU, 200-180-3, and the first meeting between the squads occurred in 1906. . .LSU has won 14 of the 16 SEC regular-season series versus the Tide since 2007, including a three-game series sweep last season in Baton Rouge.
A LOOK AT LSU: LSU catcher Brady Neal is batting .455 (5-for-11) in his last three games with a double, 3 homers, 7 RBI and 5 runs scored. . .First baseman Jared Jones has 2 doubles, 2 homers, 4 RBI and 4 runs in his last five games. . .Left fielder Josh Pearson has 3 doubles, 4 RBI and 5 runs scored in his last five games. . .Third baseman Tommy White has 1 double, 2 homers, 8 RBI and 6 runs in his last five games.
A LOOK AT ALABAMA: The Crimson Tide are No. 3 in the SEC in team batting average hitting .308. . .The Alabama pitching staff is No. 10 in the league with a 5.58 ERA. . .Infielder Gage Miller is hitting .383 this season with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 18 homers and 48 RBI.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com
