By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 1 ranked LSU could secure an NCAA Tournament top 8 seed this weekend.
It could finish with 20 regular-season SEC victories for the first time since the Tigers’ 2017 squad advanced to the College World Series finals.
It could record a win or wins over a former LSU head coach coaching the opposition for the first time since 1971.
But LSU head coach Jay Johnson isn’t gazing into the future of trying to reach milestones when the Tigers (40-12 overall, 17-10 SEC) open their last regular season league series tonight at South Carolina (27-26, 5-22 SEC).
“That’s probably getting too far ahead of ourselves only in the context of helping them be ready to play,” Johnson said of the rewards the Tigers may reap if they handle the Gamecocks. “Getting too far ahead is the worst thing you can do, especially at this point. It is really one game at a time. Our whole system is built on right here, right now, and that’s Thursday.”
Last weekend’s “right now” was the LSU huge league home series win over then-No.1 Arkansas. Superb pitching and timely bats provided the Tigers with a rain-delayed 5-4 Game 1 win in 10 innings that ended at 1:17 Saturday morning and a 13-3 seven-inning run-rule Game 2 bashing of the Razorbacks on Saturday night. Arkansas won 7-3 in Sunday’s series finale.
LSU’s two biggest heroes in the series – junior pitcher Anthony Eyanson and junior designated hitter Ethan Frey – are two prime examples of Tigers who have improved throughout the season.
Eyanson, a transfer from UC San Diego and LSU’s No. 2 starter, was pulled on March 15 in his first SEC start in 3.2 innings after allowing seven hits and four runs to last-place Missouri.
But in his last four league starts vs. Alabama, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas in a combined 26.2 innings while averaging 108 pitches per game, he’s 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA, allowing 18 hits and four earned runs with 45 strikeouts and 11 walks (just one each in his last two starts).
“The past me would wait to get that feeling of having control of all my pitches,” Eyanson said. “But recently, I’ve been just going out there and just throwing the ball. You’re going to miss as a pitcher, that’s going to happen, but I think just focusing on the conviction that I throw with has helped me a lot.”
Also, in the last four games, he has allowed just one run while escaping three bases-loaded situations and three instances with two runners on base.
“He (Eyanson) is the best pitcher I’ve ever had at getting himself out of jams,” said Johnson, who’s in his 13th season as a college head coach, including the last four at LSU. “He’s also one of the best I’ve ever had at getting better as the game goes along.”
Frey, named Louisiana’s Mr. Baseball as a senior in 2022 after leading Rosepine High to consecutive state championships, had his LSU career track slowed when he dislocated his shoulder at the start of last season.
He tried to battle through the pain, batting just .228 in 34 games. But shoulder surgery after last season gave him a career reset.
After hitting .400 last weekend in the Tigers’ series win over Arkansas, Frey now leads the team with a .359 batting average. He also has 10 home runs, nine doubles, and 38 RBI.
His stats are phenomenal for someone who doesn’t know game-to-game whether he’ll start because of the opposing pitching matchup. His rising batting average is correlated to an increase in at-bats.
“Recognition (of various pitches) and picking up different spins, that’s gotten a lot better with more pitches and more at-bats you have,” Frey said. “Two strikes (counts), I’m starting to get a little better at that and not chase as much.”
Frey was originally recruited by previous LSU head coach Paul Mainieri, who retired because of health problems after the 2021 season.
Mainieri, who won 641 games in 15 seasons at LSU with five College World Series trips, including a national title in 2009 and a loss in the finals in 2017, was lured out of retirement last June to become South Carolina’s head coach.
Unfortunately, the 67-year-old Mainieri’s return has been the worst season of his career. One more SEC loss will set a South Carolina record for most losses in a season. Three more losses will establish a new school record for most losses in a season.
All of which has made Mainieri more determined to get the Gamecocks’ program back to national prominence.
“This season has been hard for everybody,” Mainieri said in a recent interview. “I thought we’d do better, but we’ve had some unfortunate injuries. I’m not making excuses. Those are the facts.”
“I’m totally committed to being here. I want to see this thing get back on track in the right way. We’re doing the best we can. We haven’t given up. I don’t ike losing. Never have. Never will. We will rise, I promise you that.”
Mainieri is the third former LSU baseball coach in history to coach against the Tigers. He’s also the first since March 24, 1971, when former Tigers head coach Ray Didier guided Nicholls to a 3-0 win over LSU in Alex Box Stadium.
No. 1 LSU (40-12 overall, 17-10 SEC) vs. South Carolina (27-26, 5-22 SEC), Founders Park, Columbia, S.C.
SCHEDULE/PITCHING MATCHUP
Game 1: Today, 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
LSU – TBA
SOUTH CAROLINA – R-So. LH Ashton Crowther (2-2, 4.13 ERA, 32.2 IP, 24 SO, 7 BB)
Game 2: Friday, 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU – So. LH Kade Anderson (6-1, 3.66 ERA, 76.1 IP, 124 SO, 20 BB)
SOUTH CAROLINA – So. LH Jake McCoy (4-4, 6.71 ERA, 55 IP, 76 SO, 35 BB)
Game 3: Saturday, 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU – Jr. RH Anthony Eyanson (8-2, 2.91 ERA, 74.1 IP, 116 SO, 27 BB)
SOUTH CAROLINA – TBA
LSU IN SEC THIS YEAR
Series wins (6): 3-0 vs. Missouri, 3-0 vs. Mississippi State, 3-0 at Oklahoma, 2-1 vs. Alabama, 2-1 vs. Tennessee, 2-1 vs. Arkansas.
Series losses (3): 1-2 at Texas, 0-3 at Auburn, 1-2 at Texas A&M.
SOUTH CAROLINA IN SEC THIS YEAR
Series wins (1): 2-1 vs. Ole Miss 2-1 Series losses (8): 1-2 Oklahoma, 1-2, 0-3 at Arkansas, 0-3 Tennessee, 1-2 at Mississippi State, 0–3 at Texas A&M 1-2 at Kentucky 0-3 Florida, 0-3 at Auburn.
LSU-SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES
LSU leads the all-time series 44-32-1. The Tigers have won 22 of their past 33 games versus South Carolina, including two wins over the Gamecocks last season in the SEC Tournament. LSU’s last SEC regular-season series victory over South Carolina was in 2017, two games to one in Baton Rouge.
A LOOK AT LSU
LSU is No. 2 in the SEC in team batting average (.305), No. 2 in doubles (110), No. 3 in on-base percentage (.417), No. 4 in hits (526), and No. 4 in runs scored (426). The Tigers’ pitching staff is No. 3 in the league in team ERA (3.81), No. 2 in strikeouts (586), and No. 4 in the SEC in opponent batting average (.224). Junior first baseman Jared Jones is No. 4 in the league in RBI (61), No. 5 in total bases (132), No. 5 in hits (70), and No. 7 in home runs (16). Freshman outfielder Derek Curiel is No. 6 in hits (69), No. 7 in doubles (15), No. 7 in walks (40), No. 7 in on-base percentage (.472), and No. 10 in batting average (.352). Junior second baseman Daniel Dickinson is No. 6 in the SEC in on-base percentage (.474). LSU sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson is No. 2 in the nation and in the SEC in strikeouts (124) and No. 2 in the league in innings pitched (76.1). Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson is No. 3 in the nation and in the SEC in strikeouts with 116 Ks, and is No. 5 in innings pitched (74.1).
A LOOK AT SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina is No. 13 in the SEC in batting average (.269). The Gamecocks have recorded 88 doubles, five triples, 55 homers, and 44 stolen bases in 59 attempts. The Gamecocks’ pitching staff is No. 15 in the SEC with a 6.28 cumulative ERA, and South Carolina’s opponent batting average is .264. Outfielder Nathan Hall leads South Carolina at the plate, batting .330 with 13 doubles, seven homers, and 38 RBI. OF/INF Ethan Petry is batting .321 with 10 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, and 34 RBI, and INF/OF Jase Woita is hitting .312 with five doubles, six homers, and 20 RBI.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com
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