By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – For the last four decades, the first weekend in May has been an alarm clock for eight-time College World Series champion LSU.
It means five weekends until the start of the NCAA tournament when the Tigers begin their annual march to Omaha, where they’ve appeared in 29 CWS in the last 39 full seasons.
Some years, LSU has used May to fine-tune minor weaknesses, like finding a consistent third starting pitcher or deepening its bullpen.
In other seasons, it’s been a mad dash for the Tigers to rally in May for an NCAA tourney berth, where LSU played in 33 of the last 36 years.
But the present unfathomable reality for the defending national champions (25-21 overall, 6-15 SEC) is the immediate goal vs. South Carolina (22-24, 7-14 SEC) here this weekend of snapping a school-record nine-game league losing streak.
Inconsistent play in every phase of the game, poor transfer portal signees, season-ending injuries, and a myriad of pulled muscles and bruises have transformed fifth-year head coach Jay Johnson’s post-national title rebuilding project into a demolition derby.
In a blink, LSU has plummeted from two national championships in the last four years to a team that will likely miss its first NCAA tourney since 2011, possibly suffer its first losing season since 1981, and break its school’s season record for most SEC losses (17).
“We’ve been playing teams that if you win, you can get a bump from it,” Johnson said. “We just haven’t been able to get over the hump in close games in league play, which has been our staple.
“Your season is going to be determined by how you play in close games, especially in league play. And we haven’t been on the good side of any of them. We just haven’t.”
In five of LSU’s last six SEC losses, the Tigers have led or been tied at through 5½ or more innings and lost every game. LSU has been swept in three consecutive SEC series for the first time in program history.
Last weekend, the Tigers were swept at Mississippi State after 7-2 through 6½ innings in game one, 7-1 after 5½ innings in game two, and 8-5 after 5½ innings in game three.
“There are a lot of reasons for that (failing to close out games),” Johnson said. “In some cases, it’s fundamentals, whether that’s straight throwing, a defensive play, the effectiveness of the bullpen, or a clutch hit.
“I know it sounds weird, because we just lost three close ones last weekend. But I think we’re moving in a direction where we’re not as far away from winning those games.”
Johnson can’t explain why he believes that.
He’s lost his top two starting pitchers – one for the season (Kansas transfer Cooper Moore) and his best hitter (Jake Brown) in the last two weeks. Assorted nagging injuries are piling up.
He’s basically benched four of his Class of 2026 transfers – first baseman/designated hitter Zach Yorke, and infielders Seth Dardar, Trent Caraway and Brayden Simpson.
Finally, Johnson has decided to ride or die with true freshmen catcher/designated hitter Omar Serna Jr., first baseman Mason Braun, right fielder William Patrick, and second baseman Jack Ruckert.
In LSU’s series at Mississippi State, Serna Jr. hit .571 (8-for-14) with two doubles, three homers, six RBI and six runs scored. Braun batted .538 (7-for-13) in the Mississippi State series with one triple, two RBI and four runs scored.
“I’m very confident in the human beings of those four freshmen position players, and I see enough baseball to where they could be winning-type players and more than that,” Johnson said.
“When Omar pulled his name out of the (major league) draft (last summer), we knew we had a really good player. When I evaluated Mason, I thought he would be a really good hitter, and he’s going to be. When you look at Jack, he’s a very skilled and fundamentally sound player. William, by far the best athlete on the team, and he’s also a great competitor.
“For all those guys, it’s just a matter of time and reps. We’re in a spot right now where those guys are going to get it.”
LSU (25-21 overall, 6-15 SEC) VS. SOUTH CAROLINA (22-24, 7-14 SEC), ALEX BOX STADIUM, BATON ROUGE
GAME 1: Tonight, 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU – So. RH William Schmidt (4-4, 4.17 ERA, 54.0 IP, 25 BB, 72 SO)
USC – Jr. RH Amp Phillips (3-5, 3.27 ERA, 55.0 IP, 27 BB, 63 SO)
GAME 2: Saturday 6 p.m. CT SEC Network+)
LSU – Fr. RH Marcos Paz (0-2, 7.23 ERA, 18.2 IP, 16 BB, 26 SO)
USC – Jr. RH Brandon Stone (5-2, 3.60 ERA, 55.0 IP, 14 BB, 52 SO)
GAME 3: Sunday, 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU – TBA
USC – TBA
LSU VS. SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES
LSU leads the all-time series with South Carolina, 46-33-1. The Tigers have won 24 of their past 37 games over the Gamecocks.
A LOOK AT LSU
The Tigers are No. 7 in the SEC with a .281 team batting average. They have produced 75 doubles, 7 triples, 75 homers and 36 steals in 48 attempts. . . Sophomore centerfielder Derek Curiel is No. 3 in the SEC in base hits (64), No. 7 in runs scored (50) and No. 7 in triples (2) . . .Junior shortstop Steven Milam has a current reached-base safely streak of 23 games, and also has a 12-game hitting streak. .LSU’s pitching staff is last in the SEC in ERA at 5.32. and has 546 strikeouts in 397.1 innings.
A LOOK AT SOUTH CAROLINA
The Gamecocks are No. 16 in the SEC with a .245 team batting average. They have produced 88 doubles, six triples, 61 homers and 21 steals in 31 attempts. . .Catcher Talmadge LeCroy is batting .293 for South Carolina with six doubles, eight homers and 30 RBI; infielder Will Craddock is hitting .270 with nine doubles, one triple, nine homers and 25 RBI, and infielder KJ Scobey is batting .267 with 15 doubles, eight homers and 28 RBI. . .The Gamecocks’ pitching staff is ninth in ERA at 4.41. and has recorded 418 strikeouts in 399.2 innings.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com