By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – You can expect defending national champion LSU to play like it has nothing to lose in its final SEC regular series vs. No. 19 Florida here starting tonight.
Maybe that’s because the Tigers have already lost just about everything, like a school-record 18 SEC losses, including 12 of their last 15 games.
After LSU’s faint NCAA Tournament hopes were laid to rest last weekend at Georgia, where the 4th-ranked Bulldogs swept the Tigers and won the regular season SC title, LSU (29-24 overall, 9-18 SEC) plays the No. 19 Gators (34-18, 15-12), who won a road series this season at Georgia.
Georgia, college baseball’s home run leaders, launched nine against LSU’s overmatched pitching staff and .382 (39 for 102).
This weekend’s storyline matches Florida, whose pitchers are second in the SEC in earned run average (4.00), against LSU hurlers who are dead last in the SEC in ERA (5.49).
Florida will start sophomore Aiden King on the mound, someone LSU head coach Jay Johnson believes might be the best college pitcher in the country.
The Tigers’ pitching staff is so flummoxed with injuries and inexperienced players not ready for the moment that Johnson has yet to name a starting pitcher for tonight’s game.
That’s right. LSU starter is TBA (to be announced). When was the last time you saw that for an SEC series opener?
“I’ve tried to pare it down a little bit recently, more who’s actually getting on the mound and pitching to give us the best chance, as opposed to matching up,” Johnson said. “This weekend may be a little different because we’re gonna have to win five games in six days (at next week’s SEC tournament), so you’re gonna need more than eight pitchers to do that.
“We might get a couple guys on the mound this weekend that haven’t been on the mound a lot lately just to see if they can help next week.”
This weekend is the last home series for nine LSU seniors, all of whom are transfers. The most notable are two-year transfers relief pitcher Zac Cowan (Wofford) and outfielder Chris Stanfield (Auburn).
Both were huge contributors on LSU’s NCAA title run, and both have struggled this season.
Cowan had six saves and a 2.94 ERA in 22 appearances last season but has a 4.97 ERA in 15 appearances this year.
“No matter how this season went, I knew what this place was going to mean to me coming back,” Cowan said. “It holds a special place in my heart.”
A year ago, Stanfield batted .298 and was LSU’s leading hitter in SEC regular-season games, hitting .326. This season, Stanfield, slowed by wrist and hamstring injuries from the opening game of the season, has missed 23 games and is batting just .235.
“I have never been this hurt ever,” Stanfield. “The aspect of the game where you can help from the dugout changes you. The times when I was out there playing a little, I appreciated it a lot more.”
LSU (29-24 overall, 9-18 SEC) VS. NO. 19 FLORIDA (34-18, 15-12 SEC), Alex Box Stadium
GAME 1: Tonight, 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU – TBA
UF – So. RH Aidan King (7-2, 2.19 ERA, 74.0 IP, 16 BB, 77 SO)
GAME 2: Friday, 6:30 p.m. CT SEC Network+)
LSU – LSU – Fr. RH Marcos Paz (1-2, 8.28 ERA, 25.0 IP, 23 BB, 35 SO)
UF – Jr. RH Liam Peterson (1-5, 4.28 ERA, 67.1 IP, 34 BB, 88 SO)
GAME 3: Saturday, 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)
LSU – LSU – Sr. RH Zac Cowan (3-3, 4.97 ERA, 38.0 IP, 12 BB, 46 SO)
UF – Jr. RH Russell Sandefer (3-2, 4.30 ERA, 46.0 IP, 16, BB, 50 SO)
LSU VS. FLORIDA SERIES
LSU has a 69-55-1 all-time record versus Florida, as the series began in 1971. . .The Gators holf a 12-10 lead in the 22 meetings between the teams since 2016.
LSU holds a 6-3 all-time advantage over Florida in College World Series games. The Tigers won two of three games over the Gators in the 2023 CWS Championship Series June 24-26, in Omaha, Neb, LSU won two CWS games over the Gators in both 1991 and in 1996 en route to national championships … LSU and Florida also met in the 2017 College World Series Championship Series, when UF posted two straight wins over the Tigers to claim the Gators’ national title.
A LOOK AT LSU
The Tigers are No. 8 in the SEC with a .283 batting average. They have 90 doubles, 7 triples and 84 homers. . . Sophomore centerfielder Derek Curiel is No. 2in the SEC in base hits (73), No. 7 in runs scored (58) and No. 8 in triples (2). . . Freshman catcher/DH Omar Serna Jr. has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games in which he’s batting .353 (24-for-68) with six doubles, five homers, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored. . . Junior shortstop Steven Milam has a current reached-base safely streak that has stretched to 30 games. He has committed just two errors all season in 195 chances, producing a .990 fielding percentage. . .LSU’s pitching staff is last in the SEC in ERA at 5.49 and has 613 strikeouts and 262 walks. The Tigers have allowed a .237 opponent batting average and 61 home runs.
A LOOK AT FLORIDA
The Gators are No. 12 in the SEC with a .271 team batting average. UF has produced 81 doubles, eight triples, 73 homers and 42 steals in 55 attempts. . .Outfielder Blake Cyr is hitting .329 with 13 doubles, 11 homers and 47 RBI and infielder Ethan Surowiec is batting .305 with 11 doubles, one triple, eight homers and 47 RBI. .Florida is No. 2 in the SEC with a 4.00 cumulative ERA, and the Gators have recorded 529 strikeouts in 454.0 innings while allowing 36 home runs and a .236 opponent batting average.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com