By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – LSU baseball’s NCAA Tournament chances, still barely airborne after being shot full of holes, seem to have found a safe landing after almost running out of runway.

In their last SEC regular season series of the year and needing three wins to dramatically increase their chances of earning a ticket to the Big Dance, the Tigers got their first sweep in league play on Saturday during Senior Day in Alex Box Stadium with a 9-3 win over Ole Miss.

Tommy White’s grand slam fourth-inning bomb helped LSU get out its broomstick after wins of 5-1 in Thursday’s Game 1 and 4-2 in Friday’s Game 2.

A week after a series loss at Alabama featuring two heartbreaking one-run defeats, the Tigers (36-20, 13-17) played their best trio of games since March. It earned LSU a spot in the opening game of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. The 11th-seeded Tigers will play Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. vs. No. 6 seed Georgia (39-14, 17-13). The Bulldogs are led by first-year head coach Wes Johnson, who was LSU’s pitching coach last season for its national championship team.

“I don’t think us being in the postseason should even be a discussion,” proud third-year LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “We have the players. We pass the eye test. We have 36 wins as an SEC team. This should be a no-brainer. If you look deeply at our record against somebody else against common opponents, we win out on all of those.”

Maybe so.

But for the longest, the Tigers’ inopportune hitting, inconsistent relief pitching and spotty fielding kept a team with seven new position starters and a revamped starting pitching rotation from hitting its stride.

Yet against Ole Miss (27-28, 11-19), which also had been on the NCAA tourney bubble, LSU discovered the magic it has been chasing all season.

The Tigers had their best batting average (.300), earned run average (2.00) and fielding percentage (1.000) in an SEC series this year.

Junior third baseman Tommy White, a projected top 10 pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft in mid-June, had the most productive conference series of his two-season LSU career after transferring from North Carolina State.

He battered Ole Miss pitching, hitting .615 (8 of 13) with 3 homers, a career-first triple, 2 doubles, 2 singles, 7 RBI and 5 runs scored. His hitting seemed contagious, especially helping the Tigers find their offensive mojo as they hit .326 with runners on base.

“Seeing and getting the right pitches to hit is great for our confidence,” said White, who drove in 5 runs in Saturday’s Game 3 when his solo home run in the sixth gave him the seventh multi-homer performance of his 122-game LSU career. “In the past, we’ve chased and got outside of ourselves. We’re bringing it back to where it’s at. Finding hard contact, hitting it where it’s pitched, not trying to do too much, not trying to hit a five-run home run every time we’re up there. Just putting it back where it came from.”

Gage Jump and Luke Holman, the Tigers’ Game 1 and Game 2 starting pitchers, again provided consistent outings.

Before he was pulled from Thursday’s opener which was halted by a lightning/rain delay of 1 hour and 39 minutes, Jump allowed 1 run and 5 hits in 6 innings while striking out 8 and walking 2.

“I could have thrown the whole game,” said Jump, lamenting the weather delay that prematurely ended his night.

Holman lasted 6.2 innings in Friday’s start, striking out 9 and issuing no walks while giving up 2 hits and 5 runs.

“Pitches were working whenever I wanted to throw them,” Holman said. “I was able to mix really well.”

An undeniable key in LSU’s sweep was its superb relief pitching.

Eight LSU relievers, including two appearances each from Christian Little, Griffin Herring, Nate Ackenhausen and Gavin Guidry, allowed just 3 runs in 13.1 innings.

“Tough, tough weekend,” said Ole Miss head coach and former LSU catcher Mike Bianco. “We didn’t swing it well all weekend.”

Little set the tone for the series by striking out 3 of 4 batters he faced as the first Tigers’ reliever in Game 1 after the weather delay.

LSU’s usual Game 3 pitching lineup of stringing together four to six relievers, which had provided a dismal 1-8 record in SEC series-closing games, finally drew a line in the sand.

The final day relievers were the beneficiaries of a big inning of offensive support when LSU scored 6 runs in the fourth, tying the most runs it had scored this season in an inning in an SEC game. The usually run-starved Tigers haven’t scored more than 6 runs in 24 of 30 SEC contests this season.

Ten LSU batters went to the plate in the fourth, had four hits and forced two Ole Miss hurlers to throw 52 pitches. Three LSU batters earned walks on 3-2 pitches.

The big blast was White’s first-pitch grand slam into the rightfield stands. It was the 11th first-pitch homer of his LSU career and his third grand slam.

“It’s just playing the game the right way,” White said. “That’s how this team is together now and that’s why we’re winning baseball games.”

With the sweep of the Rebels, LSU’s RPI according to the NCAA jumped from No. 35 to No. 30. A win over Georgia would cement LSU’s postseason chances since 70 percent of the SEC teams since 1985 with 14 league wins (including in the SEC Tournament) received NCAA tourney bids.

“There’s no doubt we are one of the top ten to fifteen teams in college baseball,” Johnson said. “It’s not even debatable. If we lost today (Saturday), then we may have given the committee an excuse to not put us in. But there is no excuse now, this is one of the best teams in the country.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

BATON ROUGE — Raelin Chaffin made sure the LSU softball team got the start it needed Friday in the NCAA’s Baton Rouge Regional, and the Tigers began an unbeaten weekend to roll into next weekend’s Super Regionals.

The Airline alumnus threw a two-hitter with a season-high seven strikeouts Friday afternoon in a 5-0 victory over Jackson State at Tiger Park.

Chaffin carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, dominating the visiting hitters while LSU’s offense scuffled. The 10^th-ranked Tigers scored a first-inning run but didn’t lead comfortably until after adding two in the fourth and two more in the bottom of the fifth.

“I think it was a solid win,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “It was everything we needed to do to move on to the next day. Of course, there are things we could do better, but this time of year, you take the win and move on to the next. We’re lucky we had Raelin throw a great game on the mound today.  Just never a doubt, never a moment where I felt it got away from her.”

Chaffin (11-5) earned the win, pitching her 10th complete game of her career and her third shutout in a 99-pitch outing. The junior hurler tied her season high with seven strikeouts and allowed three walks and two hits. Chaffin and the LSU defense smothered Jackson State as they did not allow a runner to get past first base and turned two double plays.

“It’s really cool when your coach and team instill confidence in you,” Chaffin said. “For me it’s huge to go out there knowing and believing that I can do it. Having my teammates and coaches in my corner was really good.”

LSU (42-15) topped Southern Illinois Saturday and Sunday to earn the program’s 10^th berth in the Sweet 16, two wins away from the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. The No. 9-seeded Tigers will travel to No. 8 Stanford for the best-of-3 Super Regional.

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

MARSHALL, Texas — The Centenary baseball season ended in postseason play Saturday afternoon as the Diamond Gents lost 10-5 to the No. 2 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags in an elimination game of the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship at Tiger Ballpark at Woods Field.

The No. 4 seed Diamond Gents (23-20) lost 5-2 to the nationally-ranked East Texas Baptist University Tigers on Friday to fall into the losers’ bracket.

Sophomore left-hander Cody Myers (10-4) started on the mound for Centenary and allowed five runs, four earned, in six innings of work with four walks and eight strikeouts. Myers gave up two home runs and threw two wild pitches. He faced 27 batters and threw 95 pitches – 57 for strikes.

Sophomore right-hander Aidan Reichek pitched the final two innings for the Diamond Gents and held the Tigers scoreless on just one hit. He walked one without a strikeout and faced eight batters and he threw 25 pitches, 16 for strikes.

The Diamond Gents finished with five hits, walked six times, struck out four times, and left eight on base and did not commit an error.

Against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, senior Blaine Hardy, a local product who prepped at C.E. Byrd High School, started and suffered the loss as he lasted four innings and allowed five runs (all earned) and six hits. Hardy walked one, struck out a pair, and was touched for three home runs.

Tyler Herrera and Jacob Broussard covered the final five innings and combined to allow five runs, four earned, and eight hits with a walk, five K’s, and one HR.

Centenary coach Mike Diaz said his team was overmatched in some respects, noting the long-ball prowess of the opponents this weekend, but said was proud of the Diamond Gents’ competitive fire and excited about the immediate future with much of the roster back next spring.

Centenary’s top hitters in the two NCAA games:

Senior right fielder Austyn Benoit was 2-8 with 1 RBI and 1 stolen base;

Sophomore left fielder Carson Livesay went 3-9 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored;

Freshman first baseman Alex Miller was 2-8 with 1 RBI and 1 walk;

Senior catcher Jake Gonce went 2-6 with 2 doubles, 1 run scored, 2 walks, and 1 RBI.

Nine Diamond Gents were named to the All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference team this season and seven players were named to the All-SCAC Tournament Team.

The Diamond Gents have notched nine 20-plus win seasons since 2013. They have also won 13 or more conference regular-season games in four-consecutive seasons.

The Diamond Gents have finished first, second, or third in the conference in every season except one (fourth – 2021) since joining the SCAC in 2013.

The NCAA Championship berth was Centenary’s third all-time after appearing in the 2017 event in Tyler, Texas where the Diamond Gents went 1-2 and the 2022 tournament where the Maroon and White went 0-3 against the LaGrange College Panthers in LaGrange, Ga.

Centenary is now 1-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with its lone win coming back on May 18, 2017 – a 12-1 win over Linfield in the West Regional in Tyler, Texas.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

JOURNAL SPORTS 

Bossier Parish Community College baseball placed five on the Region 14 All-Conference team with relief pitcher John McDonald making the first team. 

McDonald, a freshman righthander from Mississauga, Ontario, led the conference with 10 saves and had a 2-2 record. In 18 appearances he allowed 25 hits over 37 innings, struck out 30, walked 19 and had a 2.19 ERA. 

Freshman second baseman Parker Gwyn of Lafayette was named to the second team after hitting .348 with 17 extra base hits and 29 RBI. 

Three named honorable mention included infielders Tyrus Hall and Hayden Stringfellow and outfielder Dylan Biddick. 

Hall, a freshmen shortstop from Victoria, British Columbia, was among the conference leaders with 22 stolen bases. He had a team-leading five triples, was second on the team with 39 runs scored, drove in 31 runs and hit .306 for the season. 

Stringfellow, a redshirt freshman third baseman, hit .310 with 34 RBI and was second on the team with eight home runs and belted 10 doubles.  

Biddick, a freshman from Lafayette, was third among North Zone leading hitters with a .358 average. He had 12 doubles, three triples and three home runs, scored 37 runs and drove in 32. 

A pair of sophomores helped lead the BPCC offense throughout the season and to a 24-26 overall record and 11-19 in the region. It finished second in the region with 52 home runs and slugging percentage at .478.  

After a blazing start to the season when he hit six home runs in the first five games, designated hitter Emil Estrella led the team with 12 long balls and 15 doubles. He had a .307 average and team-best .620 slugging percentage.  

Sophomore first baseman Luke Bogan from Northwood High School led the team with 38 RBI and 41 runs scored, was third on the team with seven home runs, second with 18 stolen bases, while hitting .304.

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – Gage Jump on the bump toasted some Rebels’ rumps Thursday night in Alex Box Stadium.

LSU’s left-handed starting pitcher held Ole Miss to one run and five hits in six innings. He struck out eight, recording a strikeout or more every inning.

He threw 67 percent of his pitches for strikes. His pitch count of 83 was still relatively low.

And he was unhappy that Mother Nature showed up at the wrong time.

“I thought I could have thrown the whole game,” Gage said. “But lightning. . . I was pretty upset when there was lightning.”

Gage was in the LSU dugout with the Tigers at bat with two outs in the bottom of the sixth when the umpiring crew halted the game because lightning was detected within an 8-mile radius of the stadium.

LSU head coach Jay Johnson wasn’t happy either. For once, his team’s pinpoint, timely hitting and flawless fielding were copacetic, and the Tigers held a 4-run lead in Game 1 of the final SEC regular season series of the year.

“After spending many years in San Diego and Tucson, Arizona,” Johnson said of his previous sunny coaching stops where weather delays were a rarity, “this is a lot harder.”

After a 1-hour, 39-minute delay in which lightning led to a downpour that ended Gage’s night, LSU’s pitching continued to motor the Tigers down victory lane. Four relievers combined to blank the Rebels in the final three innings, preserving a 5-1 win that qualified the Tigers for next week’s SEC Tournament starting Tuesday in Hoover, Ala.

Most bracketologists feel LSU (34-20, 11-17) won’t have a chance of getting an NCAA Tournament at-large bid with anything less than 13 league wins (including one in the conference tournament if needed). Ole Miss (27-26, 11-17) has college baseball’s No. 1 strength of schedule and is neck and neck with the Tigers on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

It’s why nothing less than total attention to detail in every part of the game – hitting, pitching and fielding – is required this weekend for the defending national champions.

All three winning elements have rarely simultaneously shown up this year for LSU.

But all of the home team’s baseball planets aligned in Thursday’s game, from shortstop Michael Braswell’s leaping first-inning grab of an Ole Miss line drive to start an inning-ending double play, to Gage’s steady mound performance, to five Tigers combining for 8 timely hits to scratch across all of LSU’s runs in the second, third and fourth.

“All three of the phases were really good,” Johnson said. “We played very good defense tonight. We struck a lot of guys out (13), so that minimizes the plays. And we got his (Ole Miss starting pitcher Riley Maddox) pitch count up early. I looked up in the fourth and he was pretty close to 80 pitches. I was like, `Wow, for once this feels like 2023.”

Seven of LSU’s hits were singles including second baseman Steven Milam’s 2-out RBI in the second, first baseman Jared Jones’ 2-strike RBI stroke in the third, and Braswell’s full-count 2-RBI liner to left center in the fourth, followed a batter later by third baseman Tommy White delivering a 2-strike rip to left field.

The only non-single was White’s third-inning triple, which he noted was a rarity for him. The ball bounced off the base of the center field wall and caromed away from Rebels’ center fielder Ethan Groff.

“When I was almost to second base and he (Groff) was still going for the ball.” White said, “I thought I’ll take a shot (at a triple). I think the last time I had a triple I was like nine years old, but that didn’t really count because I smoked it to the wall on a small field.”

One of the most impressive performances was LSU relief pitcher Christian Little jumpstarting the Tigers after the rain delay when they rested and feasted on tacos in their clubhouse.

Little opened the parade of LSU relievers following him by striking out 3 of the 4 batters he faced in the Ole Miss seventh when play resumed. He, Nate Ackenhausen, Gavin Guidry and Griffin Herring combined to allow 1 hit while striking out 5 and walking 2 of the 12 Rebels’ batters they faced in the final three innings.

Thursday’s start time was moved from 6 p.m. to 4 p.m. in an unsuccessful effort to get ahead of the severe thunderstorms. With much the same weather expected for Game 2, the start time today has been pushed from 6:30 p.m. to 12 noon.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

By WILLIAM WEATHERS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – LSU softball coach Beth Torina jokes the volume in the team’s dugout is turned down when junior Raelin Chaffin’s pitching.

“She yells the entire time and when she’s not there I don’t like it,” Torina said before Thursday’s practice. “I enjoy her positivity, pumping people up. She does such a great job of celebrating all the little things that her teammates do.”

Chaffin, a former two-time Class 5A All-State selection at Airline High in Bossier City, is a ray of boundless energy going into the start of postseason play which marks her third NCAA Regional.

Top regional seed LSU (40-15, seeded ninth nationally) is scheduled to open the Baton Rouge Regional at 11 a.m. today against the region’s fourth seed, Jackson State (33-17),  at Tiger Park. The Tigers are also joined in the four-team field by second-seeded California (36-17) and third-seeded Southern Illinois (42-9) who begin at 1:30 p.m.

“I’ve been in regionals the past two years,” said Chaffin, who was LSU’s winning pitcher in last year’s 12-2 opening win over Prairie View. “I have a really good feeling we’re going to come out on top. The last two years wasn’t how we wanted, but I’m very hopeful about this year.”

Chaffin (10-5, 2.95 ERA, 69 strikeouts, 3 complete games, 2 shutouts) is prepared to handle whatever role Torina hands out. She’s started 14 times this season but has also flourished in relief where and second with two saves.

Without a set rotation, Torina keeps her pitchers on their toes until revealing the starting lineup in pregame warm-ups.

“I’m used to it,” said Chaffin, 22-8 in her career. “It’s my third year here. I’m going to prepare like I’m about to pitch every game. I leave my apartment thinking that I could pitch in every game because you always have someone who’s starting and someone who can relieve.”

Staff ace Sydney Berzon believes Chaffin’s been an integral part of this year’s team.

“She carries herself with so much confidence all the time and I think that kind of pours joy and intensity into us as a team,” Berzon said. “It shows the team how we should carry ourselves. I think she’s a great example of that.”

Chaffin, who will graduate in psychology/pre-nursing in 2025, said it was incumbent to take a bigger view of her role and focus more on her teammates. So, when she’s not in the game, she urges on either Berzon or Kelley Lynch in the circle, and when the team is on offense, she becomes the biggest cheerleader from the top of dugout steps.

The reciprocation is mutual where Chaffin is considered a team favorite.

“That was my goal this whole year and it makes a difference in your performance as well,” said Chaffin, a two-time selection to the All-SEC Honor Roll. “You can be happy for everyone else whether you’re performing or not. Whenever you’re performing everyone else is happy for you. That’s made a difference in my confidence. I just want to be a good teammate to everybody else.”

The 5-foot-6 Chaffin has logged a career-high 80.2 innings, winning eight of her first 10 decisions this spring that included a complete-game two-hit performance with five strikeouts in a 10-2 win over Nicholls State on March 26.

Chaffin opened the season Feb. 10 with a career-high seven strikeouts in a 7-0 win over Pitt and added a two-hit shutout win (2-0) over Houston with five strikeouts on Feb. 24. She followed on March 2 with a 3-1 win over eventual NCAA Regional entrant San Diego State limiting the Aztecs to a run on three hits with four strikeouts in six innings.

The rigors of Southeastern Conference play, though, provided a share of bumpy experiences. Chaffin, the winning pitcher in a March 9 relief effort against Kentucky, either picked up a loss or a no decision in four straight outings.

Chaffin halted that stretch with a potential breakthrough performance on April 27 with 4.2 innings of scoreless relief in a 4-1 loss to Arkansas.

“It’s a game of failure and that’s the hardest part of this game,” Chaffin said. “Learning that you’re playing a game that you’re going to fail at the majority of the time. It always gives me something to work on. If it was too easy it wouldn’t be fun.”

Chaffin made it look effortless at times during a dominant career at Airline which reached the state tournament in her sophomore and senior years in between the COVID pandemic in 2020. She was chosen “Miss Softball” in the state capping her prep career.

In three full seasons the hard-throwing right-hander was 59-8 with an 0.90 ERA and 752 strikeouts, leading the Lady Vikings to a state runner-up finish in ’21.

“She’s going to be huge this weekend,” Torina said of Chaffin. “We don’t make this tournament without her. I think she’ll be a huge part of what we do this weekend in some way, shape or form. Whether it’s starting or relieving, I’m sure we’ll see her as a part of it and she’ll play a huge role.”

Contact William at willou@cox.net

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

MARSHALL, Texas — The Centenary baseball team had an easy drive west to prepare for its second NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in three seasons.

Now the challenge is getting to stay through the weekend.

Centenary (23-18) will face the nationally-ranked East Texas Baptist University (36-8) on the Tigers’ homefield today with first pitch set for 11 a.m. at Tiger Ballpark at Woods Field. The Marshall Regional is a double-elimination competition that will conclude Sunday.

The Diamond Gents earned their NCAA berth when they won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. The Diamond Gents completed a run through the loser’s bracket by winning three straight elimination games over three days to capture their second SCAC Tournament title in three years.

ETBU, ranked fourth in the country in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 and fifth in the latest ABCA Coaches poll, is 19-5 at home this season. 

Centenary and ETBU have met 115 times with the Maroon and White holding a 72-43 edge in the all-time series. The teams played each other every season since 2012 and split a pair of meetings last season, but did not collide yet this year.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (30-13) and Concordia (27-16) join Centenary and ETBU in the regional. Claremont-M-S is 25^th in both the D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll and ABCA Coaches poll.

Centenary is led by senior shortstop Jobee Boone (.352, 29 RBI) and sophomore leftfielder Carson Livesay (.372, 6 HR, team-best 19 steals), named to the All-SCAC first team.

First baseman Alex Miller (.350, team-high 7 HR, team-best 46 RBI) was named the Freshman of the Year and earned second-team All-SCAC honors. Another freshman, Captain Shreve product Walker Wicklund, batted .350 and hit .444 in the conference tournament.

Sophomore left-hander Cody Myers (10-2, 2.13 ERA, 34^th nationally) was also named second-team All-SCAC. Myers made three appearances in the SCAC Tournament and picked up a pair of wins, one in a starting role and one in relief.

The Diamond Gents enter the NCAA Tournament as one of the country’s top offensive clubs, 84^th nationally in batting average (.310). Centenary has scored 291 runs and averaged 7.1 runs per game while boasting a .405 on-base percentage and slugging .414. The Diamond Gents have scored 10+ runs in a game 15 times this season and have posted at least 10 hits in a game in 27 of 41 games this season. Their 442 hits are tied for 67th nationally.

The NCAA berth is Centenary’s third all-time following trips in 2017 and 2022. Centenary is 1-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with its lone win in 2017 over Linfield.

NCAA Marshall Regional

Today

Game 1 (11:00 a.m.) – #1 ETBU (36-8) vs. #4 Centenary (23-18)

Game 2 (2:30 p.m.) –  #2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (30-13) vs. #3 Concordia Texas (27-16)  

Saturday

Game 3 (11:00 a.m.) –  G1 Loser vs. G2 Loser (elimination game)

Game 4 – (2:30 p.m.) – G1 Winner vs. G2 Winner

Game 5 – (6:00 p.m.)  – G3 Winner vs. G4 Loser (elimination game)

Sunday

Game 6 (11:00 a.m.) – G4 Winner vs. G5 Winner

Game 7 (2:30 p.m.) – if needed

Tournament Central: https://bit.ly/NCAAbb24REGIONALmarshallTX

JOURNAL SPORTS

LSUS’ drive for a return  to the NAIA Division I Baseball World Series ended in a 2-1 loss to Kansas Wesleyan Thursday in the Opening Round Shreveport Bracket championship game at Pilot Field. 

The Pilots (44-11), making their 21^st appearance in the NAIA Baseball National Championship, were seeking to get back to the World Series in Lewiston, Idaho after last going in 2021 and 2022.  But the Coyotes went undefeated in the region, winning all three games and the championship.

LSUS starting pitcher Isaac Rohde, the Red River Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, kept the Coyotes in check allowing two runs in six innings on the mound. He scattered seven hits and notched 11 strikeouts.

Kansas Wesleyan had combined to score 24 runs in the first two games of the regional. The Pilots’ Alex Gonzalez, David Hankins, Tanner Young and Josh Fortenberry finished the final three innings, allowing only two hits and one walk.

Kansas Wesleyan (48-10), the 20^th ranked team in the final NAIA Top 25 coaches poll, scored single runs in the first and third innings. Jacob Williamson and Kendall Foster started the game with the only two walks Rohde gave up. Tyler Favretto singled  to score Williamson from third for the first run. Favretto reached on a hit batsman and Coulson Riggs came in to pinch run. After a balk and single advanced Riggs to third, Zach Beatty singled him in. 

LSUS’ lone run came in the fourth. RRAC Player of the Year Vantrel Reed doubled and scored on an AJ Fritz single. Reed finished the game 2-for-4 and Trevor Burkhart was 2-for-3.

Brett Maddock (9-2) got the win for the Coyotes, working seven innings as he allowed five hits, one run, walked three and struck out four. KT Gearlds earned the save by allowing just one hit and one walk over the last two innings.

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – Jay Johnson is nearing the end of his 12th season as a college head baseball coach, the last three guiding LSU.

And while every year brings a unique set of expected and unexpected challenges, the 47-year-old Johnson figured he’d experienced most of them.

That is, until now for he and the defending national champions.

“I really pride myself on us winning close games,” Johnson said. “We’ve had some that we just have not finished out where you’re a pitch away from winning the Florida series, a pitch away from winning the Alabama series, and a pitch away from winning the Vanderbilt series.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever had all of those at one time before.”

LSU, 4-9 in SEC games this season in games decided by 2 runs or fewer, was one out away from beating Florida in Game 2 and Alabama in Game 1 but lost both. It led Vandy in Game 2 through seven innings and lost.

Flip those three series in favor of the Tigers and it means they’ve won 6 of 9 SEC series and are likely in line to host an NCAA tourney regional and possibly a Super Regional.

Instead, LSU (33-20, 10-17) has lost 6 of 9 SEC series heading into tonight’s 6 p.m. opener here in Alex Box Stadium vs. almost equally desperate Ole Miss (27-25, 11-16) in a regular season-ending league series that could be nicknamed the NCAA Tourney Bubble Invitational.

The Tigers, winners of their last 3 of 4 SEC series despite last weekend’s disaster at Alabama where they suffered 1-run losses in Game 1 and Game 3, is ranked No. 35 in the latest NCAA RPI. Ole Miss, winners of its last two SEC series (with 4 of 9 series wins for the year), is No. 24 in RPI.

As of Wednesday, Baseball America projected nine SEC teams, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Georgia serving as regional hosts, will receive NCAA tourney bids. There are 34 at-large invitations like LSU covets, but since most of the teams earning the 30 automatic berths as conference tournament champions won’t be among the top teams in RPI, teams like LSU with losing conference records have cloudy outlooks.

Baseball America listed LSU among the first four teams just missing being in the 64-team field and Ole Miss among the next four teams out after the first four teams out.

LSU needs a series sweep over Ole Miss or 2 of 3 wins over the Rebels and at least one win in next week’s SEC tourney starting Tuesday to have a fighting chance for an NCAA at-large invite when the brackets are announced May 27 at 11 a.m.

“We still have a chance because we didn’t lose very much outside the league (a 23-3 non-conference record), the third most non-conference wins (nationally),” Johnson said. “We have 13 wins against teams projected to be in the (NCAA tourney) field. We won a premier tournament (the Houston Astros Foundation Classic).”

LSU’s turnaround in the second half of SEC play can be somewhat attributed to an easier schedule than the first half.

But Tigers’ junior shortstop Michael Braswell III said he and his teammates have played with more belief after dropping its first five SEC series to Mississippi State, Florida, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

“When we played in Houston (in March) and we closed out some close games, we had the mindset at the end of games we were playing to win,” said Braswell III, a South Carolina transfer batting .293. “We got into SEC play and things started to go a bit sideways. We started playing not to lose rather than trying to win. But now, we go out there and we believe we’re the better team.”

LSU (33-20, 10-17 SEC) vs. Ole Miss (27-25, 11-16 SEC), Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge

SCHEDULE/PITCHING MATCHUP

Game 1: Tonight, 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network)

LSU –LSU – So. LH Gage Jump (4-1, 3.86 ERA, 60.2 IP, 17 BB, 74 SO)

OM –Jr. RH Riley Maddox (3-6, 5.68 ERA, 58.2 IP, 22 BB, 42 SO)

Game 2: Friday, 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)

LSU –Jr. RH Luke Holman (7-3, 2.74 ERA, 72.1 IP, 30 BB, 100 SO)

OM –So. LH Liam Doyle (3-2, 5.29 ERA, 49.1 IP, 20 BB, 77 SO)

Game 3: Saturday, 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)

LSU –TBA

OM –Jr. RH Mason Nichols (4-1, 3.50 ERA, 36.0 IP, 18 BB, 41 SO)

LSU-OLE MISS SERIES:  LSU leads Ole Miss, 182-159, in a series that began in 1906. . .The Tigers won 8 of the past 12 regular-season series with Ole Miss. The Rebels lost 19 consecutive SEC series in Baton Rouge from 1983-2017. But he Rebels have won their last two series in Alex Box Stadium – a 2-1 series victory in 2019 and a three-game sweep in 2022.

A LOOK AT LSU: LSU is No. 5 in the SEC in team ERA (4.45), and the Tigers have recorded the second-highest total of strikeouts in the league with 583 Ks in 458.2 innings pitched. . .LSU is No. 8 in the league in team batting average (.282), and the Tigers’ total of 91 home runs is fifth best in the conference.

A LOOK AT OLE MISS: Ole Miss is No. 13 in the SEC in team batting average (.261), and the Rebels have collected 82 doubles, six triples, 73 homers and 50 steals in 58 attempts. . .The Ole Miss pitching staff is No. 13 in the SEC with a 5.91 ERA, and the Rebels have posted 509 strikeouts in 447.2 innings.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

LSUS baseball won both of its elimination games Wednesday against Top 25-ranked foes and the top-seeded Pilots will play today in the finals of the NAIA Tournament Opening Round Shreveport Bracket back on their homefield.

Previous play in the regional has been at Bossier Parish Community College due to soggy conditions at Pilot Field following heavy rain that hit at the beginning of the week.

The Pilots (44-10), fourth in the final NAIA regular-season rankings, defeated No. 18 Concordia (Nebraska) 8-3 in the first game and 20^th-ranked Talladega 11-5 in the second game and will play Kansas Wesleyan (47-10) in today’s finals at 10 a.m.

LSUS will have to win that game and an if-necessary game at 1 p.m. to advance to next week’s Super Regionals.

LSUS got a power pitching performance from four different hurlers who struck out 21 batters in the first game win. Starter Draven Zeigler struck out 12 in 4 2/3 innings but gave up a pair of home runs in the fifth inning that accounted for all three of Concordia’s runs and tied the game 3-3.

Lex Meinderts came on to get the win, working 1 1/3 innings. He gave up the only hit Concordia would manage to get over the last four innings, walked one and struck out four. David Hankins worked 2/3 of an inning, walked two and struck out one. Josh Fortenberry got the save by closing out the final 2 1/3 innings, as he walked one and struck out four.

Austin Gomm put the Pilots ahead to stay with a two-run home run in the seventh inning. His shot scored Ryan Davenport from second base after a one-out double.

LSUS scored two more in the eighth when Trevor Burkhart doubled in pinch runner Cooper Huspen (in for Deigo Aragon who doubled) and scored on a Vantrel Reed infield single. The Pilots added an unearned run in the ninth.

LSUS had 17 hits in the game with Reed leading the way going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Josh Gibson, AJ Fritz, Davenport, and Aragon all had two hits.

In the nightcap, LSUS faced the team that put them in the losers’ bracket with a 6-5 extra-inning upset on the rain-delayed first day of the tournament. This time the Pilots got a big lift late from pitcher Chase Guitreau on the mound and Jose Aquino at the plate.

Guitreau came on in the seventh inning and slammed the door on the Tornado. He struck out the first six batters and seven of the 11 he faced. A two-out walk in the ninth was all Talladega could get before Guitreau struck out the final batter.

Leading 6-5 going to the ninth, Aquino’s pinch-hit grand slam was the big blow for the Pilots, who scored five in the inning to take an 11-5 lead into the last at bat for Talladega.

LSUS scored in each of the first four innings to take a 6-1 lead. Gomm, who finished the game 3-for-3, drove in three of the six runs with a first inning single, second inning double and fourth inning home run.

The Tornados took advantage of a pair of Pilot errors in the fifth to score four unearned runs and pull within one at 6-5 on a Miguel Oropeza three-run home run.

LSUS (44-10) had chances to score in the sixth and eighth innings, but like the first game between the two schools, couldn’t capitalize. The Pilots put the first two batters on base in the sixth before Reed hit into a triple play. The eighth inning ended on a double play when Burkhardt rounded third base too far on a fielders’ choice ground ball to shortstop.

NAIA Division I Baseball  

Shreveport Regional 

First round, double-elimination 

At Bossier Parish Community College 

Tuesday’s results 

G1: 4-Talladega 20, 5-Blue Mountain Christian 7

G2: 3-Kansas Wesleyan 15, 2-Concordia (Neb.) 8 

G3: 4-Talladega 6, 1-LSUS 5, 10 innings 

G4: 2-Concordia (Neb) 14, 5-Blue Mountain Christian 5 (Blue Mountain eliminated) 

Wednesday’s results 

G5: 3-Kansas Wesleyan 9, 4-Talladega 2 

G6: 1-LSUS 8, 2-Concordia (Neb.) 3 (Concordia eliminated) 

G7: 1-LSUS 11, 4-Talladega 5 (Talladega eliminated)

Today’s games — at LSUS, Pilot Field

G8: 1-LSUS (44-10) vs. 3-Kansas Wesleyan (47-10), 10 a.m.

If necessary

G9: 1-LSUS vs. 3-Kansas Wesleyan, 1 p.m.

JOURNAL SPORTS 

LSUS couldn’t get the big hit when it needed it the most, dropping its first-round game of the NAIA Tournament Opening Round Shreveport Bracket to Talladega 6-5 in 10 innings Tuesday at Bossier Parish Community College. 

The top-seeded Pilots left 13 runners on base and couldn’t hold on to a 5-4 lead going into the ninth inning while falling in the double-elimination regional.

The Pilots trailed 3-0 in the third inning when Austin Gomm hit a two-run home run to cut the deficit to 3-2.

They loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth but could only manage a tying run on a walk by senior Jose Aquino. LSUS had four other innings where it left two runners on base including the ninth inning. 

After Talladega (39-15) scored a go-ahead unearned run in the seventh, LSUS went ahead for the first time with two runs of its own. Aquino got his second RBI of the night with a single to tie the game and pinch hitter Christian Hobbs singled in the go-ahead run to give the Pilots a 5-4 lead entering the ninth. 

Miguel Oropeza tied it for Talladega with a home run in the ninth and Armando Jackson homered in the 10^th for the game-winning run. 

AJ Fritz was the only Pilot with multiple hits going 2-for-4. Trevor Burkhardt and Josh Gibson had doubles for LSUS. 

Regional top-seed LSUS (42-10), No. 4 in the final NAIA Top 25 rankings, will now play second-seeded and 18th-ranked Concordia (Nebraska) at 1 p.m. today.  Concordia sent fifth-seed Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) home late Tuesday night with a nine-run romp.

The loser of the LSUS-Concordia game is eliminated.

NAIA Division I baseball Shreveport Bracket 

First round, double-elimination 

At Bossier Parish Community College 

Tuesday’s results 

G1: 4-Talladega 20, 5-Blue Mountain Christian 7 

G2: 3-Kansas Wesleyan 15, 2-Concordia (NE) 8 

G3: 4-Talladega 6, 1-LSUS 5, 10 innings 

G4: 2-Concordia (NE) 14, 5-Blue Mountain Christian 5

Today’s games 

G5: 3-Kansas Wesleyan (46-10) vs. 4-Talladega (39-15), 10 a.m. 

G6: 1-LSUS (42-10) vs. 2-Concordia (42-14), 1 p.m. (loser eliminated) 

G7: winner G6 vs. loser G5, 4 p.m. (loser eliminated) 

Thursday’s games 

G8: winner G7 vs. winner G5, 10 a.m. 

If necessary 

G9: winner G8 vs. loser G8, 1 p.m.