LSU’s baseball team has been battling to find its third weekend starter, a struggle that has left coach Jay Johnson and his team looking for solutions. While the Tigers have started off strong, winning five of their first six games, they have only won one out of the three games in each of their SEC series so far. This is not a promising record for the team and something they will need to address soon.
Hurd’s Struggles
The Tigers’ starting right-hander, Thatcher Hurd, has been having difficulties on the mound. In his 5⅓ innings of SEC play this season, Hurd has given up a total of 12 runs. Though he had one good start where he pitched six scoreless innings against Butler and another where he held Texas without a run over four and two-thirds innings, his performance was less than stellar in his last outing.
Possible Pitching Staff Losses
The team is also facing the potential loss of Chase Shores who will be sitting out this weekend with an undisclosed arm injury. Shores had started as a weekend pitcher but Johnson decided to use him as a reliever, particularly in high leverage situations during SEC play.
Herring and Garrett Edwards are strong relievers that could help bolster the pitching staff, but they may not be available for the first two games if the Tigers are in another tied series.
Christian Little Called Upon
After Hurd’s poor performance in their last game, Christian Little has been called upon to start this weekend’s third game against South Carolina.
Little will have big shoes to fill as coach Johnson believes that Shores and fellow freshman Griffin Herring will not only be key components of this year’s bullpen but also future members of the starting rotation.
Closers’ Roles in College Baseball
In college baseball, closers do not always play the same role as they do in the major leagues.
While in pro baseball, it is vitally important to have a true closer for the eighth and ninth innings, the objective in college baseball is to win the game now. Relievers who can extend innings and shut out a lineup while the offense goes to work play important roles. That’s why, in college baseball, it’s common for “fireman” pitchers to put out high leverage situations any time from the fourth inning, depending on the situation of the game.
Edwards – A Starter for LSU?
Garrett Edwards is an excellent example of a college baseball closer who could be playing a vital role for LSU. He recently played an enormous part in LSU’s extra-inning victory against Arkansas. And even though he has been pitching as a reliever this season, there are voices suggesting that he could make an excellent starter at some point.
Overall, Johnson is planning some changes to how things are structured on the mound to help his pitchers find their groove. And with tough SEC series ahead against South Carolina and others, he will need to address these issues promptly if he wants his team to remain competitive.
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