2013 SEC Tournament – Session 2 OPEN THREAD
TV: CSS/Cox Sports (Watch on ESPN3.com)
Radio: XM 199/Sirius 158 (Free National audio stream from the SEC)
#8 Florida vs. #9 Texas A&M - Single Elimination LIVE STATS
Series Record - Did not play in the regular season
Probable starters
UF - RHP SO Johnny Magliozzi (4-1, 2.14 ERA, 54.2 IP, 12 BB, 45 K)
A&M - RHP SO Daniel Mengden (7-3, 1.92 ERA, 98.1 IP, 20 BB, 80 K)
#5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Missouri - Single Elimination LIVE STATS
Series Record - Did not meet in the regular season
Probable Starters
MSU - RHP Trevor Fitts (0-0, 1.65 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 BB, 15 K)
MIZ - LHP JR Rob Zastryzny (2-9, 2.64 ERA, 81.2 IP, 22 BB, 75 K)
2013 SEC Tournament – Session 1 OPEN THREAD
TV: FSN (Watch on ESPN3.com)
Radio: XM 199/Sirius 158 (Free National audio stream from the SEC)
#6 Ole Miss vs. #11 Kentucky - Single Elimination LIVE STATS
2013 Series Record: UK 2-1 @ Ole Miss
Probable Starters
UK: LHP SR Jerad Grundy (6-5, 4.75 ERA, 77.2 IP, 20 BB, 60 K)
OM: RHP JR Mike Mayers (4-5, 3.21 ERA, 81.1 IP, 30 BB, 66 K)
Game 2 (30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1)
#7 Alabama vs. #10 Auburn - Single Elimination LIVE STATS
2013 Series Record: 2-2 (Bama 2-1 @ Auburn; Auburn 1-0 @ Montgomery)
Probable Starters
BAMA: LHP SO Justin Kamplain (1-0, 4.53 ERA, 51.2 IP, 18 BB, 48 K)
AUB: LHP JR Conner Kendrick (5-3, 2.03 ERA, 75.1 IP, 27 BB, 74 K)
As you read this, I am likely somewhere in Mississippi en route to Hoover. I wont be in place to cover Game 1 (any volunteers?) but I should be up and running to cover the IRON BOWL OF BASEBALL
I'll be covering today's games and the rest of the tournament in the same fashion as you've come to expect this season. Feel free to comment below as the mood strikes you.
2013 SEC Baseball Tournament GAMETHREAD
Covering the the greatest tournament in College Baseball from 1st pitch to Championship Sunday

The 2013 SEC Baseball Tournament gets underway tomorrow with another year of live TV coverage of every game in the tournament. In addition, every game of the tournament will also be streamed on the ESPN3.com/WatchESPN Service and will have a neutral national radio feed on Sirius XM. The tournament was expanded this year to include 12 of the 14 teams in the conference, with the opening round being single elimination, followed by the normal double elimination bracket with a single championship game on Sunday afternoon. The days are divided into 2 sessions of 2 games each, with the second game of each session starting 30 minutes after the end of first game.
All Times Central
# - Tournament Seed
Tuesday, May 21 - All Day Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158
Game 1 9:30 a.m. #6 Ole Miss vs. #11 Kentucky - Single Elimination [FSN]
Game 2 TBD #7 Alabama vs. #10 Auburn - Single Elimination [FSN]
Game 3 4:30 p.m. #8 Florida vs. #9 Texas A&M - Single Elimination [CSS/Cox Sports]
Game 4 TBD #5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Missouri - Single Elimination [CSS/Cox Sports]
Wednesday, May 22
Game 5 9:30 a.m. #3 Arkansas vs. Winner Game 1 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 6 TBD #2 LSU vs. Winner Game 2 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 7 4:30 p.m. #1 Vanderbilt vs. Winner Game 3 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Game 8 TBD #4 South Carolina vs. Winner Game 4 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Thursday, May 23
Game 9 9:30 a.m. Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 [SPSO/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 10 TBD Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 [SPSO/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 11 4:30 p.m. Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 [SPSO/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Game 12 TBD Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 [SPSO/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Friday, May 24
Game 13 3:00 p.m. Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 14 TBD Winner Game 10 vs. Loser 12 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Saturday, May 25
Game 15 Noon Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 11 [ESPNEWS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 16 TBD Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 12 [ESPNEWS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Sunday, May 26
Game 17 3:30 p.m. Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16 [ESPN2/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
FSN - Fox Sports South, Sun Sports, Fox Sports
Southwest, Fox Sports Houston
SPSO - SportSouth, Sun Sports, Fox Sports
Southwest, Fox Sports Houston
CSS - Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast
Printable Bracket via SECDigitalNetwork [PDF]
2013 SEC Baseball Tournament Preview
The SEC Tournament kicks off on Tuesday. Some teams have a lot on the line while others don't have much to play for. Here is a look at what each time is looking to accomplish in Hoover.
Auburn (33-22, 13-17)
After starting conference play 1-8, Auburn was left for dead when it came to any discussions about the NCAA Tournament. But the team got their act together and played solid baseball from that point forward, winning 12 of their last 21 SEC contests. They finished the regular season by taking two of three from Arkansas. And with that, Auburn may have just played their way into the tournament. They have a strong RPI at #32 and find themselves squarely on the bubble. Their game against Alabama on Tuesday is really important for them...for both teams really. If they beat the Tide, they guarantee themselves at least two more games in Hoover. If Auburn can manage to win two games at the SEC Tournament, I think it will be enough to land in the NCAA Tournament. If they don't, then they'll really be sweating on Sunday. It's uncanny how similar this Auburn team is to LSU's 2011 team, which did not receive a bid to the tournament. Comparisons between the two teams are discussed at length here. The guys at College and Magnolia have an in-depth preview of their game against Alabama right here and an excellent breakdown of Auburn's NCAA chances as well.
Alabama (32-24, 14-15)
Alabama started conference play wit ha 7-2 record but have cooled considerably as their level of competition picked up, going just 7-13 since. They benefited from a favorable conference schedule, getting Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri from the East and winning seven of those nine. However, their RPI is #28, and they're still in excellent shape to make the NCAA Tournament. But if they lose the opening game to Auburn, they'll be awfully nervous when the selections are made. With a win against Auburn, I think Alabama is safe, even if they drop the next two. Roll Bama Roll takes a look at Bama's post-season chances as they head to Hoover.
Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15)
Ole Miss enters the SEC Tournament as a team that is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament but has virtually zero chance to host a Regional. If they were to win the entire tournament, they could perhaps get into the discussion as a host team, but it would still be highly unlikely. They do have a nice RPI of #18, which gives them a chance but for the most part, Ole Miss doesn't have anything to gain, or to lose, in Hoover. They'll play Kentucky in the first round.
Kentucky (30-24, 11-19)
Kentucky was once flying high and ranked in the Top-10, but it was fools good. They crashed HARD once the calendar turned to April. Their only chance of making the NCAA Tournament is to win the whole thing but with the way they've been playing lately, that seems really far fetched. Kentucky's RPI is actually decent at #39 and they have a respectable 13-17 record against RPI Top-50 teams. But the rest of the resume just isn't there.
Florida (29-27, 14-16)
Florida really dorked up the last two weekends by losing series to Auburn and Georgia. And that comes after getting swept by LSU, which means they're 2-7 in the SEC over the last three weeks. Florida started this season off slowly but seemed to get their feet under them and settle in. They were playing good baseball for a while and even swept South Carolina. But they surprisingly crashed again late. Their overall record is not good and their 14-16 SEC mark isn't that impressive either, especially playing in the East. But the Gators' RPI is #26 and they are 14-17 against the RPI Top-50. They may want to go ahead and win their first game at the SEC Tournament just to make sure, but their spot in the NCAA Tournament is pretty secure right now.
Texas A&M (30-25, 13-16)
The Aggies are on the outside of the NCAA Tournament right now. Their record isn't impressive, their RPI is down at #44 and they're just 8-19 against the RPI Top 50. However, they have a fighting chance, but it's going to take a pretty serious run in the SEC Tournament to put themselves back in the discussion. They face Florida on Tuesday in the first round. Obviously, a loss there means that they're done. A win against the Gators earns then a matchup with Vanderbilt. So needless to say, the Aggies have their work cut out for them. SEBaseball.com has the Aggies in the list of the "Next 10 Out" in their latest projections, which indicates they're close to the bubble.
Mississippi State (40-16, 16-14)
State absolutely needed a series win against South Carolina last weekend in order to put themselves back in the discussion as a host team, and they got it. They play against Missouri on Tuesday and with a win there, I think they will have done enough to lock up a regional in Starkville. If they lose, it's possible they lose that spot, but I tend to think they're in good shape either way. State's RPI is #10, their strength of schedule is #7, and they're 19-14 against the RPI Top-50. I suspect they won't have too much trouble with Missouri. With a win, they'll face South Carolina who will be looking for some payback after losing the series last weekend. If Mississippi State were to win the SEC Tournament, they could enter the discussion as a national seed, depending on what else happens around the country.
Missouri (18-31, 10-20)
What can you say, really? Missouri made the SEC Tournament, so that's a minor accomplishment. But short of winning the entire thing, which is impossible, they have nothing to play for in Hoover. Odds are, they play the last game of their season on Tuesday against Mississippi State.
Arkansas (35-19, 18-11)
Arkansas is trying to play their win into a host team for the NCAA Tournament, and they have an uphill battle to get there. The Hogs probably feel a little disrespected. Everyone is penciling in Mississippi State and South Carolina as host sites, despite the fact that Arkansas finished third in the SEC standings with an 18-11 record. The Hogs have a RPI problem, though. Their ranking is #48. Losing the series to Auburn on the final weekend did not help their cause, either. Could a deep run in the SEC Tournament change things? Absolutely. And they have an excellent, deep pitching staff to make such a run. They could run into trouble in their second game though, which could be against LSU ace Aaron Nola. But if the Hogs can get to the finals of the SEC Tournament, then they may just have a chance to play some post-season ball at home.
LSU (48-8, 23-7)
LSU doesn't have a ton to play for in Hoover. Whether they win the entire thing or go 0-2, they're assured a national seed and someone will have to beat them at home to knock them out of a trip to Omaha. LSU's primary goals in the tournament are to get their pitching staff lined up for the Regional and to build some confidence and momentum heading towards the post-season. Of course, the best way to build confidence and momentum is to win the entire thing. LSU's last two national championship teams won the SEC Tournament en route to Omaha. LSU is throwing Cody Glenn in their first game against the winner of Alabama vs. Auburn and ace Aaron Nola in Game Two. So they could very well get off to a good start.
Vanderbilt (48-7, 26-3)
Vanderbilt just wrapped up a record setting regular season, and they now face some pretty steep expectations for the post-season. While the SEC Tournament isn't anywhere near the top of their goals, it would still be a nice feather in their cap. I suspect head coach Tim Corbin would love to see his team win the tournament to show that they can win in this kind of format. Vanderbilt will face the winner of Florida and Texas A&M. Obviously, Vandy is locked into a national seed, regardless of what happens in Hoover.
South Carolina (39-16, 17-12)
The Gamecocks are in a situation where they're practically assured a host spot, but I don't see much possibility of them securing a national seed. If they win the entire tournament, they could possibly land in the discussion for a national seed, depending on what else happens nationally. But it's not very likely. The Gamecocks RPI is #11, but they have just an 11-12 record against RPI Top-50. In their incredible run over the last three years, appearing in three straight College World Series Finals and winning two of them, they have not won the SEC Tournament.
2013 SEC Baseball Tournament Preview
The SEC Tournament kicks off on Tuesday. Some teams have a lot on the line while others don't have much to play for. Here is a look at what each time is looking to accomplish in Hoover.
Auburn (33-22, 13-17)
After starting conference play 1-8, Auburn was left for dead when it came to any discussions about the NCAA Tournament. But the team got their act together and played solid baseball from that point forward, winning 12 of their last 21 SEC contests. They finished the regular season by taking two of three from Arkansas. And with that, Auburn may have just played their way into the tournament. They have a strong RPI at #32 and find themselves squarely on the bubble. Their game against Alabama on Tuesday is really important for them...for both teams really. If they beat the Tide, they guarantee themselves at least two more games in Hoover. If Auburn can manage to win two games at the SEC Tournament, I think it will be enough to land in the NCAA Tournament. If they don't, then they'll really be sweating on Sunday. It's uncanny how similar this Auburn team is to LSU's 2011 team, which did not receive a bid to the tournament. Comparisons between the two teams are discussed at length here. The guys at College and Magnolia have an in-depth preview of their game against Alabama right here and an excellent breakdown of Auburn's NCAA chances as well.
Alabama (32-24, 14-15)
Alabama started conference play wit ha 7-2 record but have cooled considerably as their level of competition picked up, going just 7-13 since. They benefited from a favorable conference schedule, getting Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri from the East and winning seven of those nine. However, their RPI is #28, and they're still in excellent shape to make the NCAA Tournament. But if they lose the opening game to Auburn, they'll be awfully nervous when the selections are made. With a win against Auburn, I think Alabama is safe, even if they drop the next two. Roll Bama Roll takes a look at Bama's post-season chances as they head to Hoover.
Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15)
Ole Miss enters the SEC Tournament as a team that is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament but has virtually zero chance to host a Regional. If they were to win the entire tournament, they could perhaps get into the discussion as a host team, but it would still be highly unlikely. They do have a nice RPI of #18, which gives them a chance but for the most part, Ole Miss doesn't have anything to gain, or to lose, in Hoover. They'll play Kentucky in the first round.
Kentucky (30-24, 11-19)
Kentucky was once flying high and ranked in the Top-10, but it was fools good. They crashed HARD once the calendar turned to April. Their only chance of making the NCAA Tournament is to win the whole thing but with the way they've been playing lately, that seems really far fetched. Kentucky's RPI is actually decent at #39 and they have a respectable 13-17 record against RPI Top-50 teams. But the rest of the resume just isn't there.
Florida (29-27, 14-16)
Florida really dorked up the last two weekends by losing series to Auburn and Georgia. And that comes after getting swept by LSU, which means they're 2-7 in the SEC over the last three weeks. Florida started this season off slowly but seemed to get their feet under them and settle in. They were playing good baseball for a while and even swept South Carolina. But they surprisingly crashed again late. Their overall record is not good and their 14-16 SEC mark isn't that impressive either, especially playing in the East. But the Gators' RPI is #26 and they are 14-17 against the RPI Top-50. They may want to go ahead and win their first game at the SEC Tournament just to make sure, but their spot in the NCAA Tournament is pretty secure right now.
Texas A&M (30-25, 13-16)
The Aggies are on the outside of the NCAA Tournament right now. Their record isn't impressive, their RPI is down at #44 and they're just 8-19 against the RPI Top 50. However, they have a fighting chance, but it's going to take a pretty serious run in the SEC Tournament to put themselves back in the discussion. They face Florida on Tuesday in the first round. Obviously, a loss there means that they're done. A win against the Gators earns then a matchup with Vanderbilt. So needless to say, the Aggies have their work cut out for them. SEBaseball.com has the Aggies in the list of the "Next 10 Out" in their latest projections, which indicates they're close to the bubble.
Mississippi State (40-16, 16-14)
State absolutely needed a series win against South Carolina last weekend in order to put themselves back in the discussion as a host team, and they got it. They play against Missouri on Tuesday and with a win there, I think they will have done enough to lock up a regional in Starkville. If they lose, it's possible they lose that spot, but I tend to think they're in good shape either way. State's RPI is #10, their strength of schedule is #7, and they're 19-14 against the RPI Top-50. I suspect they won't have too much trouble with Missouri. With a win, they'll face South Carolina who will be looking for some payback after losing the series last weekend. If Mississippi State were to win the SEC Tournament, they could enter the discussion as a national seed, depending on what else happens around the country.
Missouri (18-31, 10-20)
What can you say, really? Missouri made the SEC Tournament, so that's a minor accomplishment. But short of winning the entire thing, which is impossible, they have nothing to play for in Hoover. Odds are, they play the last game of their season on Tuesday against Mississippi State.
Arkansas (35-19, 18-11)
Arkansas is trying to play their win into a host team for the NCAA Tournament, and they have an uphill battle to get there. The Hogs probably feel a little disrespected. Everyone is penciling in Mississippi State and South Carolina as host sites, despite the fact that Arkansas finished third in the SEC standings with an 18-11 record. The Hogs have a RPI problem, though. Their ranking is #48. Losing the series to Auburn on the final weekend did not help their cause, either. Could a deep run in the SEC Tournament change things? Absolutely. And they have an excellent, deep pitching staff to make such a run. They could run into trouble in their second game though, which could be against LSU ace Aaron Nola. But if the Hogs can get to the finals of the SEC Tournament, then they may just have a chance to play some post-season ball at home.
LSU (48-8, 23-7)
LSU doesn't have a ton to play for in Hoover. Whether they win the entire thing or go 0-2, they're assured a national seed and someone will have to beat them at home to knock them out of a trip to Omaha. LSU's primary goals in the tournament are to get their pitching staff lined up for the Regional and to build some confidence and momentum heading towards the post-season. Of course, the best way to build confidence and momentum is to win the entire thing. LSU's last two national championship teams won the SEC Tournament en route to Omaha. LSU is throwing Cody Glenn in their first game against the winner of Alabama vs. Auburn and ace Aaron Nola in Game Two. So they could very well get off to a good start.
Vanderbilt (48-7, 26-3)
Vanderbilt just wrapped up a record setting regular season, and they now face some pretty steep expectations for the post-season. While the SEC Tournament isn't anywhere near the top of their goals, it would still be a nice feather in their cap. I suspect head coach Tim Corbin would love to see his team win the tournament to show that they can win in this kind of format. Vanderbilt will face the winner of Florida and Texas A&M. Obviously, Vandy is locked into a national seed, regardless of what happens in Hoover.
South Carolina (39-16, 17-12)
The Gamecocks are in a situation where they're practically assured a host spot, but I don't see much possibility of them securing a national seed. If they win the entire tournament, they could possibly land in the discussion for a national seed, depending on what else happens nationally. But it's not very likely. The Gamecocks RPI is #11, but they have just an 11-12 record against RPI Top-50. In their incredible run over the last three years, appearing in three straight College World Series Finals and winning two of them, they have not won the SEC Tournament.
Analyzing the Point Spreads in Week 1 SEC Football Games
MLB Draft Preview – Part 2: Signing Class
After looking at how the draft may impact the current roster in Part 1 of the MLB Draft Preview, we'll now take a look at LSU's Signing Class and how they may be impacted.
In each signing class, it seems that LSU will take at least one super prospect...a guy that will almost certainly end up a high draft choice and turn pro. Guys like Joey Gallo, Jake Cave and Johnny Eiermann come to mind. But occasionally something will happen, and the circumstances will allow someone like Alex Bregman to slide through and play college ball.
Any high schooler picked in the top five rounds is a near certainty to sign a pro contract. Last year, 84 high school players were selected in the top five rounds and only five did not sign a pro deal.
This year, I see just one guy who falls into that category. Terrebone High School's Justin Williams is one of the best power hitting prospects in this draft. The 6'2" 215 pounder has put on an absolute show at many of the prospect showcase events over the last two summers, and he was at one point thought to be picked in the top half of the first round. However, all that attention brought increased scrutiny, and it sounds like the scouts have been a bit disappointed with what they've seen of Williams this spring. So while many flaws in his swing have been identified, his natural talent and raw power remain among the best in the draft. Williams plays third base in high school and sometimes shortstop, but projects as a left fielder or first baseman for the future.
The latest Baseball America rankings have Williams as the #68 prospect in the draft. And while that's still likely high enough to ensure Williams signs a pro contract, it's not a total slam dunk like it was when everyone thought he'd be taken in the Top 15 picks...especially if Williams has his mind set on receiving Top-15 money. But the slot value for Pick #68 is $820,000, and that's still an awful lot of money to turn down. Here is a solid breakdown of Williams' game from our SB Nation friends at The Crawfish Boxes. At the end of the day, don't expect Williams to play at LSU.
The next guy off the board will likely be Florida first baseman Nick Longhi, who is another guy that flashes excellent power potential. Listed at 6'2" 210 pounds, Longhi has a unique make-up in that he throws left-handed but bats from the right side. He's also a decent prospect as a pitcher, touching the low 90s at times with his fastball. Baseball America does not list Longhi in their Top 250 prospects, but several other publications have him in the Top 100. Based purely on his talents, Longhi stands a very good chance of being drafted in the Top 5 rounds. If he indicates to teams that he covets playing college ball, then he could slide way down the board if he's not taken by a certain point. It all depends on what Longhi wants to do. Questions about his position could also drive his stock down a bit, and that seems to be the opinion of our friends at MLB Bonus Baby. He says that it will take a "life changing" amount of money for him to not attend LSU. But every prospect will say those things in order to drive their bonus up as high as possible. In an interview with Perfect Game from January, you really get the sense that Longhi could be leaning towards playing professionally. He says,
"It always creeps into your mind as a 17-year-old kid that you could be playing professional baseball as a job," he said while seeming to marvel at such a notion. "But you can't get too hyped about it because I've still got my senior year and I still have a lot of work to do before I get there."
My guess is that LSU stands about a 35% of keeping Longhi.
Rounding out the infielders are Kramer Robertson, Connor Hale, Danny Zardon and Dakota Dean, .
Robertson is the son of Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey and will likely settle into second base at the college level after playing shortstop in high school. He should compete immediately for that position with the very likely departure of Jacoby Jones. At 5'11" 170 pounds, Robertson has excellent fielding ability and better than average speed. He could potentially form a very nice double play combination with Alex Bregman for a couple of seasons. At the plate, Robertson drives the ball and shows decent power for his size, but will mostly be a guy that hits line drives and gets extra base hits when those balls find the gaps.
It seems likely that Robertson will end up at LSU. He's on the fringe of being taken in the Top-10 rounds, and he's probably not a guy that needs to make a decision based on money.
Perfect Game says the following about Robertson:
"Right handed hitter, quick swing with bat speed, aggressive approach, loose hands, hits against hard front side, some lift, ball comes off the barrel hard. Tall open stance at the plate, easy loose swing, squares the ball up, has deceiving strength and bat speed, can pull the ball out of the park. "
Connor Hale comes to LSU via the JUCO ranks from the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota which happens to be the same school that produced Nick Goody. Hale swings a pretty good bat, hitting .330 as a freshman and .358 as a sophomore. He doesn't have great speed from home to first, but has shown the ability to steal bases, swiping 23 of 28 in two years. He struck out just 20 times in 209 at-bats with an on base percentage of .408. Despite a decent frame of 6'2" 175 pounds, he doesn't hit for much power with just two homers in two seasons. However, he does show decent gap power with 21 extra base hits and a .488 slugging. He played third base in JUCO but could compete for a starting job at second base, assuming Christian Ibarra is back at third. If he doesn't win a job, he seems like a valuable utility guy on the infield that could break into the starting lineup as a senior. He was highly thought of by the scouts and could still go in the Top-10 rounds of the draft, but his lack of power seems to be driving his stock down the boards. Unless he's really anxious to start his pro career, it seems likely that Hale will be at LSU.
Danny Zardon is a 6'1" 185 pound third baseman from the Fort Lauderdale, FL area who is a very good overall athlete. He's got a big arm that's plenty good enough for third base at the college level and a solid bat. As a senior, he hit .505/.544/.948 with six home runs in just 77 at bats. Zardon seems open to signing and playing pro ball if the situation is right. However, my guess is that he won't be selected high enough and that his decision to go to LSU will be easy.
Dakota Dean is the younger brother of former Tiger and current assistant coach Blake Dean. He's got good size at 6'1" 195 pounds and like his brother, is a lefty at the plate, despite throwing right handed. Dean is listed as a middle infielder but probably doesn't have the range that a guy like Robertson has or that we've become accustomed to at LSU. If his bat is good enough, then obviously they'll find a spot for him. With his frame, an eventual move to first base is not out of the question, especially if Longhi ends up signing professionally. At this time, I don't think Dean is a threat to be drafted high and, it looks like he is a near certainty to play for LSU.
Michael Barash was originally a part of this signing class, but he finished high school a semester early and joined LSU's team in time for the season. He has shown a few nice things this year and should compete with Chris Chinea for the starting catcher's job next year, assuming Ty Ross leaves. Despite him already being on the team, I thought it worth a mention since he was once a part of this signing class.
LSU is also adding catcher Kade Scivicque, a native of Maurepas, who found a home at Southwest Mississippi Community College. As a sophomore, he's hitting .310 4 HRs and 37 RBIs in 46 games. In fact, his team only has five home runs, and Scivicque has four of them. He leads his team in nearly every offensive category. He also logged 15 innings from the mound with a nice K/BB ratio of 15/9. He'll join the mix with Chinea and Barash to battle for playing time at catcher, and I don't think the draft is in play.
In the outfield, you'll see a pattern which started with last year's signing class, and that is speed and athleticism. Paul Maineri loves what guys like Mark Laird and Andrew Stevenson have brought to the table with their speed and defense, and you're going to see more of it with this signing class.
Jarret Dehart hails from Medford, New Jersey and is cousins with former LSU great, Brett Laxton. He hopes to follow Laxton's same path to professional baseball...through LSU. Dehart is a big guy at 6'2" 205, very athletic and with an excellent bat from the left side. He shows off a very patient approach at the plate, often due to teams pitching around him at the high school level. Dehart is another guy that could potentially end up at first base, but his athleticism will be tough to pass up in the outfield. Opinions are mixed on Dehart's draft stock, and he doesn't have a real good feel himself for where he could go. Somewhere in the Top-10 rounds is very possible if not likely, but I like LSU's chances of having Dehart suit up next spring.
Jake Fraley is another speedy outfielder from the northeast, coming from Middleton, Deleware. Fraley's speed really stands out and is in the Mark Laird / Andrew Stevenson category. In fact, thinking about the three of those guys in the outfield together at the same time is fun. Like Dehart, Fraley also bats from the left side. He's got good size at 6'1" 185. Even if Fraley struggles with SEC pitching initially, a guy like Andrew Stevenson has shown that you can still make an impact on games with speed and defense. Fraley is highly thought of by the scouts and could very well end up signing pro instead of coming to LSU. He's definitely one of the names to circle as you follow the draft, and I'd put things right at 50/50 in terms of him ever playing at LSU.
Barbe High School's Charlie Yorks is another big outfielder at 6'1" 190. Yorks also has nice speed, though he's not in the same league as Fraley. But like the others, he's also a lefty at the plate. Yorks is not as highly regarded as Fraley and Dehart when it comes to the draft, but it may not matter. He seems genuinely excited to play baseball at LSU.
West Monroe's Cade Stone is another lefty outfielder with athleticism. Doubling as a safety for the football team, he ought to know what it's like to play in front of 10,000 people. I don't see the draft being an issue with Stone.
Just like the outfielders fit a mold, the pitchers in this class do too. You'll see a lot of big power pitchers that are very projectable. We saw this last year with Mitch Sewald (6'6"), Hunter Newman (6'3") and Russell Reynolds (6'1"), and see a lot more if with this group.
At 6'2" 195, lefty Tyler Allen fits the mold. Allen's fastball already touches 90 mph but sits at 87-89. He's also got a nice curveball and a slider. In 2012, Allen struck out 49 batters in 25 innings. He's a guy that could eventually be a weekend starter but could also compete for innings next year as a much needed lefty. With Cotton and Bonvillain moving on, LSU needs some bullpen arms from the left side. Of the pitchers LSU signed, Allen could be drafted the highest; however, I feel comfortable that it won't be high enough for him to sign.
Dylan Williams out of Cartersville, GA was a late addition to LSU's Signing Class after previously being committed to Georgia Tech. One visit to LSU was all it took for Williams to change his mind. At 6'4" 205 pounds, Williams' fastball tops out at 92 but with his frame, you can easily project that he'll get stronger and increase that velocity a bit. As a senior, he struck out 106 batters in 61.1 innings with a 1.14 ERA. However, he did walk 33 batters, too. His draft projection is on the fringe of being in the Top-10 rounds and losing him is a possibility though probably not a terribly strong one.
Lutcher High's Jared Poche could be another to watch during the draft. Poche just recently led his team to a state championship and was completely dominant in the playoffs and for most of his senior season. The 6'1" 195 left hander was 12-0 as a senior with a 0.61 ERA. He struck out 143 batters in 80 innings. His excellent senior season has increased his draft stock quite a bit, but he likely won't go high enough to warrant turning pro. Like Allen, Poche is a guy with the potential to eventually start for LSU but could lend help immediately from the pen.
Christian Palaez is a left hander from Miami, FL is 6'0" 175 pounds. Though his fastball isn't as powerful as some of the other signees, he's got good "stuff" and several sites comment on his smooth, consistent delivery. Palaez had offers from several top programs including Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Clemson. His name pops up in a few draft conversations, and he's on a couple of Top-500 lists which would put him in the Top-15 rounds. In this interview from October, he seems fairly open to skipping in college and playing pro ball. But in more recent interviews, he seems legitimately excited about going to LSU and playing college ball. The odds favor him playing in college, but it's not a certainty.
LSU went all the way to San Deigo, CA to land 6'6" 205 pound righty Parker Bugg. Bugg can already touch 90 on the gun, but with his frame, you'd expect him to increase that velocity in a couple of years with some added strength and some fine tuning of his mechanics. Bugg's numbers don't blow you away from a power standpoint. As a senior, Bugg struck out 39 batters in 39 innings and walked just seven. His ERA was 0.90 and batters hit just .150 against him. Scouts typically love a guy with Bugg's size and potential, but from everything I could find, I don't believe the draft will be an issue here.
Easton, Massachusetts right hander Troy Whitty is yet another tall pitcher with excellent power potential from the mound. Whitty checks in at 6'5" 230 pounds with a fastball that has maxed out at 91 and also has a change-up and curve ball in his bag. His name pops up in some draft discussion, but I can't find him on any Top-500 lists. So I suspect he'll end up at LSU. He has also played some ball with fellow signees Jake Fraley and Jarrett Dehart.
Paul Maineri will also be looking to the junior college ranks to help replenish the talent.
One of the most intriguing guys in this class is David Palladino who comes from Howard Junior College in Texas. Palladino is 6'9" 240 pounds. Not a typo....the guy is 6-foot freaking 9 inches tall! He was drafted in the 11th round a couple of years ago, based solely on potential but did not sign. He landed at South Carolina Upstate for a year before transferring to Howard. This spring, he has finally started to realize some of his enormous potential with a consistent fastball in the 92-93 range that has peaked at 95-96. At Howard this year, Palladino went 7-3 with 99 strikeouts and 31 walks in 70.1 innings. He also threw six complete games, three of which were shutouts, showing that he has starter potential. His ERA was 2.18. My guess is that Palladino has pitched himself back into the Top 10 rounds of the draft and that the chances of seeing him at LSU are not that great.
LSU has also signed a pair of pitchers from LSU Eunice, which has been very good to the Tigers in the past. Raph Rhymes, Trey Watkins and Joey Bourgeois have all come to Baton Rouge via LSU Eunice. Right hander Brady Domangue and lefty Zac Person are on their way this year.
Domangue originally played at Vandebilt Catholic . He's 6'0" tall and doesn't have the overpowering stuff that some of the other guys in this class have. But he does have some awfully good numbers for LSU Eunice. This season, he's 12-2 with a 1.36 ERA. In 92.2 innings, he has struck out 99, allowed 71 hits and walked 27.
Person is 8-0 on the season with a 3.14 ERA. He has 87 strikeouts in 71.2 innings while allowing just 51 hits. But he has walked 41 batters. He'll need to get his control straightened out, but those are otherwise some excellent numbers.
Neither of the LSU Eunice guys look to be threats as far as the draft is concerned.
Right handers Alden Cartwright (Runnels) and Jesse Stallings (Grant), along with lefty Andrew Mitchell (Jesuit) will also be coming to LSU, though the draft should not be a factor. Stallings is an interesting story because he suffered an injury early in his senior year, but Paul Mainieri still wanted him. So he's recovering from Tommy John surgery right now and may not be ready next season.
At the end of the day, it's safe to assume that LSU is going to lose Justin Williams. Then you've got Nick Longhi, Jake Fraley and David Palladino as toss ups. Jarrett Dehart is in that mix, too. You can probably assume that we'll see another surprise in there somewhere, similar to last year when Evangel's Hayden Jennings was unexpectedly taken in the sixth round.
The best case scenario for LSU is that they lose Justin Williams and that's it....and that's not totally unreasonable to see that situation unfold.
Spring Football Five Things: Arkansas
We close our run through LSU's football schedule with a look at how Arkansas handled their first spring practice with their new coach. Our guest this week is Doc Harper of Arkansas Expats.
1. Brett Bielema was certainly an unexpected choice for Arkansas, and seems like an...odd fit, I guess? What was fan reaction to the hire, and how has he been received through the first few months?The day the news broke, most fans were like "wha? who?" Our search was so long that virtually every coach in the country was discussed by fans at some point, and he never even really made it on the radar. It was a big surprise. But ever since his first press conference, fans have been all in. He's got a near-unanimously positive approval rating. He's said all the right things, finished strong in recruiting, had what seems to be a positive spring season, and fans are ready to go.
2. What type of tone has he set for the program, and how was that reflected through spring practice?
The most obvious thing is toughness, physically and mentally. Of course, every coach says that, but when you look at Arkansas' style of play under Petrino and the ease in which the team mailed it in last season, toughness is definitely something Arkansas needs an infusion of. Bielema is doing that by instilling a stronger power-running game. He calls Petrino's stockpile of receivers and skill players "pretty boys." He's focused a lot on developing the lines, aka the "big uglies." He's bringing in that blue-collar mentality that Wisconsin was famous for and you saw that in the spring game.
He closed really strong in February's class. He signed one of the top running backs in the country in Alex Collins, who figures to play significantly as a freshman. Bielema also pulled in three 4* offensive linemen in Jan/Feb, so fans are pretty happy. Our 2014 commitment is about where most people expected it to be at this point. Arkansas rarely gets many early commits unless they're in-state players.
A lot of people point to low-rated classes at Wisconsin as evidence that Bielema won't be able to recruit in the SEC, but I'm willing to wait and see what happens because Wisconsin had one of the smallest recruiting budgets in all of BCS football. Bielema's made it known that lack of resources was one of the big reasons for leaving Wisconsin (although admittedly he only references that in terms of retaining his assistants) so it'll definitely be interesting to see what he can do with a recruiting budget that's triple what he had in Madison. Arkansas' 2013 class was higher-rated than any of his Badger classes, so there's reason for optimism.
A lot of fans worried the Hogs would be really thin at running back after losing Knile Davis and Dennis Johnson, leaving presumably only Jonathan Williams behind. But Kody Walker and Patrick Arinze were nice surprises in the spring game. Walker was a big running back used only in short-yardage situations as a freshman in 2011, then broke his leg in The Unspeakable Game last year and redshirted, but in the spring game he looked like an athletic back who could cut and pick up some real yardage and be much more versatile. Arinze is a walk-on fullback who was really difficult to bring down. He reminded me of Dennis Johnson in his stocky, low center of gravity build. He's not as fast as Johnson but probably a little bigger and stronger. I'm excited to see what the coaches do with our backfield this year.
5. Finally, things really cratered last spring, but it was obvious that Arkansas could be facing a bit of a rebuilding season in 2014 anyway without Tyler Wilson, Cobi Hamilton and a couple of other offensive stars. So what are some reasonable expectations for this team?I've maintained that the goal should be just to get bowl eligible. Arkansas always has a difficult schedule in odd-numbered years because we travel to Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa, but the SEC did us a real solid this year in replacing a road game at Kentucky with a trip to Gainesville. It's just really hard to imagine Arkansas winning those games, and we've still got to host A&M and South Carolina. So, especially coming off last season, earning a bowl bid would be solid progress. Anything better than that is gravy.
In CBS' way-too-early-but-we've-got-nothing-better-to-do-in-May bowl projections, they had Arkansas in the Music City Bowl against Georgia Tech, and I think most Hog fans would be happy with that. They are right now anyway. If Arkansas starts out 4-0 but closes 2-6, that bowl bid might not be feeling so hot. We'll see.
Spring Football Five Things: Arkansas
We close our run through LSU's football schedule with a look at how Arkansas handled their first spring practice with their new coach. Our guest this week is Doc Harper of Arkansas Expats.
1. Brett Bielema was certainly an unexpected choice for Arkansas, and seems like an...odd fit, I guess? What was fan reaction to the hire, and how has he been received through the first few months?The day the news broke, most fans were like "wha? who?" Our search was so long that virtually every coach in the country was discussed by fans at some point, and he never even really made it on the radar. It was a big surprise. But ever since his first press conference, fans have been all in. He's got a near-unanimously positive approval rating. He's said all the right things, finished strong in recruiting, had what seems to be a positive spring season, and fans are ready to go.
2. What type of tone has he set for the program, and how was that reflected through spring practice?
The most obvious thing is toughness, physically and mentally. Of course, every coach says that, but when you look at Arkansas' style of play under Petrino and the ease in which the team mailed it in last season, toughness is definitely something Arkansas needs an infusion of. Bielema is doing that by instilling a stronger power-running game. He calls Petrino's stockpile of receivers and skill players "pretty boys." He's focused a lot on developing the lines, aka the "big uglies." He's bringing in that blue-collar mentality that Wisconsin was famous for and you saw that in the spring game.
He closed really strong in February's class. He signed one of the top running backs in the country in Alex Collins, who figures to play significantly as a freshman. Bielema also pulled in three 4* offensive linemen in Jan/Feb, so fans are pretty happy. Our 2014 commitment is about where most people expected it to be at this point. Arkansas rarely gets many early commits unless they're in-state players.
A lot of people point to low-rated classes at Wisconsin as evidence that Bielema won't be able to recruit in the SEC, but I'm willing to wait and see what happens because Wisconsin had one of the smallest recruiting budgets in all of BCS football. Bielema's made it known that lack of resources was one of the big reasons for leaving Wisconsin (although admittedly he only references that in terms of retaining his assistants) so it'll definitely be interesting to see what he can do with a recruiting budget that's triple what he had in Madison. Arkansas' 2013 class was higher-rated than any of his Badger classes, so there's reason for optimism.
A lot of fans worried the Hogs would be really thin at running back after losing Knile Davis and Dennis Johnson, leaving presumably only Jonathan Williams behind. But Kody Walker and Patrick Arinze were nice surprises in the spring game. Walker was a big running back used only in short-yardage situations as a freshman in 2011, then broke his leg in The Unspeakable Game last year and redshirted, but in the spring game he looked like an athletic back who could cut and pick up some real yardage and be much more versatile. Arinze is a walk-on fullback who was really difficult to bring down. He reminded me of Dennis Johnson in his stocky, low center of gravity build. He's not as fast as Johnson but probably a little bigger and stronger. I'm excited to see what the coaches do with our backfield this year.
5. Finally, things really cratered last spring, but it was obvious that Arkansas could be facing a bit of a rebuilding season in 2014 anyway without Tyler Wilson, Cobi Hamilton and a couple of other offensive stars. So what are some reasonable expectations for this team?I've maintained that the goal should be just to get bowl eligible. Arkansas always has a difficult schedule in odd-numbered years because we travel to Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa, but the SEC did us a real solid this year in replacing a road game at Kentucky with a trip to Gainesville. It's just really hard to imagine Arkansas winning those games, and we've still got to host A&M and South Carolina. So, especially coming off last season, earning a bowl bid would be solid progress. Anything better than that is gravy.
In CBS' way-too-early-but-we've-got-nothing-better-to-do-in-May bowl projections, they had Arkansas in the Music City Bowl against Georgia Tech, and I think most Hog fans would be happy with that. They are right now anyway. If Arkansas starts out 4-0 but closes 2-6, that bowl bid might not be feeling so hot. We'll see.
LSU Football 2013: Tigers Receiving Corps Must Maximize Potential
2013 SEC Baseball Tournament – Bracket and TV Times

The 2013 SEC Baseball Tournament gets underway tomorrow with another year of live TV coverage of every game in the tournament. In addition, every game of the tournament will also be streamed on the ESPN3.com/WatchESPN Service and will have a neutral national radio feed on Sirius XM. The tournament was expanded this year to include 12 of the 14 teams in the conference, with the opening round being single elimination, followed by the normal double elimination bracket with a single championship game on Sunday afternoon. The days are divided into 2 sessions of 2 games each, with the second game of each session starting 30 minutes after the end of first game.
All Times Central
# - Tournament Seed
Tuesday, May 21 - All Day Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158
Game 1 9:30 a.m. #6 Ole Miss vs. #11 Kentucky - Single Elimination [FSN]
Game 2 TBD #7 Alabama vs. #10 Auburn - Single Elimination [FSN]
Game 3 4:30 p.m. #8 Florida vs. #9 Texas A&M - Single Elimination [CSS/Cox Sports]
Game 4 TBD #5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Missouri - Single Elimination [CSS/Cox Sports]
Wednesday, May 22
Game 5 9:30 a.m. #3 Arkansas vs. Winner Game 1 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 6 TBD #2 LSU vs. Winner Game 2 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 7 4:30 p.m. #1 Vanderbilt vs. Winner Game 3 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Game 8 TBD #4 South Carolina vs. Winner Game 4 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Thursday, May 23
Game 9 9:30 a.m. Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 [SPSO/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 10 TBD Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 [SPSO/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 11 4:30 p.m. Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 [SPSO/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Game 12 TBD Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 [SPSO/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Friday, May 24
Game 13 3:00 p.m. Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 14 TBD Winner Game 10 vs. Loser 12 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Saturday, May 25
Game 15 Noon Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 11 [ESPNEWS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 16 TBD Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 12 [ESPNEWS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Sunday, May 26
Game 17 3:30 p.m. Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16 [ESPN2/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
FSN - Fox Sports South, Sun Sports, Fox Sports
Southwest, Fox Sports Houston
SPSO - SportSouth, Sun Sports, Fox Sports
Southwest, Fox Sports Houston
CSS - Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast
Printable Bracket via SECDigitalNetwork [PDF]
Not At Full Strength, LSU Wins Series vs. Ole Miss
Paul Maineri had an interesting choice to make heading into this weekend. His team had already clinched the SEC West championship, and Vanderbilt had already clinched the overall SEC championship. LSU was also a lock to receive a national seed in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of what happened against Ole Miss. Essentially, nothing was going to be won, or lost, this weekend. So Maineri could have beat his fists on the table and tried like hell to convince his players that this series was still important in efforts to maintain some momentum heading into the post-season. Or, he could rest his regular players and let the team have some fun in the process. When it became clear that Aaron Nola could use a week off to rest his arm and that Jacoby Jones would have to miss this weekend anyway due to an injury, it really guided his decision to rest several players this weekend...and it certainly looks like he made the right decision.
LSU won the series and built momentum anyway.
Cody Glenn had yet another very good start, his fourth in a row. He was perhaps a tad less sharp than he has been recently. Ole Miss got some really good swings off Glenn but at the end of the day, he allowed just one run in seven innings. He also did not walk a batter, which tells me that he is getting more confident and was content to fill up the strike zone and to let his defense make plays behind him. Over his last four starts, Glenn has allowed just four earned runs in 28.1 innings (1.27 ERA) with 16 strikeouts against four walks. The consistency that Glenn has shown during the final stretch of SEC play has been extremely encouraging. To have a guy pitching that well as your number three starter bodes very well in a Super Regional format.
Thursday's game was also a lot of fun because LSU hit four home runs including one inside the parker by Raph Rhymes.
Friday night was a really special night at The Box. The 1993 National Championship Team was honored for the 20th anniversary of their title, and the field was dedicated to Skip Bertman. If that weren't enough, the game was outstanding. Paul Maineri went with a host of pitchers to try and fill in for Aaron Nola. Kurt McCune started and pitched four innings, allowing just one run. McCune wasn't great. He hit a couple of batters, walked one and surrendered three hits. But the results were fine. Then after LSU fell behind by a run, Raph Rhymes came through with some late inning heroics, launching a two run homer in the eighth inning to give LSU the lead for good.
On Saturday, everyone got to play. Mason Katz and Raph Rhymes started the game, but only for the formality of being pulled off the field to an adoring crowd on Senior Day. All of the other regular starters were on the bench, and many of the subs got the opportunity to play a full game. Going against Ole Miss ace and possible first round draft pick Bobby Wahl, it was tough to see LSU scoring many runs. Apparently, nobody bothered to tell LSU's backups that they weren't supposed to hit. LSU hammered out six runs on six hits and Wahl didn't make it out of the third inning. It was his shortest outing of the year. LSU established a 7-2 lead but unfortunately couldn't hold on.
Ryan Eades and the LSU bullpen got a little too carried away with the "we're just having fun today" theme and allowed Ole Miss to claw themselves back into the game and ultimately win it. Eades was not sharp, and this was his worst outing since his start against Alabama on April 20. Once Ole Miss got a little momentum going, it was tough for LSU to stop it. Brent Bonvillain and Kevin Berry didn't fare a whole lot better than Eades and could not hold the lead. So it's a little disappointing that LSU couldn't get a win when their second string performed so well against Bobby Wahl. But the vibe after this game was still a positive one and the team seems to have benefited from the way things played out. I think Randy Rosetta did a great job of capturing that in this game recap.
It was nice to see Mason Katz hit one out on Thursday. He has been stuck on 13 home runs for over a month and was probably feeling a little pressure to get #14. It seemed to have worked because Katz was 5 for 9 on the weekend with a pair of doubles to go along with the home run.
For the second straight weekend, Mark Laird hit the ball well. After going 4 for 8 against Texas A&M, Laird was 3 for 7 against Ole Miss. He was also 2 for 3 against UNO last Tuesday. After being in a free fall for over a month, his batting average has now creeped back up to .291. Needless to say, he's starting to hit again at exactly the right time.
LSU now heads to Hoover for the SEC Tournament and will face the winner of the Alabama vs. Auburn game on Wednesday. Aaron Nola will start Game 1 of the tournament for LSU. With the exception of being a little uneasy about Ryan Eades, I absolutely love where LSU is as a team as they head towards the postseason.
Game 1 Highlights
Game 2 Highlights
Game 3 Highlights
LSU v. OLE MISS – GAME 3
LSU – Jr. RHP Ryan Eades (8-1, 2.29 ERA, 82.2 IP, 23 BB, 69 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Bobby Wahl (9-0, 1.43 ERA, 88.0 IP, 40 BB, 73 SOLSU
LINEUPS
LSU (Big Changes for SR day)
Rhymes LF,
Katz 2B,
Sciambra CF,
Edward DH,
Moore 3B,
Chinea 1B,
Barash,
Foster RF,
Yocom SS
RHP Eades
Ole Miss
Mathis-LF;
Bousfield-CF;
Anderson-SS;
Turner-C;
Mistone-3B;
Orvis-1B;
P. Overbey-2b;
Jamison-RF;
Allen-DH;
RHP Wahl
LSU v. OLE MISS – GAME 2
7pm - Cox Sports
LSU – Jr. RHP Kurt McCune (3-1, 3.38 ERA, 13.1 IP, 4 BB, 8 SO)
UM – So. RHP Sam Smith (3-0, 3.15 ERA, 54.1 IP, 15 BB, 27 SO)
LINEUPS
LSU
McMullen DH,
Laird RF,
Bregman SS,
Katz 2B,
Rhymes LF,
Ibarra 3B,
Moore 1B ,
Ross C,
Stevenson CF.
RHP McCune
Ole Miss
Mathis-LF;
Anderson-SS;
Turner-C;
Mistone-3B;
Bousfield-CF;
Orvis-1B;
Perdzock-DH;
P. Overbey-2b;
Jamison-RF;
RHP Smith
LSU Baseball Stat Watch: Starting Pitching
Here is a breakdown of the various event types that happen with our starting pitching. You have ground out rate (GO%), fly out rate (FO%), walk rate (BB%), strike out rate (K%), and hit rate (H%). The first chart is the complete season totals and the second chart is exclusively SEC opponents.

Aaron Nola is the most balanced player in the LSU rotation. Nola gets his outs almost equally between strike outs, ground outs, and fly outs with all of them being above 20%. I like that his strike out rate is high because it means the ball is not in play, which reduces the chances of a hit or error. Out of 333 at bats against Nola, only 95 (28.5%) have had runners on base and 46 (13.8%) have had runners in scoring position. Nola limits base runners, which limits scoring opportunities. This is how he has managed to be effective all season. There is no glaring flaw or area for concern with Nola's stats.
Cody Glenn has been the least consistent starter for the Tigers, but there are some interesting things about his stats. Glenn is the most consistent ground ball pitcher we have. The majority of his outs (36%) are ground outs. That number holds when you control for SEC opponents. Usually this leads to less extra base hits, but that hasn't been the case with Glenn. He's given up 11 extra base hits, which is tied for the most with Ryan Eades. Out of 275 official at bats against Glenn, 112 (40.7%) have been with a runner on base and 62 (22.5%) have been with a runner in scoring position. Glenn benefited from beating up some weak opponents early on. If you control for just his SEC starts (the second graph) his numbers are less impressive. His hit rate is above 20% and his walk rate is above 10%. Glenn needs to limit walks and maintain his composure if the Tigers want to make a deep run in the post season.
Ryan Eades pitches under the most pressure of any of the Tiger pitchers. Runners are constantly on base against him. Out of 313 official at bats against Eades, 145 (46.3%) are with a runner on base and 84 (26.8%) are with a runner in scoring position. The good thing is that Eades is not giving up a lot of walks. His walk rates are below 10% for the entire season and when controlling for SEC opponents. So a lot of this could be attributed to a combination of two things, lack of command/control with balls in the strike zone and bad luck. One can be corrected, the other you can't control. His strike percentage is high at 66.6% with only one start below 60%, which means Eades is hitting the strike zone, just not the right part of the zone. In starts where Eades is effective, he has a WHIP somewhere around 1.0 to 1.300 and a Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) around 0.300. In his two bad starts (Arkansas and South Carolina), he had a WHIP above 2.0 and a BABIP of 0.500. He is more biased to fly balls than the other starters with a fly out rate around 28%. As long as Eades has solid command and is locating his pitches properly, he will give up a few hits/walks since he is primarily a fly ball pitcher but limit the damage to only a few runs per game. If his command/control is off, opponents can get to him early and score in bunches.
LSU Blasts The Rebels, Takes Game 1 7-1
We made a point of saying in this weekend's preview that LSU has little to play for this weekend against Ole Miss. Seeding in the SEC tournament is locked in and a National Seed and the accompanying hosting rights are all but assured. Ole Miss on the other hand comes in needing to separate themselves from the SEC mid pack to get themselves into the hosting discussion and a series win against the #2 team in the country would certainly do that. To bad for the Rebels that LSU loves to play spoiler.
LSU came out firing immediately with 2 runs on 4 hits in the first and never looked back. Ole Miss starter Mike Mayers, a pitcher who has been a thorn in LSU's side over his entire career, got lit up for 5 runs on 7 hits through 6 IP including nearly back to back home runs by Mason Katz and Cristian Ibarra in the 4th and an inside the park home run by Raph Rhymes. Sean McMullen would tack on another bomb to right in the 7th for insurance.

Gifs via GIF Section
More than just the stats, LSU's hitting seemed so much more focused than usual. Ball were aimed perfectly for the holes in the Rebs' D and they got there in a hurry. LSU had 4 doubles on the night to match the home run total and, aside from a baserunning mistake or two, looked the best they have on offense all year.
And that was without potential 1st round draft pick JaCoby Jones. The cause of Jones mysterious "apartment accident" may never be know, but it was damaging enough to sideline him for the weekend. Mainieri is taking no chances with the postseason rapidly approaching and is resting Jones until late next week at the earliest. Katz took over at 2B in his place and was serviceable, but there were a few moments where Jones' abilities were obviously missing. Katz will likely stay there this weekend and be fine, but we need Jones' glove to get back out there.
It seems great performances by Cody Glenn on the mound are starting to become the rule rather than the exception. Coach Mainieri said it best in the post game when comparing his game to Ryan Eades. Eades and Glenn aren't the overpowering strike thrower that Aaron Nola is, but they know how to keep balls in play and put out fires without panicking. Glenn gave up singles to the lead off hitter 3 times last night, but that runner never scored. Glenn would give up 8 hits but just 1 run through 7 IP before being relived by Joey Bourgeois and Will LaMarche.
If LSU keeps hitting like this, even without Jones, they can beat any team in the country. Taking the series tonight behind Kurt McCune and The Johnny Allstaff Relief Team is well within reach.
Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Ole Miss............ 000 000 100 - 1 11 1 LSU................. 200 201 11X - 7 10 1 -------------------------------------------
Box Score
SEC Scoreboard via D1Baseball.com
Alabama
6
#1 Vanderbilt
7
Box Score
Recap
FINAL
#18 Mississippi
1
#2 LSU
7
Box Score
Recap
FINAL
#12 South Carolina
4
#17 Mississippi State
5
Box Score
Recap
FINAL
#13 Arkansas
0
Auburn
3
Box Score
Recap
FINAL
Florida
4
Georgia
2
Box Score
Recap
FINAL
Kentucky
2
Missouri
4
Box Score
Recap
FINAL
Texas A&M
5
Tennessee
1
Box Score
Recap
FINAL
Athlon’s Anonymous SEC Coach Outtakes
We're itching closer to one of the offseason halfway points -- the preseason magazine release dates! Personally, I stick with Phil Steele, mostly for the information overload he gives you (not so much his predictions -- so accurate! Just ask him!), but to each their own, and Athlon, Lindy's and Sporting News are certainly still out there, so somebody must be buying them.
One of the standard features involves quoting certain "anonymous SEC coaches" regarding each of the league's 12 teams. Sure, they usually just parrot whatever the popular message board opinion is of the team in question, but hey, I'm sure some people value them. In LSU's case, one of Athlon's writers has been tweeting about the slow and steady decline of LSU. Now, before you stop and wonder how a team that's gone 22-2 in the last two regular seasons is in a slow and steady decline, just keep in mind some of the outtakes that don't make the magazine:
Alabama: "Look, I'm not saying Nick Saban uses lifts. I'm not. But I've shaken his hand on the field and at SEC media day, and he was only at eye level in Birmingham." Arkansas: "Everybody thinks Brett Bielema is soooo hot. But I've been in a locker room with him, and he totally stuffs his bra." Auburn: "He'll deny it, but get a little merlot in Bobby Lowder and suddenly he's off in a corner sobbing into his phone about Tommy this and Tommy that..." Florida: "Somebody told me Will Muschamp spent his first week in Gainesville pissing a circle around every tree on Florida's campus." Georgia: "Little known fact -- former Georgia stars David Greene and David Pollack played Pop Warner football together." Kentucky: "I'm going to tell you something funny about Kentucky fans. They don't even really like basketball that much, they just haven't been able to tell Ashley Judd for the last 20 years." LSU: "I once overheard somebody tell Les that Bo went to Auburn. It still pisses him off that they don't play on ‘Schembechler Field'." Mississippi State: "One of our players was recruited by Dan Mullen. They still love his performance in Disney's Sword and the Stone." Missouri: "Mike Slive just HAD to have another excuse to drive to Branson..." Ole Miss: "I once saw their AD cut off a lock of Eli Manning's hair and then totally deny it even though a whole room full of people saw him do it. Weird stuff..." South Carolina: "Jadeveon Clowney visited us, and man, I gotta say we really wanted him. But it would've blown our food budget to hell. I mean you can only let a defensive lineman eat so many head of cattle. Carolina must have a booster with a couple ranches." Tennessee: "Butch Jones is a smart guy, and he's willing to take a lot of chances when it comes to football. But I gotta say, I never thought I'd see him use his uncanny John Gruden impersonation to land a job." Texas A&M: "Johnny Football seems like a punk, but he's really a nice kid. He doesn't get the whole ‘Yell Leader' thing either." Vanderbilt: "James Franklin has pointy elbows. 2/10, would not bang."Alabama Football: Criticism Towards Nick Saban is Completely Unwarranted
LSU v Ole Miss – GAME 1
6:30pm - ESPNU
LSU – So. LHP Cody Glenn (5-2, 2.78 ERA, 68.0 IP, 16 BB, 33 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Mike Mayers (4-4, 2.87 ERA, 75.1 IP, 29 BB, 59 SO)
LINEUPS
LSU
McMullen DH,
Laird RF,
Bregman SS,
Katz 2B,
Rhymes LF,
Ibarra 3B,
Moore 1B ,
Ross C,
Stevenson CF.
LHP Glenn
Ole Miss
Mathis-LF;
Anderson-SS;
Turner-C;
Mistone-3B;
Bousfield-CF;
Orvis-1B;
P. Overbey-RF;
Allen-DH;
RHP Mayers
That's right, no JaCoby Jones
Apparently Jones hurt his hand in an apartment accident. Don't ask what happened, because my guess is as good as yours. #LSU #LSUBaseball
— Lawrence Barreca (@LawrenceBarreca) May 16, 2013
WEEKEND GAMETHREAD: LSU v. OLE MISS
Tigers Battle the Rebels as we honor Skip Bertman and the 1993 National Champions

Pitching Matchups
Game 1 - Thursday - 6:30pm - ESPNU
LSU – So. LHP Cody Glenn (5-2, 2.78 ERA, 68.0 IP, 16 BB, 33 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Mike Mayers (4-4, 2.87 ERA, 75.1 IP, 29 BB, 59 SO)
Game 2 - Friday - 7pm - Cox Sports
LSU – Jr. RHP Kurt McCune (3-1, 3.38 ERA, 13.1 IP, 4 BB, 8 SO)
UM – So. RHP Sam Smith (3-0, 3.15 ERA, 54.1 IP, 15 BB, 27 SO)
Game 3 - Saturday - Noon - CBS Sports Net
LSU – Jr. RHP Ryan Eades (8-1, 2.29 ERA, 82.2 IP, 23 BB, 69 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Bobby Wahl (9-0, 1.43 ERA, 88.0 IP, 40 BB, 73 SO)
College Baseball on TV
5/16 Texas Tech vs. Baylor 7:30 PM Fox College Sports 5/17 Texas Christian vs. Texas 7:30 PM FSN 5/17 Louisiana State vs. Mississippi 8:00 PM Cox Sports 5/18 Louisville vs. Pittsburgh 12:00 PM ESPNU 5/18 Tennessee vs. Texas A&M 1:00 PM FSN 5/18 Washington State vs. Washington 3:00 PM Pac-12 Network 5/18 Arkansas vs. Auburn 3:00 PM Cox Sports
College Baseball on ESPN3
5/16 6:00 PM EDT #7 Virginia vs. #2 North Carolina ESPN3 5/16 6:00 PM EDT #19 Clemson vs. #8 Florida State ESPN3 5/16 7:30 PM EDT Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL) Closed captioning available E
5/17 6:00 PM EDT High Point vs. VMI ESPN3 5/17 7:00 PM EDT #7 Virginia vs. #2 North Carolina ESPN3 5/17 7:30 PM EDT Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL) ESPN3 5/17 8:00 PM EDT #19 Clemson vs. #8 Florida State (BLACKED OUT ON ESPN3 - VIEW MAP) ESPNU
ESPN3 5/17 11:00 PM EDT #25 UC Irvine vs. #5 Cal State Fullerton (BLACKED OUT ON ESPN3 - VIEW MAP) ESPNU
ESPN3
5/18 12:00 PM EDT #23 Pittsburgh vs. Louisville ESPNU
ESPN3 5/18 1:00 PM EDT Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL) ESPN3 5/18 1:00 PM EDT Texas A&M vs. Tennessee ESPN3 5/18 2:00 PM EDT #7 Virginia vs. #2 North Carolina ESPN3 5/18 3:00 PM EDT #19 Clemson vs. #8 Florida State (BLACKED OUT ON ESPN3 - VIEW MAP) ESPNU
ESPN3 5/18 4:00 PM EDT Arkansas-Little Rock vs. Arkansas State ESPN3
SEC Slate
Alabama
#1 Vanderbilt
Live Stats
7:30 PM
#18 Mississippi
#2 LSU
Live Stats
7:30 PM
ESPNU
#12 South Carolina
#17 Mississippi State
Live Stats
7:30 PM
#13 Arkansas
Auburn
Live Stats
7:00 PM
Florida
Georgia
Live Stats
7:00 PM
Kentucky
Missouri
Live Stats
7:00 PM
Texas A&M
Tennessee
Live Stats
6:00 PM
National Weekend Previews
Perfect Game
Baseball America
LSU v. Ole Miss – Pitching Matchups and TV Times

Pitching Matchups
Game 1 - Thursday - 6:30pm - ESPNU
LSU – So. LHP Cody Glenn (5-2, 2.78 ERA, 68.0 IP, 16 BB, 33 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Mike Mayers (4-4, 2.87 ERA, 75.1 IP, 29 BB, 59 SO)
Game 2 - Friday - 7pm - Cox Sports
LSU – Jr. RHP Kurt McCune (3-1, 3.38 ERA, 13.1 IP, 4 BB, 8 SO)
UM – So. RHP Sam Smith (3-0, 3.15 ERA, 54.1 IP, 15 BB, 27 SO)
Game 3 - Saturday - Noon - CBS Sports Net
LSU – Jr. RHP Ryan Eades (8-1, 2.29 ERA, 82.2 IP, 23 BB, 69 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Bobby Wahl (9-0, 1.43 ERA, 88.0 IP, 40 BB, 73 SO)
College Baseball on TV
5/16 Texas Tech vs. Baylor 7:30 PM Fox College Sports 5/17 Texas Christian vs. Texas 7:30 PM FSN 5/17 Louisiana State vs. Mississippi 8:00 PM Cox Sports 5/18 Louisville vs. Pittsburgh 12:00 PM ESPNU 5/18 Tennessee vs. Texas A&M 1:00 PM FSN 5/18 Washington State vs. Washington 3:00 PM Pac-12 Network 5/18 Arkansas vs. Auburn 3:00 PM Cox Sports
College Baseball on ESPN3
5/16 6:00 PM EDT #7 Virginia vs. #2 North Carolina ESPN3 5/16 6:00 PM EDT #19 Clemson vs. #8 Florida State ESPN3 5/16 7:30 PM EDT Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL) Closed captioning available E
5/17 6:00 PM EDT High Point vs. VMI ESPN3 5/17 7:00 PM EDT #7 Virginia vs. #2 North Carolina ESPN3 5/17 7:30 PM EDT Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL) ESPN3 5/17 8:00 PM EDT #19 Clemson vs. #8 Florida State (BLACKED OUT ON ESPN3 - VIEW MAP) ESPNU
ESPN3 5/17 11:00 PM EDT #25 UC Irvine vs. #5 Cal State Fullerton (BLACKED OUT ON ESPN3 - VIEW MAP) ESPNU
ESPN3
5/18 12:00 PM EDT #23 Pittsburgh vs. Louisville ESPNU
ESPN3 5/18 1:00 PM EDT Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL) ESPN3 5/18 1:00 PM EDT Texas A&M vs. Tennessee ESPN3 5/18 2:00 PM EDT #7 Virginia vs. #2 North Carolina ESPN3 5/18 3:00 PM EDT #19 Clemson vs. #8 Florida State (BLACKED OUT ON ESPN3 - VIEW MAP) ESPNU
ESPN3 5/18 4:00 PM EDT Arkansas-Little Rock vs. Arkansas State ESPN3
SEC Slate
Alabama
#1 Vanderbilt
Live Stats
7:30 PM
#18 Mississippi
#2 LSU
Live Stats
7:30 PM
ESPNU
#12 South Carolina
#17 Mississippi State
Live Stats
7:30 PM
#13 Arkansas
Auburn
Live Stats
7:00 PM
Florida
Georgia
Live Stats
7:00 PM
Kentucky
Missouri
Live Stats
7:00 PM
Texas A&M
Tennessee
Live Stats
6:00 PM
National Weekend Previews
Perfect Game
Baseball America
Stitch Head
Better Know an Opponent: Ole Miss
So here we are, at the final weekend of the year and playing for approximately nothing. LSU cannot win the SEC and has already won the West. A national seed and a home regional are a virtual certainty. Really, this is just a chance for this year's team to take a final bow for a great regular season before the real season begins, and we all get down to the serious business of adding another date to the Intimidator.
Ole Miss RebelsRecord: 35-18 (14-13), 6th in the SEC
RS/RA: 286/194
RPI: 20
ISR: 18
Ole Miss has secured a spot in Hoover and a place in the postseason as well. They have just as little at stake as LSU does, but I'm sure we'll find some way to gin up some hatred. I'm not sure how, but we'll manage.
Ancient Logo:

via www.oxfordmississippi.com
Here is your quick reminder that this actually happened. You are welcome.
Notable Alumni:
James Meredith (civil rights activist)
Kate Jackson (Charlie's Angels)
Susan Akin-Lynch (1986 Miss America)
Van Chancellor (former LSU women's basketball coach)
Skeeter Webb (1945 World Series winner with the Tigers)
William Faulkner (author of books I don't understand, but pretend to)
Bill Jordan (designer of Realtree camouflage)
Ron Franklin (ESPN)
John McCain Sr (US Navy admiral)
Mose Allison (my stepfather's favorite jazz musician)
Bill Parsons (director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center)
Pretentious Music Video:
Because this weekend is more of a victory lap for one of the best teams in baseball, this week's musical selection is of one of the best bands on the planet right now. Thre's too many bands in the world making music designed for you to listen on your headphones, in your own little world and there's not enough bands who can crank the amps up to 11 and rock your f'n socks off. Until you've seen a band in which the bassist will stage dive and continue to play while crowdsurfing, well, you haven't really seen a great rock n roll show. They are from New Jersey, but I don't think we should hold that against them. Every so often, Yankees have a decent idea. In the spirit of the best baseball team, I give you the greatest band. And also a tribute to our beloved opponents, the Rebels: "You'll always be a loser, and that's okay!" Titus Andronicus - No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future
Starters:
RHP Mike Mayers (4-4, 2.87 ERA, 75.1 IP, 59/29 K/BB)
RHP Sam Smith (3-0, 3.15 ERA, 54.1 IP, 27/15 K/BB)
RHP Bobby Wahl (9-0, 1.43 ERA, 88.0 IP, 73/40 K/BB)
This is a team that wants to beat you with its pitching. Also, if you're not excited for the season finale, in which Bobby Wahl and Ryan Eades should have an epic pitching showdown, I don't know what to tell you. How often does the last game of a series have the best pitching matchup, and then have that on the final day of the season? Sign me up. Don't think it is just the starting staff which is excellent, it is the bullpen as well. Brett Huber (1.80 ERA, 11 saves) is one of the best closers out there, and the pen is full of guys who make outs. There's another six pitchers with at least 15 IP and an ERA under four. Just like LSU, there are almost too many options in the pen. The team has a staff ERA of 2.92, and that's no fluke. This isn't the best rotation in the SEC, that would be Arkansas, but it is the best top to bottom staff. When the Rebels win, it is because the pitching came through... and Ole Miss has won a lot more than they have lost.
Sluggers:
Stuart Turner 389/460/562
Austin Bousfield 291/383/394
Will Jamison 270/403/387
This is a top heavy offense. Stuart Turner is an amazing hitter, and then there is a collection of guys, none of whom are slugging over 400 and only one gets on base at a 400 clip. It's definitely a case of Don't Let Turner Beat You. Easier said than done. I wouldn't call their offense terrible, but it is certainly not scary. There's no big bat lurking on the bench, and most of the players get on at a decent clip with just a smidge of power. When Ole Miss scores runs, it is by death by a thousand paper cuts. No one is a downright automatic out, so rallies can come from the back of the order. And while Turner is their leading run producer, he is not doing it in overwhelming fashion. The whole lineup is contributing.
Tiger Bait?
While we always want to beat Ole Miss because they are so Ole Miss-y, LSU is taking this weekend so seriously that Mainieri is resting his ace starter for the postseason. The Rebels are too good of a team to beat with one armed tied behind your back. You have to think the Rebels will take at least one game this series, but it's also up to the bats and the rest of the staff to pick up the slack and defend the home field. Let's end the season on a high note, before the next season begins.
Better Know an Opponent: Ole Miss
So here we are, at the final weekend of the year and playing for approximately nothing. LSU cannot win the SEC and has already won the West. A national seed and a home regional are a virtual certainty. Really, this is just a chance for this year's team to take a final bow for a great regular season before the real season begins, and we all get down to the serious business of adding another date to the Intimidator.
Ole Miss RebelsRecord: 35-18 (14-13), 6th in the SEC
RS/RA: 286/194
RPI: 20
ISR: 18
Ole Miss has secured a spot in Hoover and a place in the postseason as well. They have just as little at stake as LSU does, but I'm sure we'll find some way to gin up some hatred. I'm not sure how, but we'll manage.
Ancient Logo:

via www.oxfordmississippi.com
Here is your quick reminder that this actually happened. You are welcome.
Notable Alumni:
James Meredith (civil rights activist)
Kate Jackson (Charlie's Angels)
Susan Akin-Lynch (1986 Miss America)
Van Chancellor (former LSU women's basketball coach)
Skeeter Webb (1945 World Series winner with the Tigers)
William Faulkner (author of books I don't understand, but pretend to)
Bill Jordan (designer of Realtree camouflage)
Ron Franklin (ESPN)
John McCain Sr (US Navy admiral)
Mose Allison (my stepfather's favorite jazz musician)
Bill Parsons (director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center)
Pretentious Music Video:
Because this weekend is more of a victory lap for one of the best teams in baseball, this week's musical selection is of one of the best bands on the planet right now. Thre's too many bands in the world making music designed for you to listen on your headphones, in your own little world and there's not enough bands who can crank the amps up to 11 and rock your f'n socks off. Until you've seen a band in which the bassist will stage dive and continue to play while crowdsurfing, well, you haven't really seen a great rock n roll show. They are from New Jersey, but I don't think we should hold that against them. Every so often, Yankees have a decent idea. In the spirit of the best baseball team, I give you the greatest band. And also a tribute to our beloved opponents, the Rebels: "You'll always be a loser, and that's okay!" Titus Andronicus - No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future
Starters:
RHP Mike Mayers (4-4, 2.87 ERA, 75.1 IP, 59/29 K/BB)
RHP Sam Smith (3-0, 3.15 ERA, 54.1 IP, 27/15 K/BB)
RHP Bobby Wahl (9-0, 1.43 ERA, 88.0 IP, 73/40 K/BB)
This is a team that wants to beat you with its pitching. Also, if you're not excited for the season finale, in which Bobby Wahl and Ryan Eades should have an epic pitching showdown, I don't know what to tell you. How often does the last game of a series have the best pitching matchup, and then have that on the final day of the season? Sign me up. Don't think it is just the starting staff which is excellent, it is the bullpen as well. Brett Huber (1.80 ERA, 11 saves) is one of the best closers out there, and the pen is full of guys who make outs. There's another six pitchers with at least 15 IP and an ERA under four. Just like LSU, there are almost too many options in the pen. The team has a staff ERA of 2.92, and that's no fluke. This isn't the best rotation in the SEC, that would be Arkansas, but it is the best top to bottom staff. When the Rebels win, it is because the pitching came through... and Ole Miss has won a lot more than they have lost.
Sluggers:
Stuart Turner 389/460/562
Austin Bousfield 291/383/394
Will Jamison 270/403/387
This is a top heavy offense. Stuart Turner is an amazing hitter, and then there is a collection of guys, none of whom are slugging over 400 and only one gets on base at a 400 clip. It's definitely a case of Don't Let Turner Beat You. Easier said than done. I wouldn't call their offense terrible, but it is certainly not scary. There's no big bat lurking on the bench, and most of the players get on at a decent clip with just a smidge of power. When Ole Miss scores runs, it is by death by a thousand paper cuts. No one is a downright automatic out, so rallies can come from the back of the order. And while Turner is their leading run producer, he is not doing it in overwhelming fashion. The whole lineup is contributing.
Tiger Bait?
While we always want to beat Ole Miss because they are so Ole Miss-y, LSU is taking this weekend so seriously that Mainieri is resting his ace starter for the postseason. The Rebels are too good of a team to beat with one armed tied behind your back. You have to think the Rebels will take at least one game this series, but it's also up to the bats and the rest of the staff to pick up the slack and defend the home field. Let's end the season on a high note, before the next season begins.
Softball and the Time for Unreasonable Expectations
We've said many times around these parts that we don't pay enough attention to LSU women's sport. This isn't because we feel the need to have some sort of enforced equity or anything, but simply because are women's teams are really good and are a boatload of fun to watch. Really, if you missed out on the gymnastics team's run to the Super Six, you missed out on maybe the most exciting LSU sporting events of the year.
So here's your second chance. LSU softball begins its march towards the Women's College Series this weekend by hosting a regional at Tiger Park. Here's the short version of What You Need to Know: we're really good, and this regional isn't.
OK, UL-Lafayette is 17th in the RPI and they average over 7 runs per game, which is just insane. But here's the thing, ULL has played nine games against teams in the RPI top 25 and won just one of those, a win over conference rival South Alabama. ULL won once, but lost on three separate occasions.
In fact, look at their performance against top quality opponents:
#8 Michigan (neutral site) 1-3
#16 Texas A&M (neutral site) 4-6
#3 Texas (neutral site) 2-7
at #3 Texas 4-9
at #3 Texas 1-7
at #13 South Alabama 3-7
at #13 South Alabama 4-8
at #13 South Alabama 2-1
#13 South Alabama (neutral site) 0-1
All of a sudden that intimidating offense doesn't look quite as intimidating. This isn't to say the Cajuns are just going to roll over, I'm sure they will be extra motivated to beat their cross state rivals, but this is a team that has struggled to beat teams of LSU's caliber. You have to play the games, but LSU should win this weekend, especially given the double elimination format. One bad game can't kill the team.
Looking ahead, LSU's regional is matched up with Michigan. Michigan is the #8 national seed, and they are a terrific team. They also lost earlier this season to LSU 14-6. This is a team that LSU knows they can beat. The path to Oklahoma City is laid right before this team, they just need to walk the walk.
And therein lies the rub. LSU struggled down the stretch, losing its last three games of the season, all to Georgia, and none particularly close. Two weeks prior, LSU lost two of three to Mizzou who, granted, is pretty awesome. There was a sweep of Alabama wedged in between, which won the Tigers the SEC West title. So it's not all bad news, but there is no room for excuses for this team. Play like you can.
When Rachelle Fico committed to LSU, it was a national story. It was the promise that this program would compete for national titles. And here we are, in her senior year. Fico has been everything she was advertised as, but LSU only has one trip to the WCWS to show for it. This is the last chance to take advantage of the best pitcher to attend LSU since Britni Sneed.
The future is now. It's time to make a run.
Softball and the Time for Unreasonable Expectations
We've said many times around these parts that we don't pay enough attention to LSU women's sport. This isn't because we feel the need to have some sort of enforced equity or anything, but simply because are women's teams are really good and are a boatload of fun to watch. Really, if you missed out on the gymnastics team's run to the Super Six, you missed out on maybe the most exciting LSU sporting events of the year.
So here's your second chance. LSU softball begins its march towards the Women's College Series this weekend by hosting a regional at Tiger Park. Here's the short version of What You Need to Know: we're really good, and this regional isn't.
OK, UL-Lafayette is 17th in the RPI and they average over 7 runs per game, which is just insane. But here's the thing, ULL has played nine games against teams in the RPI top 25 and won just one of those, a win over conference rival South Alabama. ULL won once, but lost on three separate occasions.
In fact, look at their performance against top quality opponents:
#8 Michigan (neutral site) 1-3
#16 Texas A&M (neutral site) 4-6
#3 Texas (neutral site) 2-7
at #3 Texas 4-9
at #3 Texas 1-7
at #13 South Alabama 3-7
at #13 South Alabama 4-8
at #13 South Alabama 2-1
#13 South Alabama (neutral site) 0-1
All of a sudden that intimidating offense doesn't look quite as intimidating. This isn't to say the Cajuns are just going to roll over, I'm sure they will be extra motivated to beat their cross state rivals, but this is a team that has struggled to beat teams of LSU's caliber. You have to play the games, but LSU should win this weekend, especially given the double elimination format. One bad game can't kill the team.
Looking ahead, LSU's regional is matched up with Michigan. Michigan is the #8 national seed, and they are a terrific team. They also lost earlier this season to LSU 14-6. This is a team that LSU knows they can beat. The path to Oklahoma City is laid right before this team, they just need to walk the walk.
And therein lies the rub. LSU struggled down the stretch, losing its last three games of the season, all to Georgia, and none particularly close. Two weeks prior, LSU lost two of three to Mizzou who, granted, is pretty awesome. There was a sweep of Alabama wedged in between, which won the Tigers the SEC West title. So it's not all bad news, but there is no room for excuses for this team. Play like you can.
When Rachelle Fico committed to LSU, it was a national story. It was the promise that this program would compete for national titles. And here we are, in her senior year. Fico has been everything she was advertised as, but LSU only has one trip to the WCWS to show for it. This is the last chance to take advantage of the best pitcher to attend LSU since Britni Sneed.
The future is now. It's time to make a run.
Around The SEC: Baseball Weekend Preview – 5/16/13
Team SEC Pct. Overall Pct. Home Away Neutral Streak Eastern Vanderbilt 24 - 2 .923 46 - 6 .885 29-3 17-3 0-0 W13 South Carolina 16 - 10 .615 38 - 14 .731 28-6 10-6 0-2 W5 Florida 13 - 14 .481 28 - 25 .528 20-16 8-8 0-1 L1 Kentucky 10 - 17 .370 29 - 22 .569 19-11 7-10 3-1 W1 Missouri 8 - 19 .296 16 - 30 .348 11-12 5-17 0-1 L1 Tennessee 7 - 18 .280 21 - 28 .429 12-12 7-14 2-2 W1 Georgia 5 - 19 .208 19 - 31 .380 10-18 8-13 1-0 W1 Western LSU 21 - 6 .778 46 - 7 .868 32-3 13-4 1-0 W3 Arkansas 17 - 9 .654 34 - 17 .667 24-9 9-4 0-4 W2 Ole Miss 14 - 13 .519 35 - 18 .660 22-9 13-7 0-2 L2 Mississippi St. 14 - 13 .519 38 - 15 .717 28-6 8-9 2-0 W2 Alabama 13 - 13 .500 31 - 22 .585 22-9 9-11 0-2 W1 Texas A&M 11 - 15 .423 28 - 24 .538 22-10 4-12 1-2 W1 Auburn 11 - 16 .407 31 - 21 .596 20-11 9-10 2-0 L1
Arkansas (34-17, 17-9) @ Auburn (31-21, 11-16)
This is one of the more interesting series of the weekend because there is a lot on the line for both teams. A look at the Hogs' record, national ranking and conference standing indicate that they should be in great shape to host a Regional. However, their RPI is way down at #40, and that is not going to help them. They need to win the series this weekend and have a nice showing in Hoover to solidify things.
Arkansas has now won four SEC series in a row. Most notably, their bats came alive against Tennessee last weekend, erupting for 21 runs in their final two games. Their pitching continues to be excellent.
Auburn....oh Auburn. After clawing their way out of the SEC cellar and into contention for the NCAA Tournament, Auburn traveled to Florida last weekend and won the series from the Gators. But then they turn around and lose a mid-week game to Jacksonville State on Tuesday. Ouch. They definitely didn't need that.
With that said, a series win against Arkansas would put them at 13-17 in the conference and 33-22 overall and their already solid #35 RPI should only go up. Combine that with a decent showing in Hoover, and they have a chance to make the post-season. Lose the series this weekend, and I think they're done.
Prediction: Arkansas Wins 2 of 3
Alabama (31-22, 13-13) @ Vanderbilt (46-6, 24-2)
Alabama has been slowly sliding down the conference standings for the past several weeks. They did win a series against lowly Missouri last weekend, and that was much needed because they're traveling to Vanderbilt this week. If they get swept, which has to be considered likely, their resume will be awfully similar to Auburn's. They'll be 31-25 with a 13-16 conference record and a nearly identical RPI. I wouldn't say Alabama is a lock to make the Tournament right now.
What can you say about Vanderbilt? They're on cruise control and accomplishing some amazing things. They are a lock for a national seed and have already clinched the regular season SEC title before the last weekend. They swept Kentucky on the road last weekend in relatively easy fashion. I suspect they'll do the same to Alabama this weekend.
Prediction: Vanderbilt Sweeps
South Carolina (38-14, 16-10) @ Mississippi State (38-15, 14-13)
Just when Mississippi State seemed to get over the hump, they lose a series to Ole Miss and take a step back. They have a chance to turn things back around this weekend with the Gamecocks in town. Winning a series against the Cocks on the last weekend would do wonders for them. Currently, their RPI is excellent at #10 and they're right on the fence of being a host team. College Baseball Daily currently projects them to host while Perfect Game does not.
Meanwhile, South Carolina still has an outside chance a national seed, but it will probably take a lot at this point. They would need to win the series this weekend and have a very good showing in Hoover, probably making the final game or winning the tournament. But they could work themselves back into that discussion.
Prediction: South Carolina Wins 2 of 3
Texas A&M (28-24, 11-15) @ Tennessee (21-28, 7-18)
This may be the least intriguing series in the conference this weekend. Texas A&M probably lost any chance they had at making the NCAA Tournament when LSU won the rubber match last weekend. Even with a sweep this weekend, they would still need a really strong showing at the SEC Tournament just to be considered again. I was really impressed with A&M's Mikey Reynolds and Daniel Mengden. Both guys had really good weekends against LSU.
Tennessee surprisingly managed to steal a game against Arkansas last weekend. But by and large, they are playing really bad baseball right now.
Prediction: Texas A&M Wins 2 of 3
Florida (28-25, 13-14) @ Georgia (19-31, 5-19)
Florida really goofed last weekend by losing two of three at home against Auburn. After going on a nice run of playing good baseball and seemingly righting the ship, they have now lost five of their last six SEC games. Luckily, they get Georgia this weekend, who will almost certainly finish in the basement of the SEC standings this year.
The Gators seem comfortably in the NCAA Tournament, and they have no chance to host. Despite their mediocre record, their RPI is still excellent at #23 and they have the #1 strength of schedule in the country.
Georgia did beat Georgia Tech again this week by a score of 14-13. That means that in their last two games against Georgia Tech, the Dawgs have scored 31 combined runs. That's crazy because they are a really bad baseball team. It doesn't seem THAT long ago when Georgia was in the College World Series finals, does it? It's crazy how quickly things can change.
Prediction: Florida Sweeps
Kentucky (29-22, 10-17) @ Missouri (16-30, 8-19)
Kentucky has been a train wreck over the last month and a half. At one point, they were 6-3 in SEC play, ranked high, and feeling pretty good about themselves. They are just 4-14 since then, and that includes a sweep at the hands of Vanderbilt last weekend. They face a weak Missouri team this weekend, and they almost need to sweep as they find themselves squarely on the bubble. Even a sweep only gets them to 13-17 in the conference, and they may still need to do some work in Hoover to make it.
In their favor is a RPI of #29 and a strength of schedule of #6.
Missouri isn't playing for anything but pride, but even their pride has been crushed at this point.
Prediction: Kentucky Wins 2 of 3
Around The SEC: Baseball Weekend Preview – 5/16/13
Team SEC Pct. Overall Pct. Home Away Neutral Streak Eastern Vanderbilt 24 - 2 .923 46 - 6 .885 29-3 17-3 0-0 W13 South Carolina 16 - 10 .615 38 - 14 .731 28-6 10-6 0-2 W5 Florida 13 - 14 .481 28 - 25 .528 20-16 8-8 0-1 L1 Kentucky 10 - 17 .370 29 - 22 .569 19-11 7-10 3-1 W1 Missouri 8 - 19 .296 16 - 30 .348 11-12 5-17 0-1 L1 Tennessee 7 - 18 .280 21 - 28 .429 12-12 7-14 2-2 W1 Georgia 5 - 19 .208 19 - 31 .380 10-18 8-13 1-0 W1 Western LSU 21 - 6 .778 46 - 7 .868 32-3 13-4 1-0 W3 Arkansas 17 - 9 .654 34 - 17 .667 24-9 9-4 0-4 W2 Ole Miss 14 - 13 .519 35 - 18 .660 22-9 13-7 0-2 L2 Mississippi St. 14 - 13 .519 38 - 15 .717 28-6 8-9 2-0 W2 Alabama 13 - 13 .500 31 - 22 .585 22-9 9-11 0-2 W1 Texas A&M 11 - 15 .423 28 - 24 .538 22-10 4-12 1-2 W1 Auburn 11 - 16 .407 31 - 21 .596 20-11 9-10 2-0 L1
Arkansas (34-17, 17-9) @ Auburn (31-21, 11-16)
This is one of the more interesting series of the weekend because there is a lot on the line for both teams. A look at the Hogs' record, national ranking and conference standing indicate that they should be in great shape to host a Regional. However, their RPI is way down at #40, and that is not going to help them. They need to win the series this weekend and have a nice showing in Hoover to solidify things.
Arkansas has now won four SEC series in a row. Most notably, their bats came alive against Tennessee last weekend, erupting for 21 runs in their final two games. Their pitching continues to be excellent.
Auburn....oh Auburn. After clawing their way out of the SEC cellar and into contention for the NCAA Tournament, Auburn traveled to Florida last weekend and won the series from the Gators. But then they turn around and lose a mid-week game to Jacksonville State on Tuesday. Ouch. They definitely didn't need that.
With that said, a series win against Arkansas would put them at 13-17 in the conference and 33-22 overall and their already solid #35 RPI should only go up. Combine that with a decent showing in Hoover, and they have a chance to make the post-season. Lose the series this weekend, and I think they're done.
Prediction: Arkansas Wins 2 of 3
Alabama (31-22, 13-13) @ Vanderbilt (46-6, 24-2)
Alabama has been slowly sliding down the conference standings for the past several weeks. They did win a series against lowly Missouri last weekend, and that was much needed because they're traveling to Vanderbilt this week. If they get swept, which has to be considered likely, their resume will be awfully similar to Auburn's. They'll be 31-25 with a 13-16 conference record and a nearly identical RPI. I wouldn't say Alabama is a lock to make the Tournament right now.
What can you say about Vanderbilt? They're on cruise control and accomplishing some amazing things. They are a lock for a national seed and have already clinched the regular season SEC title before the last weekend. They swept Kentucky on the road last weekend in relatively easy fashion. I suspect they'll do the same to Alabama this weekend.
Prediction: Vanderbilt Sweeps
South Carolina (38-14, 16-10) @ Mississippi State (38-15, 14-13)
Just when Mississippi State seemed to get over the hump, they lose a series to Ole Miss and take a step back. They have a chance to turn things back around this weekend with the Gamecocks in town. Winning a series against the Cocks on the last weekend would do wonders for them. Currently, their RPI is excellent at #10 and they're right on the fence of being a host team. College Baseball Daily currently projects them to host while Perfect Game does not.
Meanwhile, South Carolina still has an outside chance a national seed, but it will probably take a lot at this point. They would need to win the series this weekend and have a very good showing in Hoover, probably making the final game or winning the tournament. But they could work themselves back into that discussion.
Prediction: South Carolina Wins 2 of 3
Texas A&M (28-24, 11-15) @ Tennessee (21-28, 7-18)
This may be the least intriguing series in the conference this weekend. Texas A&M probably lost any chance they had at making the NCAA Tournament when LSU won the rubber match last weekend. Even with a sweep this weekend, they would still need a really strong showing at the SEC Tournament just to be considered again. I was really impressed with A&M's Mikey Reynolds and Daniel Mengden. Both guys had really good weekends against LSU.
Tennessee surprisingly managed to steal a game against Arkansas last weekend. But by and large, they are playing really bad baseball right now.
Prediction: Texas A&M Wins 2 of 3
Florida (28-25, 13-14) @ Georgia (19-31, 5-19)
Florida really goofed last weekend by losing two of three at home against Auburn. After going on a nice run of playing good baseball and seemingly righting the ship, they have now lost five of their last six SEC games. Luckily, they get Georgia this weekend, who will almost certainly finish in the basement of the SEC standings this year.
The Gators seem comfortably in the NCAA Tournament, and they have no chance to host. Despite their mediocre record, their RPI is still excellent at #23 and they have the #1 strength of schedule in the country.
Georgia did beat Georgia Tech again this week by a score of 14-13. That means that in their last two games against Georgia Tech, the Dawgs have scored 31 combined runs. That's crazy because they are a really bad baseball team. It doesn't seem THAT long ago when Georgia was in the College World Series finals, does it? It's crazy how quickly things can change.
Prediction: Florida Sweeps
Kentucky (29-22, 10-17) @ Missouri (16-30, 8-19)
Kentucky has been a train wreck over the last month and a half. At one point, they were 6-3 in SEC play, ranked high, and feeling pretty good about themselves. They are just 4-14 since then, and that includes a sweep at the hands of Vanderbilt last weekend. They face a weak Missouri team this weekend, and they almost need to sweep as they find themselves squarely on the bubble. Even a sweep only gets them to 13-17 in the conference, and they may still need to do some work in Hoover to make it.
In their favor is a RPI of #29 and a strength of schedule of #6.
Missouri isn't playing for anything but pride, but even their pride has been crushed at this point.
Prediction: Kentucky Wins 2 of 3
Link Gumbo – 5/16/13
Baseball took care of UNO early Tuesday night, starting with a 5 run 1st and steaming to a 11-2 win. Not a lot to take away from the game, but Michael Barash's first career home run and the surprising 5 inning start from Hunter Newman were great highlights. The win set a new LSU record for most regular season wins at 46 and marked the 2nd straight year without a midweek loss, a streak that goes back into the 2011 season.
The blowout wasnt enough work for some Tigers, as Frosh Phenom Alex Bregman was seen working defensive drills on his own hours after the game.
Shortstop Alex Bregman is already getting ready for the next one.LSU returns to The Box Thurs. to take on Ole Miss. twitter.com/LSUbaseball/st…
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) May 15, 2013
With conference tournaments approaching and many leagues going with Thursday series this week, nearly all of college baseball was in action Tuesday night and there were some great games. Notable SEC results include UK beating national seed contender Indiana, Ole Miss getting shellacked by Southern Miss, and UGA taking the season series from GT in a wild 14-13, 11 inning game.
The participants for the SEC Tournament next week are pretty much set except for a few spots at the bottom. It would be simpler to figure out standings, but as For Whom The Cowbell Tolls points out, only 7 SEC teams have been able to play their full conference slate this year.
Men's basketball assistant coach Robert Kirby is reportedly leaving the program to take a similar role with Memphis.
The ongoing saga of a game vs Wisconsin seems to have hit a road block. Wisconsin sounds like they are ready to sign up, but LSU isn't. Meanwhile, it's been revealed that Miami was also approached by LSU for an opening weekend matchup, but they declined.
Track and Field had a nice showing at the SEC Championships, but the ladies were unable to make it 4 in a row, losing out to A&M for the team championship. Kimberlyn Duncan had a great weekend and defended her individual titles in the 100m and 200m dashes. Duncan has had such a good year, she's been nominated for Sports Illustrated's female college athlete of the year.
Big news for all you Volleyball fans: LSU will be adding Sand Volleyball as a varsity sport for the 2014 season. It's the first sport to be added since Softball was reborn in 1997.
Jeremy Hill has still yet to be formally charged for the assault in Tigerland last month that left one man unconscious, but his probate judge has now banned him from bars an instituted a 9pm to 6am curfew. That curfew would seem to conflict with participation in LSU football this fall, but we won't know until the fall. Hill wont see a judge again until August, so this is going to drag on into fall camp at least.
We've now had a few days to mull over the SEC Network announcement and a few details that have been confirmed by various sources are painting a clearer picture of what the SEC on TV will look like in two years. The SEC syndicated game, what we all affectionately refer to as "The Jefferson Pilot game" will meet it's end this year. The game time we all hate will survive, however, as one of the 3 time slots airing on the SEC Network (and if I was a betting man, I'd put money on Dave Neal calling that game).
Another big detail comes from a short Q&A by a Florida Assistant AD who cleared up the future of SEC content on the 3rd party networks (In Florida, they talk about FSN affiliate Sun Sports, who covers UF in a way similar to how Cox Sports covers LSU). Essentially, aside from a few coaches shows and game replays, the 3rd party networks will be completely out of the picture and will carry no live events at all. This worries me a bit, especially from a baseball perspective. Commissioner Slive was proud to announce specifically that the SEC Net would carry at least 75 baseball games, but that number is low compared to the 130+ that have or will air this season across a variety of channels. There is also the matter of only having one channel to air games when all 14 teams are playing at the same time on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon.
That same Florida Q&A also mentions that UF's in house streaming service GatorVision (like GeauxZone, AUHD, 12thmanTV, etc) will be scrapped and taken over by the ESPN3 service "provided that ESPN has enough capacity on that event day to accommodate it and provided the production is of a certain quality". Just like with the loss of the 3rd party TV channels, this is going to present an issue when multiple events are overlapping. LSU streamed every non-TV home baseball game in the GeauxZone this season, will that continue under ESPN?
The other half of the SEC TV picture was wrapped up this week as CBS signed on to continue their contract until 2023-2024. Rumors that CBS was not going to pay more despite additions to the league have proved sort of true. CBS will be paying the same $55 million a year that they have been in the current deal, though they have now lost the 2:30 exclusivity window. It's not necessarily a bad thing for the SEC, but it could have been better.
As part of the SEC Net announcement, the conference website spent some time reminiscing about the good old days with former LSU basketball star, AD and long time SEC play-by-play man Joe Dean Sr.
Tiger Rag.com has a pretty cool interactive database setup that allows you to look over the great recruiting classes of the Les Miles era.
We joke a lot about how legendary Miss St. coach Ron Polk was a pain in the ass and the chief rival/bad guy for Skip Bertman. But let it never be said the man doesn't have class.
When you have coaching stability, you tend to learn more about those coaches personal lives and their families. This past weekend saw multiple LSU coaches sons have excellent performances and win championships in the LHSAA baseball playoffs. Tommy Moffit's son Clay pitched 6 scoreless relief innings and won Most Outstanding player as he led Catholic (Baton Rouge) to the 5A title (a team that also features Paul Mainieri's son Thomas). Les Miles's son Manny pitched a no-hitter for U-High in the 2A semis before the team lost to Todd Walker's Calvary Baptist in the championship.
Speaking of U-High, a group of first graders from University Lab got to take the GREATEST FIELD TRIP EVER yesterday.
With no silly soccer to cause a conflict, the CWS is returning to decent game times this summer.
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