by Ryan Rogers
LSU Sports Information
The LSU baseball team has quickly silenced its critics with an impressive season turnaround, winning 17 of 19 games. The winning streak has propelled the Tigers to first place in the Southeastern Conference.
Skip Bertman attributes lots of things to the team’s turnaround.
“Were making fewer errors and fewer bad pitches. Most importantly our offense has been better,” said Bertman. “We walk more than we did before. We need to get runners on base before someone hits that homerun. Thats just our style and our strength.”
Senior captain Blair Barbier is pleased with LSUs effort.
“The hard work has paid off. More than anything the hard work that this team has put in since the beginning is really starting to show on the field,” said Barbier.
LSU started off slow this year, and, after losing five games in a row, rumors of the demise of LSU baseball began to surface. However, as said before, it was too early to write off the team, and more importantly, never doubt Skip Bertman.
LSU has found the answers to all of its early-season woes. The team has cut down on the errors. LSU had 32 errors after only 12 games. Since then the Tigers have committed 26 errors in twice as many games. The season total is still high at 58 errors, but lately the errors havent come with unfortunate timing as in the early part of the year.
Led by Brian Tallet and Hunter Gomez, the pitching staff has improved. Tallet and Gomez are giving consistent, solid performances in which they have lasted on the mound well into the late innings.
Other pitchers on the rise are Jason Scobie, who will get a chance to start against Florida. Recently he has shown the capability to become a great pitcher for LSU. Scobie pitched the last four innings against ULL on April 11. He shut down the No. 8 Ragin Cajuns bats. He displayed a high velocity fastball while also proving he could throw the off speed pitches as well.
Bo Petitt, a freshmen who pitched five strong innings against ULL to earn the victory, also showed that he may be ready fill the role as the Tigers third starter.
Another pitcher making the best of an opportunity is left handed hurler Shane Youman. Youman could be a valuable asset down the road as a relief pitcher. He earned a save against a hard-hitting Auburn team in a crucial rubber match. With his help, LSU took two of three from the Tigers.
The Tiger bats have come alive and its led fans to reminiscing about the glory days of LSU baseball filled with abundant hitting and “gorilla ball” tactics which left the scoreboard operator exhausted. The high scoring Tigers have reached double figures in nine straight games, scoring 10 or more runs since the UNO game on March 29. That streak was ended against ULL in which the Tigers only managed a meager eight runs by recent standards. However, the Tigers did hit five home runs in that game.
Individual Tiger batters have elevated their play. Brad Cresse and Mike Fontentot have been hitting well all season. They have continued to hit the ball well as they sport .455 and .340 averages, respectively. Together they have combined for 27 home runs.
Brad Hawpe was hitting well at .358, but he was struggling to hit for power with only three home runs. A grand slam against Arkansas may have helped him break out of his power hitting slump. Blair Barbier has also crushed the ball lately. His .342 average and five home runs have aided along with Hawpe in protecting Cresse form being pitch around. As long as Hawpe and Barbier hit well, teams will be forced to pitch to Cresse.
True freshmen Wally Pontiff has matured very quickly. After struggling early in the season, he has risen to the occasion of SEC baseball. Pontiff hit three home runs in two games including two clutch homers helping LSU defeat Auburn, 12-10, on April 2. He is currently batting .319.
Perhaps the most improvement in the Tigers offense has come from the bottom of the lineup. The rise of Ryan Jorgensen and Ray Wright has been a welcomed gift for LSU. Jorgensen went 4-for-5 against Arkansas with five RBI in Sundays game alone. He then crushed two home runs against ULL the following game. Wright has been able to hit the ball lately giving LSU an extra punch before the top of the lineup comes around to bat.
The return of Cedrick Harris is key to the Tigers run to Omaha for the World Series. Harris appears to be on a mission coming back off of a wrist injury. He has hit safely in four straight games. His defensive efforts have also shined with a miraculous catch against ULL that inspired his teammates.
And, of course, theres Jeremy Witten. Witten has had a quietly successful career at LSU. Witten is batting .346. He has played well for LSU filling in for injuries. But his tremendous play under the gun for LSU is uncanny. He hit a game-winning bottom of the ninth home run against then No. 2 South Carolina that really got the winning streak rolling.
LSU is one of the hottest teams in America, climbing to No. 6 in the polls. The Tigers are set to “roar” their way back to Omaha and attempt to win the College World Series. Talk of LSU baseball being down is a distant memory. Fans interest is at an all-time high with a crowd of 8,622, the largest in LSU history, in attendance for a Tuesday night game with ULL.
As the Tigers continue to excel Skip Bertman can only sit back watch his team succeed. With good coaching and recruiting he has demonstrated over and over that his program doesnt rebuild, it just reloads.