LSU hosts Tennessee:Top Ten Matchup in the Bayou

(LSU Athletics photo)

By Andrew Riedell

Well, here we are. College baseball fans have been waiting for this series all year, as the LSU Tigers host the Tennessee Volunteers at Alex Box Stadium this weekend. The LSU Tigers come into the showdown following back-to-back losses, and Tennessee comes in after dropping a series at home to Kentucky for the first time since 2016.

So, both these teams are going to be hungry and looking to strike first this weekend. The match-up is headlined by star pitching, star hitting, and two of the best college coaches in the game today. Let's breakdown what needs to go right for the Tigers this weekend if they intend to secure a Top 10 series win at home.

Pitching Probables (UT-LSU):

Friday: Liam Doyle (7-1, 2.48 ERA) vs. Kade Anderson (6-1 3.92 ERA)

Saturday: Marcus Phillips (2-3 2.96 ERA) vs. Anthony Eyanson (6-1 3.52 ERA)

Sunday: TBA vs. TBA

Pitching:

LSU is sticking with the same rotation they've utilized all season, with the exception that Chase Shores hasn't been named the Sunday starter right away. Does this mean he won't start Sunday? No, he might still start.

This Tiger pitching staff has a tall task this weekend, going against one of the most talented batting orders in the country. Tennessee's lineup is led by Gavin Kilen--who had been battling injuries the last few weeks and now seems to be 100%--but everyone in that lineup can do serious damage if LSU does not execute their pitches.

Kade Anderson will look to bounce back after having a rocky outing vs Alabama last week, when he gave up four home runs. Three of the four came off hanging curveballs, so for him to have success, he is going to really rely on executing his curveball and living down in the zone. Because, if he leaves mistake pitches up, this Tennessee lineup will make him pay.

For Game two's starter Anthony Eyanson, the key for his success is limiting the free passes early in the game. It feels like he just gets better the deeper he gets in the game, and if he limits the walks in the first few innings, he can work deep into this game. That will give his LSU squadmates a chance to win.

For Sunday, the Tigers haven't announced a starter yet, but I want to focus on the bullpen right now. Outside of Casan Evans and Zac Cowan, relief pitching has not been the best, and we saw that Tuesday night vs Northwestern State. LSU needs to see William Schimdt get back to how he was pitching in midweeks at the beginning of the season, because Schimdt has the potential to help lead this bullpen as a freshman.

Hitting:

The Tiger lineup has struggled mightily lately. Their at-bats have been uncompetitive at times, and that has even included some of the big names such as Jared Jones and Steven Milam. Both their batting averages have dropped, and Jay Johnson has even moved Milam down to the seven hole in the order.

The Tigers get the dubious luxury in the first game of facing Liam Doyle, probably the best pitcher in the SEC. For LSU to beat him, they have to apply pressure early, make Doyle work deep into counts, and get the pitch count high, leading to his exit sooner and innings filled from the Tennessee bullpen early in the series.

Saturday, the Tigers face Marcus Phillips, who is an exact copy of Eyanson--he struggles early and settles down late. This LSU lineup has a chance to make a big statement and win enough to calm the nerves of their fans, but pitching and hitting both have to stay on track with their game plans.

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