Down but not out: LSU baseball set to rematch with Tennessee in elimination game Tuesday night

For the first time this postseason, LSU is looking at the end of its season dead in the face. To keep its season alive, it first must defeat a team it has seen several times before, as recently as three days ago. However, with different pitchers on the mound, and with both teams now facing elimination, there will be a different dynamic.

LSU’s 3-2 loss to Wake Forest Monday night secured another date with Tennessee, a team whose College World Series fate could potentially have been decided by solely LSU if they are to lose Tuesday. But the Volunteers came back with an axe to grind after their 6-3 loss to LSU Saturday night. Monday afternoon, the Vols came back from down 4-0 to Stanford and scored six unanswered runs to keep their season going.

Similar to Wake Forest, Tennessee used its pitching depth to its advantage on the brink of elimination and will continue to do so against LSU. 

“The teams that are here, particularly the two that we’ve played, they’re the two premier pitching staffs in college baseball,” Jay Johnson said.

Chase Dollander started on the mound for the Vols against Stanford on Monday. However, the projected first-round draft pick didn’t have his best stuff against the Cardinal, and the Vols brought Chase Burns out of the bullpen in the fourth inning. Burns went on to throw 6.0 innings, giving up just two hits and striking out nine. With Burns throwing 73 pitches and Dollander throwing 58, neither will be available against LSU.

Instead, the Vols will most likely start sophomore right-hander, Drew Beam. Beam has been one of Tennessee’s most consistent pitchers all season. In 78.2 innings pitched, he holds a 3.78 ERA with 79 strikeouts. In Tennessee’s 5-0 win over Southern Miss to punch their ticket to Omaha, Beam threw 6.0 innings, struck out seven, and gave up no runs on seven hits.

At the plate, Tennessee came out swinging against Paul Skenes, and at times had success in getting on base with solid contact. It took one pitching change from LSU on Saturday for the Vols to make an adjustment and put three runs on the board in the eighth. Tennessee’s pitching may be its primary strong point, but the bats are something to keep an eye on as well.

Against Stanford, Maui Ahuna and Jared Dickey led the charge, each going three for five against the Cardinal. Ahuna bats lead-off, and Dickey bats third in Tennessee’s lineup, so they’ll potentially present a challenge to LSU pitchers from the first inning. Coming into the College World Series, Dickey led the team with a .325 batting average, and Ahuna wasn’t far behind sitting at .302. 

Griffin Merritt and Christian Moore came to Omaha as two of Tennessee’s most consistent hitters as well; Merritt came with a .315 batting average, and Moore at .313. But against Stanford, the two went a combined two for nine. 

Instead, Blake Burke and Zane Denton stepped up from the sixth and seventh spots in the lineup and went a combined four for seven. In addition, against LSU on Saturday, Hunter Ensley led the Volunteers from the second spot in the lineup, going three for four with a two-run home run.

This being said, similar to LSU, Tennessee has a lineup where anyone is capable of catching fire on any particular day. 

After facing Tennessee four times, LSU has a good sense of who it’s facing. However, it’s a matter of how Johnson will choose to approach Tuesday’s contest. 

A likely candidate for the starting job on Tuesday is Riley Cooper. Cooper has been one of LSU’s most consistent pitchers this postseason. In his last four postseason outings, he has given up two runs through 12.1 innings pitched. 

Cooper got the start against Oregon State in the Baton Rouge Regional Final. In 3.2 innings pitched, he struck out four while giving up two runs on just two hits. While staying in the game for more innings may be of concern, the execution from Cooper has been as good as any Tiger fan can hope for.

In addition, Cooper’s experience makes him a valuable asset at this stage. Transferred to LSU last season after playing the 2020-2021 season at Arizona. That season, Arizona made it to the College World Series, and Cooper came first in relief in Arizona’s opener against Vanderbilt. Arizona went on to lose that game 7-6 in 12 innings.

Coming into this year’s College World Series, Cooper was only one of two LSU pitchers with experience of pitching in Omaha. The other is Christian Little, who played at Vanderbilt before transferring to LSU.

Along with Cooper, LSU has many arms available to come out of the bullpen. According to Jay Johnson, LSU has nine pitchers available for Tuesday’s matchup.

If Tennessee has trouble hitting Cooper, Nate Ackenhausen will be a likely candidate to come in relief because he is also a left-hander. However, Gavin Guidry, a right-hander, would provide a different look if needed. Griffin Herring and Javen Coleman are two left-handers also available out of the bullpen, and Sam Dutton, Blake Money and Christian Little are two probable right-handers.

Tuesday’s matchup provides an unfamiliar dynamic to this season’s LSU team. Jay Johnson has been in this situation while coaching at Arizona, so he knows how to calm his team down.

“I’ve had a team in this position before,” Johnson said. “Lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Oklahoma State and won three consecutive games to play for a national championship.”

The road for LSU to get to the national championship series is certainly an uphill battle. But it’s one that is possible. In fact, the last time LSU made it to Omaha, it was in this position and ended up making it to the College World Series. 

To say that’s a coincidence is reasonable. But if it’s a sign from the baseball gods, it’s a pretty good one.