Jay Johnson Details Bryce Collins' Success, Pitching Depth
Jay Johnson was all smiles after LSU’s series victory over Kentucky. In a back and forth series, the Tigers came out on top on Saturday to earn another win behind a gutsy performance from right-handed pitcher Bryce Collins.
Collins started off the 2023 season in a bit of a slump. Unable to get in a groove, he admitted it’s been tough at times, but maintaining his poise and composure has allowed him to see success midway through the season.
Johnson opened up on Collins’ success and how excited he is to see his improvement at this point in the year.
The Relationship
Johnson and Collins have been on this journey together for quite some time. The two go back to when Coach Johnson was recruiting his right-hander out of high school, and with Collins in the midst of his fifth-year, their bond is inseparable.
“I absolutely love him,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I’ve had a player I’ve recruited for four years and coached for five, and he can actually come back for a sixth, so let’s see how he feels about that.
“The poise and the execution, that’s all baseball is. It’s execution. The game doesn’t change what's required, but sometimes people change and let the situation become too big. Just staring at him, I knew we were in a good spot in the ninth. He just kept executing and really made it difficult on them.”
Piecing it Together
Collins saw things click slowly but surely over the course of this season. It took time, but the Tigers’ right-hander is in a place he’s comfortable in now.
“I think it was a lot of little things stacked together. A couple of weeks ago, in one of those midweek games, I came in the ninth and got one out. Just using that momentum every single time no matter if it was one inning, one hitter, one batter, just stacking good things on top of each other. It just accumulates to everything slowly improving,” Collins said.
It’s been a matter of trusting the process for Collins, but when the Tigers called his number on Saturday afternoon, he answered.
Stepping Up When Needed
It’s no secret the Tigers’ bullpen is beat up at the moment. As LSU battles the injury bug, they’ve seen their pitching depth take a hit, but with so many gifted players, it’s a matter of who steps up next.
“It’s the belief in the next person no matter what situation we get in. Whoever comes into that situation next, that person believes in them and it’s just passing the torch to that next guy," Collins said. "I think we’ve done a really good job of that and the support from each other is there.”
The Tigers have had one of the toughest schedules this season. LSU has faced five Top 15 opponents with three of them being ranked in the Top 10. The “gauntlet” has passed, but their remaining schedule provides challenges as well.
As this program looks to get Garrett Edwards, Chase Shores and others back in the rotation at some point, health will be of the utmost importance as the backend of the season nears.