Three Takeaways From LSU Baseball's 4-0 Start
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Jay Johnson and his LSU Tigers are out to a quick 4-0 start to the 2023 season. With Paul Skenes looking as good as advertised, the freshmen making an immediate impact and more, this program has come into the year shot out of a cannon.
The Tigers swept Western Michigan last weekend with elite pitching and instant offense at the plate, but there were certainly a few pieces that allowed them to reach the level of success they saw against the Broncos over the weekend and Southern on Tuesday.
Here are three takeaways from their hot start:
Elite Pitching
LSU gave up just five runs in three games against Western Michigan last weekend. With Paul Skenes getting the Opening Day start, Riley Cooper handling Saturday duties and freshman Chase Shores earning the nod on Sunday, all three did their job accordingly.
It’s safe to say Coach Johnson was pleased as well:
“They did a really good job. I’ll take five runs in three games all the time,” Johnson said after Sunday’s victory. “The execution was great too. They were prepared, pitched with great confidence, and we suffocated the strike zone by being ahead early. It was almost surprising when we got to a three-ball count. We really made out pitches at a high level.”
“Chase [Shores] was great. You saw his talent, his poise, his composure, and that’s why he’s going to be a great pitcher here for a long time. Today was a good example of how we’re going to win. Chase, Sam, Ty, and Blake were really good. It was a good day on the mound.”
Freshman Phenoms
It was expected the Tigers would get production from their youngsters, but last weekend’s series sweep over Western Michigan proved just how important the freshmen will be. Whether it be Shores, Paxton Kling, Brady Neal, Gavin Guidry, etc. they will play a key role in just how far this program will go.
“They’re some of the most talented guys in the program and I think the older guys would tell you that,” Johnson said of his youngsters. “Until the lights come on you never really know, but we had a pretty good idea. In our two fall games, we got those guys 20-plus at bats in those two days we had.”
“Their growth the past month has been awesome. Ethan Fry is a dude, he’s going to be an All-American here some day. It’s exciting to get him in the game. Griffin Herring is going to be a starter here at some point. You saw Gavin Guidry and then Chase Shores on the mound. Really excited about that class and they just need to keep their heads down and keep working.”
Paul Skenes As Good As Advertised
Skenes had a historic debut last Friday. The first-year Tiger finished with 12 strikeouts on 98 pitches and 64 strikes thrown. The 12 strikeouts tied a program record for the most thrown in a debut.
It was what LSU fans expected once Skenes announced his transfer to Baton Rouge, but what’s the plan for Skenes at the plate? It’s the question many have wondered, but Johnson added a few tidbits on where things stand in that area.
“We’ll use him when we need to use him. At the same time, we need to protect him because he’s pretty good at the contribution he makes right now. When I say protect him, that’s for our team and him,” Johnson said.
“Backing off the hitting commitment has allowed him to change his body and conditioning level which puts him in the position he’s in right now, which is mid-season form. That is not put to bed. He’ll come up and hit a homer at some point this season, I just didn’t think right now the risk-reward is necessary.”