The SEC baseball tournament is technically meaningless for LSU. OK, there's an automatic bid at stake and there's the whole "banners fly forever" thing, if we hung banners for winning the SEC tournament around these parts. But LSU is going to be hosting a regional next weekend as a national seed, and nothing that happens this week will change that.
On the other hand, the last two times LSU won a national title, it won the SEC tournament. So it never hurts to start the postseason off right. We're playing these games, so we might as well win them. Besides, we owe South Carolina a bit of revenge, and we have to win a few games to set up that rematch.
Today's Opponent: Alabama
Record: 32-24 (14-15)
RS/RA: 297/248
RPI: 28
ISR: 39
When Last We Met:
LSU 5, Bama 0
LSU 11, Bama 8
Bama 4, LSU 3
What's Changed:
Not much. Bama is still the same middle of the pack team that dogpiled after winning the final game of the series to prevent getting swept. They did play Vandy tough, but they were also swept by Mississippi State. They are a classic middle of the pack team: just good enough to beat you if everything breaks right, but a team you really should beat. No one outside of Bama and LSU fans are even remotely excited about this game. Sorry everyone.
What Drive-by Truckers Album Should Serve as the Soundtrack?
Look, the idea of listening to the CSS crew for a full game is just too much for me to take. I highly recommend cranking up Spotify or the Cloud player of your choice, and listening to some southern rock n roll instead of the broadcast. For each game, I will roll with a different DBT album, on repeat.
I really don't anticipate this game holding my attention, so I'm going to roll out the big guns early. Decoration Day is my personal choice as not only the best album in their catalog, but the best album of the past decade. Your mileage may vary. But I'm hoping one of our lesser used relievers is on the mound, closing out a 5 run lead in the 9th to the strands of When the Pin Hits the Shell. That's the plan, anyway. After the game, we plan on burying the body in the old sink hole and looking the preacher in the eye.
Likely Pitching Matchup:
Cody Glenn v. Charley Sullivan
Mainieri is saving Nola for a potential matchup with Arkansas, which is probably the right call. If you can't beat Alabama with your #3 starter, then you probably weren't going to win the SEC tournament anyway. Bama has the added disadvantage of having played yesterday, so they had to use their pen a bit to outlast Auburn. On the other hand, Bama is rolling out their ace, which is also the right call. You save your biggest gun for the biggest target, and that's what we are.
You can pretty much see how both teams rate each other by who they are trotting out to the hill. Also, to be fair to Glenn, he was pretty darn good against Alabama last time, though he did get a hard luck loss.
Session 3
TV: CSS/Cox Sports (Watch on ESPN3.com)
Radio: XM 199/Sirius 158 (Free National audio stream from the SEC)
Game 5 - 9:30 a.m.
#3 Arkansas vs. #6 Ole Miss LIVE STATS
Series Record - Ole Miss 2-1 @ Arkansas
Probable starters
ARK - RHP JR Barrett Astin (4-4, 2.02 ERA, 75.2 IP, 19 BB, 63 K)
Ole Miss - TBA
Game 6 - 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 5
#2 LSU vs. #7 Alabama LIVE STATS
Series Record - LSU 2-1 @ Bama
Probable Starters
LSU - RHP SO Cody Glenn (6-2, 2.64 ERA, 75.0 IP, 16 BB, 35 SO)
BAMA - RHP SR Charley Sullivan (5-5, 3.58 ERA, 83.0 IP, 22 BB, 72 SO)