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Now if we’re all done losing our heads about the dropped game to Nicholls last week after sweeping Boston College, it’s time to focus on the game Wednesday night sometime this week against an actual postseason contender from the Southland, Southeastern Louisiana.
Maybe it's because I spent two years at Southeastern, one interning with the SID department, but I don't need convincing that SLU is a real team that poses a threat to LSU.
Last year Cody Glenn (remember him?) got the win as LSU took an early season midweek game in Hammond, America, but SLU would give the Tigers a run for their money in the Baton Rouge Regional, snagging a 4-2 lead after 6 innings before LSU tacked 2 runs in the 7th to tie it and dumped 4 runs in the 8th. It’s easy to look at the 7-4 and 8-4 final scores and dismiss this game as a whole, but if LSU picks up their uncharacteristic trend of committing 10 errors in 3 games, then there is plenty of reason to worry about LSU dropping back to back midweek games that LSU fans have grown accustomed to being "rent-a-wins". Hell, SLU swept Louisiana Tech in Hammond to start the year off.
SLU will give the nod to leftie Domenick Carlini (0-0, 3.00), who went 5 innings in a loss against Tulane last week while allowing 2 runs off of 3 hits. LSU will counter with right hander Doug Norman (0-1, 7.71) which…the less said about his first collegiate start, the better.
The good news, and there is good news, is that if LSU can play clean baseball they should just be able to bat Southeastern out the ball park. LSU is swinging .341 as a team, a full 56 points higher than Southeastern’s .285 average.
What I’m looking forward to the most is if LSU can continue their insane proficiency on the base paths, boasting an impressive if not small 11 stolen bases on 12 attempts. Well, that and if SLU will be wearing their all gold uniforms. It’s really all too early to see the effects of it, but later on in SEC play, being the better team on the bases can weigh heavily on the outcome of those 1 run games LSU likes to find themselves in.
An official decision will be made at 10 AM Wednesday, but for now the game is scheduled to be at 6:30 Wednesday After a wet Wednesday, the game will take place on Thursday Night at 6:30pm, live on SEC Network+