GAMETHREAD: Baseball vs New Orleans, 6:30pm, SECN+

It’s weird how a Sunday win in a series, even if you get thoroughly trounced the two games before, can brighten the mood just enough to give you hope again. It still doesn’t change LSU’s situation that much, but Saturday’s nailbiter and the close-till-the-end loss on Friday shows, I think, that there’s still some fight in this team. Even if there are still not enough (and now, maybe even less) arms to keep this team above water.

With 7 days to go before Hoover, LSU is 4 games behind in the West and very unlikely to get enough help to avoid playing in the single elimination round next Tuesday. Hovering in the high teens - low twenties in the polls, LSU will likely need to recover this weekend against Auburn and have a decent stay in Hoover (let’s say, making the Friday round) along with some help from across the nation to squeeze their way into hosting a regional round.

To do that, the Tigers are going to need to get some arms back. Unfortunately, there’s no clear sign that will happen according to updates given by Coach Mainieri in his Monday meeting with the press. Trent Vietmeier, who had to leave his Arkansas appearance with shoulder issues, is going to have an MRI and isn’t clear to play. Cole Henry’s status is yet unknown and Jaden Hill is still throwing bullpens.

But before that, LSU needs to close out the midweek slate against the best baseball team in New Orleans, the UNO Privateers. UNO (28-24, 12-15 Southland) is having a tough year, sitting in 10th place in the Southland and having a mostly bad OOC resume, including a weekend series loss to Yale. But, they have done the most important thing they can, which was to sweep Tulane in their 3 game series across the season. Because Blake Dean isn’t the kinda guy who’s going to lose to the Greenies. LSU will be starting relief arm Devin Fontenot tonight, in what’s likely going to be a short stint, to give him some action as he wasn’t used this weekend in Arkansas. LSU is 8-5 in midweek games this year, which isn’t to the standard that the Tigers usually set. UNO isn’t going to come into this game timid and we’ve already seen what happens when LSU decides to sleepwalk.

About UNO from LSU’s Release:

• UNO is 12-15 in the Southland Conference … the Privateers conclude the regular season with a conference series at Stephen F. Austin beginning on Thursday

• The Privateers are batting .262 as a team this season with 36 home runs and 27 steals in 32 attempts … the UNO pitching staff has a 5.53 team ERA

• Right-hander Reeves Martin, the UNO closer, is 4-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 14 saves … Martin has made 28 appearances and recorded 53 strikeouts in 34 innings

• The Privateers are led at the plate by senior utility player Collin Morrill, who is batting .313 with 18 doubles, seven homers and 32 RBI … junior outfielder Luther Woullard has collected 12 doubles, two homers and 35 RBI, while sophomore outfielder Pearce Howard has 13 doubles, five homers and 32 RBI.