LSU and Texas A&M Series Preview
It’s another weekend in the SEC which means another challenging series for the LSU Tigers with postseason implications. The 2nd ranked Tigers travel to Texas A&M for a three-game series (Friday at 6 pm CT, Saturday at 2 pm CT, and Sunday at 1 pm CT).
LSU currently sits at 37-9 overall and 14-7 in the SEC as they chase the 20 league win mark to essentially guarantee a Top 8 national seed. A&M is 25-19 overall and 8-13 in SEC play but is far more talented than their record indicates. The Aggies, under first year head coach Michael Earley, struggled early in the season but gained momentum throughout SEC play with series wins at Tennessee and Arkansas. The Aggies were on the wrong end of a sweep at Texas last week but were competitive in every game thanks to their strong starting rotation of Ryan Prager (2-3, 4.04 ERA), Justin Lamkin (3-5, 3.92 ERA), and Myles Patton (3-3, 4.84 ERA). Which version of that rotation shows up in College Station could go a long way in determining the outcome of this series. This series is huge for the Aggies postseason hunt. They are currently projected to make the tournament, but a series win over LSU will help their case significantly. They will be at home where they have been strong, posting a 19-9 record at Blue Bell Park this season. LSU’s road record is 5-5 this season, so the Aggies will look to use the home field advantage this weekend.
LSU is coming off a huge series win over Tennessee that saw their previously struggling lineup come alive in Game 3, scoring 12 runs in the ten-run rule win over the Volunteers. LSU has a great rotation of their own headlined by ace Kade Anderson that will square off with Prager on Friday night. Anthony Eyanson will get the Saturday start like he has all season, but the interesting part of the rotation will come on Sunday. Last weekend it was freshman Casan Evans that got his first career start and threw 6 strong innings for the Tigers. However, it is unknown if Evans will remain as a starter or go back to his key bullpen role. Ideally, if LSU has the lead on Friday when Anderson exits we anticipate Zac Cowan to come out of the bullpen. If LSU has a chance to secure the series in Game 2, we think Jay Johnson will bring Casan Evans out of the bullpen to secure the series. If LSU finds themselves behind in Game 2, like they did against Tennessee, we expect Jay Johnson to save Casan Evans and start him in Game 3. It will be interesting to see how the weekend plays out for Evans, but he will make an impact whenever he touches the mound.
There are plenty of bats on both sides to keep an eye on this weekend. For LSU it starts at the top with Derek Curiel and Jared Jones. Curiel has failed to reach base in only one game this season (Game 2 vs Tennessee) as he enters the series with a .380 batting average, 15 doubles, and 6 home runs (3 in LSU’s last 5 games). Jones enters the series with a .357 batting average, 13 doubles, and 15 home runs. Two more hitters to keep an eye on are Michael Braswell and Chris Stanfield. Braswell, the Tigers third baseman, struggled to start the season but hit his first two homers of the year last weekend against Tennessee and has a .302 batting average in SEC play. Chris Stanfield has a .352 average and 12 doubles in SEC play at the bottom of the order for the Tigers. If Stanfield can consistently get on base and turn the lineup over to Curiel and Jones, it can be a good weekend for the LSU lineup. For Texas A&M the headliner is Jace Laviolette. A top draft prospect for this year's draft, Laviolette is batting .291 this season with 15 home runs. Freshman Terrence Kiel leads the Aggies with a .329 batting average and 11 stolen bases.
Overall, this series is unpredictable. Texas A&M is inconsistent. They were rolling but then got swept at Texas. How do they respond? LSU has struggled on the road but has momentum, and Evans in Game 3 could be a game changer if it comes down to the last game. Do they keep the momentum going from the Tennessee series win? Or do they have a letdown after an emotional weekend?
Give us LSU to take 2 games out of 3 and remain on pace for 20 league wins heading into the final two weeks.
