Can't get any better than 4-0, obviously, but is anyone else concerned that we've had to come from behind to beat 3 inferior opponents at home?
Seems like this ever year, this come from the behind on lesser teams ... Coach Mainieri wants to find out who can play. Bertman did about the same thing. Most of the in state schools have thrown there weekend starters against LSU in hopes of winning to use that in recruiting. Likewise, the midweek teams seem to baffle'em with bullshit, I have seen more junkballers look like Cy Young vs LSU than I would have ever expected. The junkballers get a once or twice through the lineup and turn the ball over to another type of junkballer that LSU has not seen in a month or so. The adjustment is difficult as you are hitting with timing. Another theory LSU seems to play with is when you see a good pitch, swing. This theory applies best to a Casey Mize pitcher, who LSU solved very well, that will be around the plate. For LSU, I think the average strategy should be to get pitchers into high pitch count and get into the bull pen as LSU kills bad pitchers. Also, Juco and Fresh have taken a step up and need to adjust to the play. Cabrera came on late last year, if the new guys do that this year... we gonna be just fine... afterall winning the last game of the year is more important than a mid week tilt with McNeese. Yes, I would like to have the old Bertman team days of straight buzz sawing through mediocre teams, but this is a new era... and I ain't worried.
Not really. New pitchers. If anything we have power at the plate. We had early pitching issues last year with no power at the bat. Some of the young guys look really good and Walker's outing was very nice. Hilliard didn't even pitch yet and we will have Gilbert back soon.
We are going to win a lot of games with these dudes: Hill Marceaux Walker Hess Hilliard Tawd! This is a STRONG weekend group.
Truth is, I don't think Hess is gonna wash as a starter. There is no way he goes through the reps he went through the summer and the fall and comes out the gate pitching damn near a 10.0 era in just a few innings. I, like you, believe his strength is middle relief or closing. More so closing because if you contain all that heat for 2 innings, he means the world. But as a starter, he is consistently behind the count and with his pitch selection, he is gonna struggle. I watched the replay last night and Henry performed about as bad as Hess. Consistently behind the count and really hard to catch up. 90 pitches at 4 innings really says it all. He too will be a work in progress but a sure candidate for middle relief or closing. Walker, Hill and Marceaux would be my 3 weekend starters with all hands mid-week.
Before the season started CPM said that Hess would be the season long Friday starter. We can only hope that he was just saying that ti blost the kids confidence and it isn't etched into bis brain. One game is a very small sample but based on so far I would start Walker Friday, Marceaux Saturday and Hill Sunday. I like Marceaux's control and can see him moving into the Friday spot later in thee season. We haven't seen Walker start yet. He was scheduled for tonight's game that got postponed so we haven't yet seen if he is fully recovered. I'm sure that Hess will start Friday vs Bryant but if he doesn't dominate that should be his last start. Having 2 capable closers could be huge come playoff time.
