Before you talk about the left-handed starter who was first-team all-SEC and could be the first pitcher taken in the draft, before you metion the No. 2 starter who led the conference in wins, before you bring up the freshman closer who has six saves but also threw six innings of dazzling relief in the regional final, before you shift to the batting order with six .300 hitters and one with 20 home runs, one with a 1.161 OPS, one who drew 47 walks and one who reached 60 times when he walked or was hit by a pitch, you have to understand LSU is at home. Literally and figuratively.
The Tigers have reached the College World Series 19 times and won it all seven times. Nine of their 19 trips to Omaha came from hosting the Super Regional. They enjoy one of the finest home fields and home-field advantages in the country, and this season, they led the nation in average attendance. In fact, the average crowd at Alex Box Stadium this season was 11,120. When Kansas swept West Virginia in the final series of the regular season, the Mountaineers celebrated a new record for attendance at a three-game series at 11,884.
Expect a full house when the favored Tigers welcome the Mountaineers for the best-of-three Baton Rouge Super Regional, but don’t expect WVU to be aimless or intimidated. The action begins at 2 p.m. today on ESPN
I’m thankful we played at Clemson because that environment at Clemson was loud and pretty raucous,” manager Steve Sabins said. “You had those kids in the bullpen that were touching our guys warming up. It was a mess. But I thought as far as environments, our home environment is so good now, the Clemson environment was great — I think our kids will be prepared.”
LSU’s attack begins with the pitching. The staff ranks No. 7 nationally in ERA (3.73), No. 6 in hits allowed per nine innings (7.28), No. 2 in strikeouts per nine innings (11.9) and No. 15 in WHIP (1.29). The Tigers have one of the best 1-2 punches going. Kade Anderson is expected to start the opener. The lefty is 9-1 with a 3.28 ERA, and he has 156 strikeouts in 96.0 innings pitched. Up next would be Anthony Eyanson, who is 10-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 93.2 innings pitched. They are Nos. 2 and 3 in the country in strikeouts
Eleven pitchers have made at least 10 appearances in relief. Zac Cowan (3-3, 3.09) joined Anderson as a first-team all-SEC pick. He and freshman Casan Evans (4-1, 1.90) both saved six games, and Evans allowed one run in six innings of relief in the regional final and got the ball to Eyanson, who picked up the save in the ninth inning against Arkansas at Little Rock
