LSU baseball opens 2024 season 4-0. What we learned from opening sweep from Tigers
There were some paint points, but LSU baseball emerged and opened the season 4-0 from a four-game robin robin series with VMI and Central Arkansas at Alex Box Stadium.
Both contests with CAU were tight, 2-0 Saturday and 4-3 on Monday, and the Tigers got the pitching help it needed, and timely offense, to grab the lead and hold the Bears at bay.
LSU opened the season Friday afternoon with an 11-8 win over VMI in a game that featured four lead changes. The second game against the Keydets was far less dramatic as the Tigers pounced early, pouring on program-record 27 runs in the 27-5 win in seven innings Sunday.
Here are a few takeaways from LSU's four wins to open the season.
LSU baseball's bullpen looked solid. Fidel Ulloa, Sam Dutton primed to take on large roles
Plenty of pitchers saw action over the weekend, something LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson said was best-case scenario for his staff to starts things off. Across four games, LSU relief pitchers allowed 11 runs, but just nine of those were earned in 19 innings of work.
Junior right-handers Fidel Ulloa and Sam Dutton looked the best for the Tigers out of the gate. Dutton was called into some high-leverage spots and came away unscathed to get LSU out of jams. He pitched 1⅓ innings and gave up one hit with two strikeouts.
Ulloa threw 2⅓ innings, allowing one hit with three Ks while limiting opponents' average to .125.
Expect both Dutton and Ulloa to occupy prominent roles in the bullpen for the foreseeable future.
LSU freshmen grab attention
After one weekend, guess who's leading the Tigers in hitting?
It's a freshman. Jake Brown. He's second on the team in hits with six, but in three starts and games played, he's pacing LSU's offense with a .600 batting average. Brown had a .667 on-base percentage.
Fellow freshman Steven Milam also had an above-average start to the season, hitting .545 with four RBIs and scored nine runs. In fact, Milam is making a case for himself to hit leadoff for the Tigers.
Could Jay Johnson turn to a freshman to fill out starting rotation?
It's just been one series, one weekend and there's still a couple guys that are vying for the final spot in the weekend starting rotation but could Johnson end up making the call with a freshman?
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Kade Anderson got his first career start as a Tigers against Central Arkansas on Monday afternoon and shoved decently. The freshman lefty went four frames, giving up three hits and one earned run. Where he needs work is walks, as he had three. But Anderson struck out six batters and has some lights-out stretches.
In his lone appearance on the weekend, Gage Jump looked impressive, slinging up to 96 mph on the radar gun and worked an sweat-free one inning. Jump is probably the clubhouse leader to pitch during weekend three-game series right now for LSU, which could have Anderson fill the midweek spot. But Anderson's performance deserves more chances.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Takeaways from LSU baseball's season-opening sweep
