2018 LSU Tigers baseball team explained
| Mode: | baseball |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Team: | LSU Tigers |
| Conference: | Southeastern Conference |
| Short Conf: | SEC |
| Record: | 39–27 |
| Conf Record: | 15–15 |
| Head Coach: | Paul Mainieri |
| Hc Year: | 12th |
| Hit Coach: | Micah Gibbs |
| Htc Year: | 2nd |
| Pitch Coach: | Alan Dunn |
| Pc Year: | 7th |
| Stadium: | Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field |
The 2018 LSU Tigers baseball team represents Louisiana State University (LSU) during the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Tigers play their home games at Alex Box Stadium as a member of the Southeastern Conference. They are led by head coach Paul Mainieri, in his 12th season at LSU.
Previous season
In 2017, the Tigers won the SEC's Western Division with a record of 52–20–0, 21–9–0 in conference play. They qualified for the 2017 Southeastern Conference baseball tournament and defeated Arkansas in the final, 4–2. They qualified for the 2017 NCAA Division I baseball tournament as the SEC champion, and were selected as the No. 4 overall national seed. The Tigers were selected as hosts of the Baton Rouge regional, which included Rice, Southeastern Louisiana, and Texas Southern. The Tigers swept through the Regional, defeating Texas Southern, 15–7, Southeastern 11–6, and Rice 5–0 advancing to the Super Regional where they hosted conference rival Mississippi State. After a 4–3 comeback victory in which they trailed 3–0 in the bottom of the eighth inning, LSU beat the Bulldogs 14–4 the following night to advance to their 18th World Series. The Tigers defeated Florida State in their opening game 5–4, but then fell to overall number one seed Oregon State 13–1 placing them on the brink of elimination. The Tigers once again beat Florida State 7–4 to earn the right to face Oregon State once again, needing to win twice. LSU advanced to the finals winning 3–1 then 6–1 eliminating the Beavers. In the championship, LSU faced conference rival Florida. The Tigers lost a close Game 1 4–3 then were defeated 6–1 the following night to finish national runners-up, while the Gators earned their first national championship.
Personnel
Roster
Reference:[1]
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Seasons at
LSU | Alma Mater |
|---|
| Head coach | 12 | Florida International University (1980) |
| Associate head coach | 7 | University of Alabama at Birmingham (1991) |
| Nolan Cain | Assistant coach/recruiting coordinator | 5 | Louisiana State University (2009) |
| Micah Gibbs | Director of player development | 3 | Louisiana State University (2010) |
| Sean Ochinko | Volunteer Coach/Hitting Coach | 1 | Louisiana State University (2017) |
| Travis Roy | Strength and conditioning coordinator | 3 | Louisiana State University (2012) |
| Nate Fury | Strength and conditioning coordinator | 2 | Louisiana State University (2014) |
| Leon Landry | Undergraduate Assistant Coach | 1 | Louisiana State University (2010) |
| Jamie Tutko | Video coordinator | 2 | Saint Leo University (2011) | |
Reference:[2]
Schedule
| Legend |
|---|
| | LSU win |
| | LSU loss |
| Bold | LSU team member | |
| 2018 LSU Tigers Game Log |
|---|
| Regular season (33–23) |
|---|
| February (5–4) |
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Stadium
Site | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall
Record | SEC
Record |
|---|
| February 16 | | | Alex Box Stadium
Baton Rouge, LA | 7–6 | Bain (1–0) | Vierling (0–1) | None | 12,844 | 1–0 | – | | February 17 | Notre Dame | No. 10 | Alex Box Stadium | 5–10 | | Hess (0–1) | Kmet (1) | 12,223 | 1–1 | – | | February 18 | Notre Dame | No. 10 | Alex Box Stadium | 3–11 | Boyle (1–0) | Peterson (0–1) | Belcik (1) | 10,384 | 1–2 | – | | | No. 15 | Alex Box Stadium | 14–6 | Hilliard (1–0) | Griffin (0–1) | None | 10,154 | 2–2 | – | | February 23 | | No. 15 | Alex Box Stadium | 13–4 | Hess (1–1) | Kingham (1–1) | None | 11,102 | 3–2 | – | | February 24 | No. 19 Texas | No. 15 | Alex Box Stadium | 10–5 | Beck (1–0) | Elder (1–1) | None | 12,038 | 4–2 | – | | February 25 | No. 19 Texas | No. 15 | Alex Box Stadium | 1–11 | Henley (1–0) | | None | 10,762 | 4–3 | – | | February 27 | | No. 14 | Alex Box Stadium | 10–3 | Hilliard (2–0) | Escano (0–1) | None | 10,262 | 5–3 | – | | February 28 | | No. 14 | Pat Kenelly Diamond
Hammond, LA | 4–5 | Koestler (2–0) | Peterson (0–3) | Tassin (2) | 3,101 | 5–4 | – | |
|
| March (13–7) |
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Stadium
Site | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall
Record | SEC
Record |
|---|
| March 2 | | | Alex Box Stadium | 8–1 | Hess (2–1) | Jacob (0–2) | None | 10,346 | 6–4 | – | | March 3 | | No. 14 | Alex Box Stadium | 7–0 | Gilbert (1–0) | Taubl (0–2) | None | 11,007 | 7–4 | – | | March 4 | Southeastern LA | No. 14 | Alex Box Stadium | 4–2 | Hilliard (3–0) | Granier (1–1) | Bain (1) | 10,990 | 8–4 | – | | March 6 | | No. 13 | Alex Box Stadium | 8–2 | | Snyder (1–2) | | 9,924 | 9–4 | – | | March 7 | | No. 13 |
Lafayette, LA | 3–410 | Stoelke (1–0) | Bain (0–1) | None | 5,499 | 9–5 | – | | March 9 | | No. 13 | Alex Box Stadium | 2–4 | Rees (2–0) | Hess (2–2) | Thomas (5) | 10,686 | 9–6 | – | | March 10 | Hawaii | No. 13 | Alex Box Stadium | 5–1 | Gilbert (2–0) | DeMiero (1–1) | None | 10,866 | 10–6 | – | | March 11 | Hawaii | No. 13 | Alex Box Stadium | 14–1 | Hilliard (4–0) | Pouelsen (2–1) | None | 10,334 | 11–6 | – | | March 14 | | No. 16 | Alex Box Stadium | 9–4 | Labas (1–0) | | None | 10,456 | 12–6 | – | | March 16 | | No. 16 | Alex Box Stadium | 4–2 | Hess (3–2) | Montes (3–1) | Bain (2) | 10,334 | 13–6 | 1–0 | | March 17 | No. 24 Missouri | No. 16 | Alex Box Stadium | 6–12 | | Gilbert (2–1) | None | 10,747 | 13–7 | 1–1 | | March 18 | No. 24 Missouri | No. 16 | Alex Box Stadium | 7–5 | Hilliard (5–0) | Toelken (2–2) | None | 10,141 | 14–7 | 2–1 | | March 21 | | No. 15 | Alex Box Stadium | 10–4 | Labas (2–0) | Solesky (1–2) | None | 10,319 | 15–7 | – | | at No. 5 | No. 15 | Hawkins Field
Nashville, TN | 2–4 | Fellows (4–0) | Hess (3–3) | King (2) | 3,136 | 15–8 | 2–2 | | March 24 | at No. 5 Vanderbilt | No. 15 | Hawkins Field | 6–2 | Gilbert (3–1) | Raby (2–3) | None | 3,211 | 16–8 | 3–2 | | March 25 | at No. 5 Vanderbilt | No. 15 | Hawkins Field | 0–17 | Hickman (5–0) | Hilliard (4–1) | None | 3,399 | 16–9 | 3–3 | | March 27 | | No. 19 | Shrine on Airline
Metairie, LA | 1–3 | Harris (1–1) | Labas (2–1) | Stoelke (6) | 8,732 | 16–10 | – | | March 29 | | No. 19 | Alex Box Stadium | 10–1 | Hess (4–3) | Pilkington (1–4) | None | 10,532 | 17–10 | 4–3 | | March 30 | Mississippi State | No. 19 | Alex Box Stadium | 1–4 | Small (2–2) | Gilbert (3–2) | Gordon (2) | 11,132 | 17–11 | 4–4 | | March 31 | Mississippi State | No. 19 | Alex Box Stadium | 4–0 | Hilliard (6–1) | Billingsley (2–2) | Bush (1) | 11,133 | 18–11 | 5–4 | | The game was suspended during the eighth inning due to rain and continued at 10:00 a.m. on March 25 prior to the start of the game scheduled for that day.[3] | |
|
| April (8–8) |
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Stadium
Site | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall
Record | SEC
Record |
|---|
| April 3 | | No. 21 | Alex Box Stadium | 10–1 | Labas (3–1) | Taylor (2–4) | None | 11,258 | 19–11 | – | | April 5 | at | No. 21 | Olsen Field
College Station, TX | 4–1 | Hess (5–3) | Kolek (3–4) | None | 4,818 | 20–11 | 6–4 | | April 6 | at Texas A&M | No. 21 | Olsen Field | 2–9 | Doxakis (5–1) | Gilbert (3–3) | None | 5,761 | 20–12 | 6–5 | | April 7 | at Texas A&M | No. 21 | Olsen Field | 1–3 | Kilkenny (7–0) | Hilliard (6–2) | None | 6,288 | 20–13 | 6–6 | | April 10 | | | Alex Box Stadium | 2–0 | Labas (4–1) | Leal (2–2) | Bain (3) | 10,647 | 21–13 | – | | April 13 | | No. 23 | Alex Box Stadium | 9–3 | Hess (6–3) | Crochet (2–5) | None | 10,848 | 22–13 | 7–6 | | April 14 | Tennessee | No. 23 | Alex Box Stadium | 14–5 | Hilliard (7–2) | Stallings (4–3) | Gilbert (1) | 10,578 | 23–13 | 8–6 | | April 15 | Tennessee | No. 23 | Alex Box Stadium | 9–7 | | | None | 10,451 | 24–13 | 9–6 | | April 18 | at Tulane | No. 18 | Turchin Stadium
New Orleans, LA | 9–10 | Johnson (2–2) | Beck (1–1) | None | 5,000 | 24–14 | – | | April 20 | | No. 18 | Founders Park
Columbia, SC | 0–11 | | Hess (6–4) | None | 6,952 | 24–15 | 9–7 | | April 21 | at South Carolina | No. 18 | Founders Park | 4–11 | Hill (4–4) | Hilliard (7–3) | None | 7,982 | 24–16 | 9–8 | | April 22 | at South Carolina | No. 18 | Founders Park | 6–8 | | Bain (1–2) | Bridges (2) | 7,141 | 24–17 | 9–9 | | April 24 | | | Alex Box Stadium | 8–0 | Labas (1–1) | Campbell (1–7) | None | 10,027 | 25–17 | – | | April 26 | | | Swayze Field
Oxford, MS | 3–14 | Rolison (6–3) | Kodros (0–1) | None | 8,062 | 25–18 | 9–10 | | April 27 | at No. 8 Ole Miss | | Swayze Field | 5–2 | Hilliard (8–3) | Feigl (7–3) | None | 11,861 | 26–18 | 10–10 | | April 28 | at No. 8 Ole Miss | | Swayze Field | 8–9 | Ethridge (2–1) | Gilbert (3–4) | Caracci (8) | 12,152 | 26–19 | 10–11 | |
|
| May (7–4) |
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Stadium
Site | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall
Record | SEC
Record |
|---|
| May 4 | | | Alex Box Stadium | 4–5 | Loseke (2–1) | Bush (0–1) | Reindl (5) | 10,776 | 26–20 | 10–12 | | May 5 | No. 6 Arkansas | | Alex Box Stadium | 6–4 | | Murphy (5–4) | Peterson (2) | 10,948 | 27–20 | 11–12 | | May 6 | No. 6 Arkansas | | Alex Box Stadium | 7–5 | Labas (6–1) | | Beck (1) | 10,932 | 28–20 | 12–12 | | May 9 | | | Alex Box Stadium | 13–37 | | Wesley (3–4) | None | 10,436 | 29–20 | – | | May 11 | | | Alex Box Stadium | 7–5 | Kodros (1–1) | Medders (0–4) | Peterson (3) | 10,685 | 30–20 | 13–12 | | May 12 | Alabama | | Alex Box Stadium | 1–6 | Walters (3–5) | Hilliard (8–4) | None | 11,153 | 30–21 | 13–13 | | May 13 | Alabama | | Alex Box Stadium | 7–3 | Bush (1–1) | Rukes (1–3) | None | 10,758 | 31–21 | 14–13 | | May 15 | | No. 28 | Alex Box Stadium | 9–5 | Beck (2–1) | Pigott (1–1) | Bain (4) | 10,872 | 32–21 | – | | May 17 | at | | Plainsman Park
Auburn, AL | 4–11 | Tanner (5–4) | Hess (6–5) | Greenhill (5) | 2,988 | 32–22 | 14–14 | | May 18 | at Auburn | No. 28 | Plainsman Park | 6–2 | Hilliard (9–4) | Mize (9–4) | Peterson (4) | 3,746 | 33–22 | 15–14 | | May 19 | at Auburn | No. 28 | Plainsman Park | 5–14 | Mitchell (2–1) | Labas (6–2) | None | 3,568 | 33–23 | 15–15 | |
|
| Postseason (6–4) |
|---|
|
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Stadium
Site | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall record | SECT Record |
|---|
| May 22 | vs. (9) Mississippi State | (8) | Metropolitan Stadium
Hoover, AL | 8–5 | | | | 8,072 | 34–23 | 1–0 | | May 23 | | (8) | Metropolitan Stadium | 3–4 | Mace (4–0) | Hilliard (9–5) | Byrne (13) | 6,710 | 34–24 | 1–1 | | May 24 | | (8) | Metropolitan Stadium | 6–412 | | Gilreath (0–1) | None | 7,197 | 35–24 | 2–1 | | vs. No. 2 (1) Florida | (8) | Metropolitan Stadium | 11–07 | Beck (3–1) | Leftwich (4–5) | None | 8,945 | 36–24 | 3–1 | | May 26 | vs. No. 9 (4) Arkansas | (8) | Metropolitan Stadium | 2–1 | Hess (7–5) | | Bush (2) | 10,381 | 37–24 | 4–1 | | May 27 | vs. No. 7 (2) Ole Miss | (8) | Metropolitan Stadium | 1–9 | Rolison (9–4) | Gilbert (3–5) | None | 14,126 | 37–25 | 4–2 | | |
|
|
|---|
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Stadium
Site | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall record | Regional Record |
|---|
| June 1 | | (2) | Goss Stadium
Corvallis, OR | 6–4 | Fontenot (3–0) | | | 3,589 | 38–25 | 1–0 | | June 2 | | (2) | Goss Stadium | 1–14 | | Hess (7–6) | None | 4,009 | 38–26 | 1–1 | | June 3 (1) | | (2) | Goss Stadium | 9–5 | Beck (4–1) | Vasquez (6–2) | None | 3,533 | 39–26 | 2–1 | | at No. 1 (1) Oregon State | (2) | Goss Stadium | 0–12 | Abel (4–1) | | None | 3,915 | 39–27 | 2–2 | |
| | |
All rankings from Collegiate Baseball.
Reference:[4]
Rankings
See main article: 2018 NCAA Division I baseball rankings.
Notes and References
- Web site: LSU Baseball - 2018 Roster. LSU Tigers. February 20, 2018. February 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180219113129/http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=5200&SPID=2173&SPSID=27867. dead.
- Web site: Baseball Coaching Staff. LSU Tigers. March 4, 2018. March 24, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180324130939/http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=5200&SPID=2173&SPSID=28707. dead.
- Web site: Game 2 Suspended: LSU at Vanderbilt to Resume Sunday . Franques . Bill . March 24, 2018 . lsusports.net . . May 9, 2018.
- Web site: Baseball - 2018 Schedule. LSU Tigers. February 24, 2018.
