Tinker:
I just read about some Auburn football players Smoking "spice" around the time that they played for the BCS college football championship.
My goodness what has the youth come to these day, they seem to have gone batty on pot, and drugs in general. I wish that they would just tell the dope peddlers to go peddle they papers somewhere else. And to stop following each other around like sheep, chasing the latest cheap thrill, and kick the bad guys in the rear end?
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http://espn.go.com/college-
Auburn kept test results confidential
By
Shaun Assael | ESPN The Magazine
Inside The Auburn Synthetic Marijuana Scandal
ESPN The Magazine senior writer Shaun Assael details his investigation into the Auburn synthetic marijuana scandal.Tags: Gene Chizik, Gus Malzahn, Shaun Assael, Auburn
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http://espn.go.com/college-
NEXT VIDEO
Former coach Gene Chizik on Thursday called a report that alleged
Auburn paid players and changed their grades under his leadership "long
on accusation and inference, but short on facts and logic."
An
illegal street drug, an armed robbery and the worst collapse in college
football. ESPN The Magazine's Shaun Assael examines the drug culture
that led to four Auburn players being arrested for robbery in 2011. Story
• Auburn's statement on ESPN's report
The report, published Wednesday on the website of author Selena
Roberts, Roopstigo.com, interviewed former Auburn players who said the
football program changed players' grades to secure eligibility, offered
money to potential NFL draft picks so they would return for their senior
seasons and violated NCAA recruiting rules under Chizik.
Chizik, in a written statement released through his agent Thursday, likened Roberts' report to the same speculation that enveloped the program during the NCAA's investigation into the father of former quarterback Cam Newton in 2010.
"The recent story published by Selena Roberts is more of the same. It once again portrays Auburn University, current and former coaches, professors, fans, supporters and community officials in a false light," Chizik wrote. Read more...http://espn.go.com/
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http://espn.go.com/mens-
ATLANTA -- NCAA president Mark Emmert spent 15 minutes documenting
the progress that the organization has made under his leadership, from
making sure students go to class to fighting corruption.
Then he spent the next half-hour defending his record during an often-contentious news conference Thursday that took a bit of the glow off the Final Four.
A defiant Emmert shrugged off his critics, insisting that anyone pushing for significant reform is going to rub some people the wrong way.
"The fact of the matter is that change is what we're about in the NCAA right now," he said, "and we're trying to work our way through some very, very difficult changes to make the whole notion of intercollegiate athletics strong and viable going into the second century of the NCAA and of college sport."
On his way off the podium, Emmert even took a parting shot at a reporter who has called for his dismissal.
Mark
Emmert was spirited as he verbally sparred with the media Thursday, but
the answers were few. Does the NCAA president grasp his organization's
perception problem? Sure doesn't seem like it, Dana O'Neil writes. Story
"I know you're disappointed," the president said with a sly grin, "but I'm still here."
The NCAA has come under fire for botching the investigation into a rogue booster at Miami, and there have been complaints about the way the governing body handled other cases, such as the harsh sanctions leveled against Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.
Emmert has acknowledged that investigators overstepped their authority in their zeal to collect information against Miami.
"The Miami issue had some enormous foul-ups in it," he said. "We've addressed those issues." Read more...http://espn.go.com/
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ALSO SEE
http://espn.go.com/college-
Gene Chizik responds to allegations
Updated: April 4, 2013, 11:19 PM ET
Roberts Outlines Auburn Allegations
Selena Roberts discusses her article detailing allegations against the Auburn football program under Gene Chizik.Tags: Selena Roberts, Gene Chizik, Will Muschamp, Auburn Football, SportsCenter
NEXT VIDEO 
ESPN The Magazine: Coming Down
An
illegal street drug, an armed robbery and the worst collapse in college
football. ESPN The Magazine's Shaun Assael examines the drug culture
that led to four Auburn players being arrested for robbery in 2011. Story• Auburn's statement on ESPN's report
Chizik, in a written statement released through his agent Thursday, likened Roberts' report to the same speculation that enveloped the program during the NCAA's investigation into the father of former quarterback Cam Newton in 2010.
"The recent story published by Selena Roberts is more of the same. It once again portrays Auburn University, current and former coaches, professors, fans, supporters and community officials in a false light," Chizik wrote. Read more...http://espn.go.com/
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http://espn.go.com/mens-
Mark Emmert grilled by media
Updated: April 4, 2013, 8:04 PM ET
Associated Press
OTL: Mark Emmert Under Scrutiny
Tom Farrey discusses his interview with NCAA president Mark Emmert about the handling of the Miami Hurricanes investigation.Tags: Mark Emmert, NCAA President, Tom Farrey, OTL, Outside The Lines
Then he spent the next half-hour defending his record during an often-contentious news conference Thursday that took a bit of the glow off the Final Four.
A defiant Emmert shrugged off his critics, insisting that anyone pushing for significant reform is going to rub some people the wrong way.
"The fact of the matter is that change is what we're about in the NCAA right now," he said, "and we're trying to work our way through some very, very difficult changes to make the whole notion of intercollegiate athletics strong and viable going into the second century of the NCAA and of college sport."
On his way off the podium, Emmert even took a parting shot at a reporter who has called for his dismissal.
O'Neil: Does Emmert Get It?
Mark
Emmert was spirited as he verbally sparred with the media Thursday, but
the answers were few. Does the NCAA president grasp his organization's
perception problem? Sure doesn't seem like it, Dana O'Neil writes. StoryThe NCAA has come under fire for botching the investigation into a rogue booster at Miami, and there have been complaints about the way the governing body handled other cases, such as the harsh sanctions leveled against Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.
Emmert has acknowledged that investigators overstepped their authority in their zeal to collect information against Miami.
"The Miami issue had some enormous foul-ups in it," he said. "We've addressed those issues." Read more...http://espn.go.com/
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http://www.dandydon.com/
Dandy Don's LSU Sports Report
It was great to hear from many of you yesterday about my updated depth chart and my write up on the offense. Today I’ll give you my thoughts on the defensive players and how things look at the mid-way point through spring camp.
One player who has gotten a lot of praise this spring is defensive end Jermauria Rasco (6'3" 255, JR). Rasco has pretty much secured one of the starting end positions, and there's a battle going on between Jordan Allen (6'6" 253, JR) and Danielle Hunter (6'5", 235, SO) for the other. Justin Maclin (6'4", 237, JR) will also have something to say about who fills the big void at defensive end left by the departure of Keke Mingo, Sam Montgomery, Lavar Edwards, as will newcomers Frank Herron (6'5", 235, Memphis, TN) and Michael Patterson (6'5", 240, Winnfield, LA).
At the defensive tackle spots, juniors Anthony Johnson (6'3", 304) and Ego Ferguson (6'3" 308) will be the starters. Sophomores Mickey Johnson (6'0", 306) and Quinten Thomas (6'3", 294) are in line for the backup roles, although they'll be challenged by early enrollee Christian LaCouture (6'5", 290, Lincoln, NB) who has really looked good this spring, and Maquedious Bain (6'3", 305, Fort Lauderdale, FL) who will report for fall camp.
One of the biggest questions going into the spring was who would take over Kevin Minter's spot at middle linebacker, and as of now it appears that D.J. Welter (6'0", 226, JR) is the leading candidate. I was expecting Lamin Barrow to get the job, but it looks like he’s being used more on the outside this spring. From what I've seen and heard, I project Welter, Barrow, and Tahj Jones to be the starting three linebackers, although it's hard to exclude a healthy Kwon Alexander.
In the defensive backfield, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the two Jalens - Jalen Mills and Jalen Jalen Collins - will man the two corners, although a few newcomers will battle for early playing time this fall. I look for true freshmen TréDavious White (5'11", 175, Green Oaks HS) and speedster Rashard Robinson (6'2", 165, Pompano Beach, FL) to really make a splash when they report to camp in Augiust. Craig Loston has looked very good this spring and will be the starting strong safety, barring injury. He’ll also be looked upon to provide senior leadership, and when the team votes on who will wear the honorary No. 18, I suspect it will be either Loston or fellow senior Alfred Blue. The free safety spot appears to be a battle between junior Ronald Martin (6'1", 202) and sophomore Jerqwinick Sandolph (6'2", 190).
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http://lsufootball.net/
One player who has gotten a lot of praise this spring is defensive end Jermauria Rasco (6'3" 255, JR). Rasco has pretty much secured one of the starting end positions, and there's a battle going on between Jordan Allen (6'6" 253, JR) and Danielle Hunter (6'5", 235, SO) for the other. Justin Maclin (6'4", 237, JR) will also have something to say about who fills the big void at defensive end left by the departure of Keke Mingo, Sam Montgomery, Lavar Edwards, as will newcomers Frank Herron (6'5", 235, Memphis, TN) and Michael Patterson (6'5", 240, Winnfield, LA).
At the defensive tackle spots, juniors Anthony Johnson (6'3", 304) and Ego Ferguson (6'3" 308) will be the starters. Sophomores Mickey Johnson (6'0", 306) and Quinten Thomas (6'3", 294) are in line for the backup roles, although they'll be challenged by early enrollee Christian LaCouture (6'5", 290, Lincoln, NB) who has really looked good this spring, and Maquedious Bain (6'3", 305, Fort Lauderdale, FL) who will report for fall camp.
One of the biggest questions going into the spring was who would take over Kevin Minter's spot at middle linebacker, and as of now it appears that D.J. Welter (6'0", 226, JR) is the leading candidate. I was expecting Lamin Barrow to get the job, but it looks like he’s being used more on the outside this spring. From what I've seen and heard, I project Welter, Barrow, and Tahj Jones to be the starting three linebackers, although it's hard to exclude a healthy Kwon Alexander.
In the defensive backfield, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the two Jalens - Jalen Mills and Jalen Jalen Collins - will man the two corners, although a few newcomers will battle for early playing time this fall. I look for true freshmen TréDavious White (5'11", 175, Green Oaks HS) and speedster Rashard Robinson (6'2", 165, Pompano Beach, FL) to really make a splash when they report to camp in Augiust. Craig Loston has looked very good this spring and will be the starting strong safety, barring injury. He’ll also be looked upon to provide senior leadership, and when the team votes on who will wear the honorary No. 18, I suspect it will be either Loston or fellow senior Alfred Blue. The free safety spot appears to be a battle between junior Ronald Martin (6'1", 202) and sophomore Jerqwinick Sandolph (6'2", 190).
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http://lsufootball.net/
LSU Football - Geaux Tigers!!!
| Green Bay Gazette *1 | Time with Packers, LSU taught Matt Flynn patience |
| Auburn Athletics | Auburn Athletics statement provided to ESPN on synthetic marijuana story |
| Yahoo! Sports | Attitude, organizational shortcomings make Mark Emmert easy target at Final Four |
| Associated Press | Connecticut rebranding as UConn |
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/
SEC Blog
Video: College Football Conference Call
April, 5, 2013
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Edward Aschoff looks at the challenges facing the four new head coaches in the SEC.
http://www.tigerrag.com/?p=
Awesome Alex
April 4, 2013 - © 2013 Tiger Rag
LSU freshman Alex Bregman is on a sensational streak at the plate. Photo courtesy of LSU sports
By LUKE JOHNSON
Tiger Rag Assistant Editor
Tuesday night was just another run-of-the-mill display of spectacular for LSU’s freshman shortstop.
Alex Bregman yanked a double and a triple into left field in LSU’s 7-3 win against Alcorn State, marking the 17th consecutive game he’s collected a hit and the ninth consecutive game he’s collected at least two hits.
Take a moment to let that simmer. Impressed? Good, because there’s more.
The New Mexico native has ripped, poked, smashed, slapped and legged out multiple hits in 15 of those 17 games. More than a quarter of his hits in the streak have gone for extra bases. Of the 82 times he’s come to the plate he’s reached base 45 times while striking out only thrice. He has two or more hits in 69 percent of LSU’s games this season and put together an unheard of stretch of five consecutive three-hit games.
If you prefer straight numbers, here is his stat line during his streak: 39-for-76 (.513 batting average), 25 runs, seven doubles, two triples, one homer, 12 RBI, 6 walks, three strikeouts, five stolen bases.
He has been Mr. Everything batting in the three-hole in LSU’s lineup, and it’s correlated with an impressive bit of team success. The Tigers are 16-1 during his hitting streak and are 27-2 on the season.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri called Bregman an advanced hitter, which becomes obvious when watching just a couple of his at bats.
Bregman constantly works the opposite field, which is somewhat rare for young hitters, especially ones with the power capability Bregman has.
Gifted freshmen typically arrive at college having gotten away with pulling the ball for the majority of their life.
“When I go up to the plate I’m looking for a fastball and looking to hit it the other way, which allows me when I see an off-speed pitch to pull it,” Bregman said.
It’s the approach Bregman has had since he can remember. The notoriously hard worker puts in the hours taking the ball the other way, and he’s seen the fruits of his labor so far.
“The other side of the field has just as many hits as that side of the field does,” Bregman said.
Bregman has been a staple at post-game interviews near the LSU dugout because he’s been instrumental in just about every game LSU has played this year. But he’s offered a constant refrain this year when asked about his early personal success.
Here’s the paraphrased answer to just about every question seeking to know why Bregman has been so successful this season: It’s not me, it’s my teammates. I’m fortunate to get good pitches. I’m fortunate to put good swings on those good pitches.
Humility is one of his strong suits. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t go to the plate thinking he’s the best player on the field.
“He’s got an amazing competitive zeal about him along with unflappable confidence,” Mainieri said. “The special players have all of those qualities. When he gets in that batters box he doesn’t think there’s a pitcher on earth that he cant hit.”
That confidence remains unflappable, whether he’s waiting for the pitcher to grove a 3-1 fastball or he’s behind in the count.
“Sometimes he’s a better hitter with two strikes,” Mainieri said. “Some guys, when they get two strikes on them, they’re already on their way to the dugout because they don’t think they can hit.”
“This kid is a better two-strike hitter than he is sometimes when he gets easy pitches to hit. He’s amazing.”
It sounds awfully similar to what Mainieri and others saying about senior left fielder Raph Rhymes last year as he was making his run toward a .500 batting average.
Up until May of last season, that goal appeared realistic for Rhymes, who was almost an impossible out. Like Bregman, Rhymes would defer his triumphs on his teammates. In turn, his teammates would heap praise on him and say they were lucky to almost always have someone on base in front of them.
Now it’s Rhymes who is getting used to hitting immediately behind someone so dialed in.
“It’s a lot of fun to hit behind him because half the time he gets on base. I go up there most of the time with him in scoring position,” Rhymes said after Tuesday’s win, when he knocked Bregman home twice. “It makes it easy on me.”
It’s neither realistic nor fair to expect Bregman to continue at his current pace, but it’s easy to stand back and enjoy it while it’s happening.
Statistics
Bregman season statistics
- .440, 125 AB, 35 R, 55 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 12 BB, 8 K, 9 SB
Bregman 17-game hit streak statistics
- .513, 76 AB, 25 R, 39 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 6 BB, 3 K, 5 SB
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http://www.tigerrag.com/?p=256692
FINAL: No. 3 LSU 11, No. 7 Kentucky 1
April 5, 2013 - © 2013 Tiger Rag
Tigers crush Wildcats in series opener
By LUKE JOHNSON
Tiger Rag Assistant Editor
Sophomore pitcher Aaron Nola and the LSU defense set the tone of LSU’s 11-1 thrashing of No. 7 Kentucky from the outset on Friday night.
Nola (5-0) needed just five pitches to cruise through the opening frame, the fifth being rocketed toward the deepest part of Alex Box Stadium by his counterpart on the mound, A.J. Reed (2-4).
Freshman center fielder Mark Laird sprinted to the wall and made a leaping catch to end the first. It was one of several sharp innings from both the pitcher and the defense behind him and offense didn’t do too bad, either.
The Tigers racked up 14 hits and 11 runs against a team that came into the game with a cumulative 2.46 ERA, adding up to what was likely LSU’s most complete outing of the year.
But it wasn’t a beat down the entire game. The Tigers and the Cats were tied at one midway through the fifth inning and it looked as though Kentucky was finally finding its way around Nola.
The Baton Rouge native breezed through three perfect innings before running into some uncharacteristic wildness in the fourth. Nola walked three batters in the fourth, almost half the amount of batters he walked in 89.2 innings last year.
“Walks bother me probably the most,” Nola said. “They’re more frustrating than hits to me.”
Then Kentucky got its first base hit of the game with one out in the fifth. Nola followed by plunking the No. 9 hitter and giving up a game-tying RBI single to Kentucky leadoff hitter Austin Cousino.
With speedy left fielder Zac Zellers coming to the plate, LSU coach Paul Mainieri went out to the mound and called the defense in to meet with Nola. Mainieri called it the pivotal moment of the game.
“They had 1st and 3rd with one out and … I expected them to squeeze bunt there,” Mainieri said. “Fortunately for us they didn’t.”
“They got a two-strike count where they couldn’t do anything and then they hit the ground ball and we turned a beautiful double play to end the inning.”
Second baseman JaCoby Jones fielded Zellers’ slow grounder and flipped it to shortstop Alex Bregman, who threw a dart to a stretching Mason Katz at first base, nabbing Zellers for the inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
“Our defense was outstanding tonight, that big double play kind of saved me and kept my pitch count down.”
Nola would throw two more scoreless innings, finishing with seven strikeouts in seven innings of one-run ball.
With Nola dealing and the defense catching any mistakes, the LSU offense erupted. It plated four runs in the fifth, three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh, turning a close game into a laugher.
Here’s the kicker - each of LSU’s 11 runs came with two outs and LSU stranded a runner in scoring position in every inning.
“That’s what coach Mainieri preaches … being clutch and getting those two out RBIs and two-out runs,” said freshman Alex Bregman, who extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a 7th-inning triple. “I feel like we did a good job with that tonight.”
Laird might’ve set the tone of the game in the first inning, but it was the catch he made to lead off the third inning that most will probably remember.
“Wasn’t that the most amazing play you’ve ever seen?” Mainieri said. “I didn’t think I’d see a better play than the catch he made off Reed in the first inning up against the wall but that one was even better.”
Aaron Nola watched it unfold from the mound.
“I saw Sean just looking for the ball and he didn’t know where it was,” Nola said. “Then I just see Laird come out of center field and dive for it, and I’m just like, ‘Oh my goodness!’”
Right fielder Sean McMullen lost Kentucky third baseman Paul McConkey’s fly ball almost immediately off the bat to lead off the third inning. In came Laird, streaking from his position slightly right of center field.
“I looked over and he started screaming, ‘I can’t see it! I can’t see it!’” Laird said. “It’s hard to see once the sun goes down. I ran over and tried my best to get there, and fortunately I did.”
Laird got the crowd on its feet with a diving grab in right field, about 60 yards from where he normally plays.
“That was the best catch I’ve ever seen out of a center fielder,” Bregman said. “If those two (catches) aren’t No. 1 on Sportscenter, I don’t know what (will be) because that was unbelievable.”
LSU will go for the series win tomorrow against Kentucky, with first pitch coming at 6:30 p.m.
LIVE BLOG
Top of the 1st inning
Can’t get off to a much better start than Aaron Nola just did. He needed five pitches to retire the side in order, though it wasn’t all easy. A.J. Reed, UK’s starting pitcher and three-hole hitter, ripped one deep to center field. Mark Laird tracked it to the wall and leapt at the last second to rob Reed of what at least would’ve been extra bases. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left
Bottom of the 1st inning
Laird shows off his speed two more times in the first. He beats out a bunt single on the first pitch, then beats the throw to second base on an attempted double play ball - which you never EVER see happening. But the rest of LSU’s hitters couldn’t manage much. One thing that was interesting to see, Alex Bregman hit two balls foul into the RF stands, and his ground ball (the attempted double play) went to the right side of the infield. He said earlier this week he always tries to go to RF, and it was obvious there. 0 runs, 1 hits,0 errors, 1 left
Top of the 2nd inning
My, oh my, Aaron Nola came to play tonight. He turned in another perfect inning and it might’ve been more impressive than his five-pitch first. He strikes out the side, catching No. 6 hitter Kyle Barrett looking at strike three to end the inning. Nola is locked in through two innings. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left
Bottom of the 2nd inning
A.J. Reed is dangerously living on the inside corner against Katz, whose power is to left field. The ploy works though, as he gets Katz swinging on a slider down and in for the first out of the inning … Ibarra grounds to an expertly placed Riddle, who was shaded toward the middle of the field … JaCoby Jones, who had one hit in his last 28 at bats, ripped a double to right-center field. As Hunt Palmer pointed out, he’s wearing high socks tonight. Maybe that’s a slump buster? Alex Edward grounds to first base to end the inning. 0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 left
Top of the 3rd inning
Laird, stop, you’re embarrassing everyone. Kentucky third baseman Paul McConkey hit a towering fly ball to LSU right fielder Sean McMullen, who lost it off the bat. A streaking Laird chased it down, covering what was probably about 60 yards before making a diving catch. Unbelievable. Nola continued getting help from his defense as Katz snared a low Bregman throw for the second out and Rhymes chased down a deep fly ball for the third out. Three straight clean innings for Nola. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left
Bottom of the 3rd inning
There’s a sight for sore eyes. Ty Ross rips an opposite field single to lead off the LSU third inning. Ross has been nearly invisible this year, and has gone 1 for his last 16. McMullen follows suit with a base knock up the middle of the diamond … Laird essentially bunts the runners over (he swing, but chopped it to the pitcher) … Bregman in a big spot with runners on 2nd and 3rd, and he fights a pitch off his hands into semi-deep RF. It’s enough to score Ross from 3rd, and McMullen moves to 3rd on the throw … Rhymes walks to put runners on the corners for Katz … Katz grounds out to end the inning. 1 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left
Top of the 4th inning
Austin Cousino becomes the first UK batter to reach against Nola, drawing a walk to open up the 4th … Cousino moves to second on Zellers’ sacrifice bunt … Reed was up at the plate for what felt like an eternity. He took the 10th pitch for strike three and had some words with the umpire as he was walking back to the dugout … Nola walked Riddle on four pitches … Cousino swiped third base, his ninth stolen bag of the year, and Riddle followed by stealing second uncontested … With runners at second and third, Kuhn walks to load the bases … Barrett flies out to shallow CF to end the inning. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 3 left
Bottom of the 4th inning
Ibarra has the Tigers in business to start the LSU fourth inning, as he deftly places a ball in the right center field gap for a double … But LSU can’t do anything with it. Jones hit a lazy fly ball to RF, Edward struck out looking and Ross hit an easy fly to right to end the frame … It’s the 3rd time in four innings LSU has stranded a runner at second base. 0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 left
Top of the 5th inning
Nola finally runs into some trouble to lead off the 5th. Shortstop Matt Reida hits a chopper between Katz and Jones for Kentucky’s first hit … Nola follows by beaning the No. 9 hitter Michael Thomas … The dangerous Austin Cousino rips the first pitch into the outfield, scoring Reida from second … Nola gets bailed out again by his defense, as Jones and Bregman combine to turn a pretty double play to end the inning. Zac Zellers hit the ball to Jones at 2nd, who flipped the ball to Bregman at short. With Zellers motoring down the line, Bregman had to make a strong throw and Katz had to make a big stretch to get the final out. 1 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left
Bottom of the 5th inning
Reed hit McMullen to open the 5th … Laird tried to move McMullen over with a sacrifice bunt, but he tapped it too strong back to Reed, who nailed McMullen at 2nd … Bregman flew out to deep left for the second out … Rhymes singled, though UK 3B McConkey made a real nice diving stab on the hit. Rhymes just beat out the throw … Katz walked on four pitches to load the bases … Ibarra hit a high chopper to 3B. McConkey made a difficult play with his glove, but his throw skipped under Kuhn’s glove, allowing Laird and Rhymes to score and giving the Tigers runners at 2nd and 3rd … JaCoby Jones continues to bust out of his slump in a big way, this time with a two-run single through the left side of the infield … Alex Edward strikes out to end the inning. 4 runs, 3 hits, 1 errors, 1 left
Top of the 6th inning
Nola settled down after a long fifth inning.
He gets his counterpart, Reed, to strike out looking for the second time
tonight … Laird makes an easy catch for the second out on Riddle’s fly
to center field … Kuhn is credited with Kentucky’s third hit of the
night when Ibarra dove for a ball in the hole and the ball glanced off
his glove … Barrett ends the inning with an easy fly. 0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 left
Reed’s day is done, at least on the mound, as he’s replaced by fellow southpaw Dylan Dwyer. Reed allowed five runs, four earned, in five innings of work … LSU opened the floodgates w/ two outs in the 6th … With Laird on 2nd and Bregman on 1st, Rhymes yanked a single into LF to score Laird. Bregman, with a heads up play, went from 1st to 3rd, which doesn’t come too often on a single to LF. Rhymes moves to second as UK tries to throw Bregman out at 3rd… Katz stays hot, extends his hitting streak to 10 games with a sharp two-run single to LF. He advanced to 2nd on the throw home … Ibarra grounded out to end the inning, but the damage was done. 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left
Top of the 7th inning
The LSU bullpen was still empty to open the 7th inning, and Nola rewarded Mainieri’s patience with a quick top of the frame … He got McConkey looking at strike three to open the inning … Reida followed by tapping to Nola, and Katz made a nice play on Nola’s high throw for the second out … Nine-hole hitter Thomas blooped a single between Bregman and Rhymes for UK’s fourth hit of the night … leadoff man Austin Cousino struck out looking, Nola’s 7th K, to end the inning 0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 left
Bottom of the 7th inning
It’s the socks, baby. JaCoby Jones is busting out in a big way tonight, has three hits tonight after ripping a single into RF … He moves to 2nd on a balk, then takes 3rd on Edwards tapper back to the mound … Ross walks to give LSU runners at the corners, one out … Jones scores on McMullen’s SAC to RF … Ross scores when Reida boots Larid’s sharp grounder, which would’ve ended the inning … Laird scores on Alex Bregman’s triple to RCF, making it an 11-1 LSU lead … Sciambra, pinch hitting for Rhymes, strikes out to end the inning. 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 errors, 1 left
Bottom of the 8th inning
Reserves are starting to come in for the Tigers … Moore, pinch hitting for Katz, rips a double to RCF to open the inning … Yocom, PH for Ibarra, grounds out to SS … Jones stays in the game and strikes out. He’s not happy as he walks back to the dugout, but he had a solid game tonight … Jared Foster, pinch hitting for Edward, strikes out looking to end the inning. 0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 0 left
Top of the 9th inning
LaMarche stays on to closet the game out … He works around a one-out single by pinch hitter Matthew Boehm to retire the side. LSU wins the first game of the series in impressive fashion. 0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 left
LINE SCORE
LSU - 11, 14, 0
Kentucky - 1, 5, 2
PREGAME
Here goes nothing, time to figure out exactly how good this LSU baseball team is.
The No. 3 Tigers (27-2, 8-1) are getting what might be their toughest test of the season in No. 7 Kentucky (22-6, 6-3) tonight.
The Tigers played one top-10 Southeastern Conference matchup earlier this season at Mississippi State, but the Bulldogs went on to lose each of their first three SEC series. This should be a good barometer.
A couple things jumped out at me when taking a peek at the Kentucky lineup. Two-thirds of the Wildcat batters are left-handed, which would normally cause a coach to worry when he’s sending a right-handed pitcher to the mound.
But Aaron Nola, who is getting the start tonight for the Tigers, is a little bit of an anomaly. Left-handers are hitting just .203 in 64 at bats against him this season, compared to .233 in 103 at bats for right-handers. Location and movement are Nola’s strong suit, and it seems to mitigate any advantage a lefty would have against him.
Kentucky’s starting pitcher, A.J. Reed, is one of those left-handed hitters. Seeing a pitcher bat is somewhat of a rarity in college baseball, but not only is Reed batting, he’s hitting third in Kentucky’s lineup. He’s proven to be capable there, hitting a team-leading seven homers this season.
There are no surprises on the LSU front. Like coach Paul Mainieri said yesterday, junior Sean McMullen will start in right field and bat at the top of the order for all three games this weekend. Similarly, senior Alex Edward will bat in the eight-hole as the designated hitter.
As always you can follow along here or on Twitter, @Tiger_Rag or @lukejohnson44. The game will be televised on CST (channel 38 for you Baton Rouge area Cox subscribers) and broadcast on 98.1 FM. For a more in-depth look at this weekend’s series, check out my Around the Horn post from earlier today.
It should be an exciting game and the weather is about as good as you can ask for. The wind is blowing in slightly as it makes its way from left field to right field.
Now, on to the lineups.
LSU
1. (LH) Sean McMullen, RF (.250)
2. (LH) Mark Laird, CF (.330)
3. (RH) Alex Bregman, SS (.440, 17-gm hit streak)
4. (RH) Raph Rhymes, LF (.336)
5. (RH) Mason Katz, 1B (.430, 13 HR, 49 RBI)
6. (RH) Christian Ibarra, 3B (.330)
7. (RH) JaCoby Jones, 2B (.188)
8. (RH) Alex Edward, DH (.231)
9. (RH) Ty Ross, C (.179)
Kentucky
1. (LH) Austin Cousino, CF (.309, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 8 SB)
2. (RH) Zac Zellers, LF (.245)
3. (LH) A.J. Reed, P (.333, 7 HR, 30 RBI)
4. (LH) J.T. Riddle, 2B (.352)
5. (RH) Max Kuhn, 1B (.272)
6. (LH) Kyle Barrett, RF (.333)
7. (LH) Paul McConkey, 3B (.259)
8. (LH) Matt Rieda, SS (.237)
9. (RH) Michael Thomas, C (.273)
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