The Tiger's baseball team went two and out in the NCAA's Super Regional in Knoxville, Tennessee on Sunday losing to the Vols in a lopsided 15-6 defeat. It was a bitter defeat for LSU and a very poor showing by the team, especially the relief pitchers who could not throw strikes and ended up hitting 4 batters. It was the second straight game the Tigers fell behind after their starting pitchers were replaced too soon and Tennessee took advantage of it.
The game ended Paul Mainieri's career as LSU's head coach who announced his retirement weeks ago. it's not how Mainieri wanted to end his coaching days but it is what it is. This writer believes Mainieri was a good coach but he lost some judgement that began a few years before his health issues took place. The way he used his pitchers in the Super Regional was more than just questionable. He out smarted himself in Saturday and Sunday's games when he replaced his starting pitchers too early, something he has been doing for a number of years.
So now LSU is looking for a new baseball coach to lead the Tiger team. Has Mainieri left the LSU team in a good position? The answer may lie in the fact that LSU had a poor year in the SEC. They ended the regular season at 13-17 against SEC opponents and then were one and out against Georgia in the SEC tournament and then two and out against Tennessee in the Super Regional. So their overall SEC record for the year was 13-20.
This writer believes LSU will be in a rebuilding position because they lack the talent in key positions, especially in pitching, both starting and relief. Inconsistent hitting is also a problem that needs to be addressed. So now the search begins. Best of Luck to coach Paul Mainieri, his wife and family. May the future hold nothing but good fortune for all the family.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
