Just a few weeks ago, the NCAA tournament was the furthest thing from the minds of the LSU baseball team. After an 0-5 start in SEC series, there was a question of whether the Tigers would even crack the conference tournament field.
But a lot can change in three weeks. Coach Jay Johnson’s team has won three series in a row, most recently taking two of three in Baton Rouge from No. 1-ranked Texas A&M.
LSU is now back in the projected field of 64, albeit just barely. In the latest bubble watch from On3’s Jonathan Wagner, the Tigers are among the last four teams in.
All of a sudden, LSU is back in the mix. The Tigers took two out of three against previously top-ranked Texas A&M over the weekend, and now look to be in a solid position as of right now for the postseason. First, LSU needs to keep winning. They have won three consecutive SEC series and have a pivotal matchup this weekend at Alabama. At 31-18 overall and 9-15 overall, the Tigers need to win their final two series and get to 13 SEC wins. They could potentially get away with winning once against Alabama and then sweeping Ole Miss to end the regular season, depending on what happens in Hoover. LSU’s RPI currently sits at No. 34.
These final two series will definitely prove to be crucial for the Tigers, whose margin for error remains incredibly slim down the stretch in the regular season. But there’s certainly hope that this team will return to the NCAA tournament, which felt like a longshot well into the month of April.
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