After an 18-1 drubbing of Ole Miss on Saturday, Missouri sophomore shortstop Ryan Howard was asked about the team’s prior conference series against Vanderbilt, in which Mizzou was swept. It was the biggest series of the season to date for the Tigers, who were all knotted up with the Commodores at the top of the SEC East heading into the series.
“Obviously (Vanderbilt) is a great club, but we didn’t play as well as we could have and we’ll probably see them again this year in the SEC tournament or after that,” Howard said. “Hopefully we get another shot at them because I think we’ll beat them.”
The Tigers will have to wait at least a little while longer to get another shot at the 2014 College World Series champion, but they will face another top-tier team in LSU this weekend in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU (40-8, 16-7) is currently tied atop the SEC West with Texas A&M.
“(LSU) is going to come after us just like anyone else,” Tigers’ freshman designated hitter Shane Benes said. “Going into the tournament we’ve got to get more wins. We can’t be happy with what we’ve done so far.”
Coach Tim Jamieson said the atmosphere at LSU’s Alex Box Stadium will be unlike any other atmosphere the Tigers have faced this season.
“It’s going to be an incredible atmosphere, something these guys have not experienced in the SEC,” Jamieson said. “There’s nothing like it. We’re looking to respond and we’re excited for the opportunity.”
Mizzou will have some momentum heading into the series against LSU. The Tigers are coming off a series victory against Ole Miss in which they outscored the Rebels 25-7. It was the sixth conference series win of the season for Mizzou, and the fourth out of their last five.
“We’ll take two, but we like taking three better,” freshman catcher Brett Bond said. “Usually when we play our best and we’re competing, we take that (final) game.”
Despite the loss in the series finale, Jamieson was very pleased with how his team responded and showed resiliency against Ole Miss after being swept by Vanderbilt. Bond, who took home SEC Freshman of the Week honors, said the team had the right mentality heading into the Ole Miss series.
“Sometimes you’re going to go in and face some really good guys and struggle,” Bond said of the Vanderbilt series. “We’ve just got to put it behind us and I think we’re doing a real good job of that.”
Mizzou will certainly have a tough task at hand facing a six-time national champion and 15-time conference champion in LSU. The Tigers have lost just six games at home all season, and their top three starters have compiled a 22-1 record collectively. Mizzou saw one of the top pitching staffs in the nation against Vanderbilt, which should prepare them well for LSU’s big three of Alex Lange (8-0, 2.22 ERA), Jared Poche (7-1, 2.65 ERA) and Jake Godfrey (7-0, 4.10 ERA).
Benes recognized that it will likely help the Tigers having already faced a pro-level staff against Vanderbilt.
“Seeing that good of pitching (against Vanderbilt), it’s good to see that early on before LSU,” Benes said.
With Mizzou in competition for a division title and birth to the postseason, this next series against LSU will be critical to the team’s tournament resume. If the Tigers can manage to steal one game in Baton Rouge, they will secure 15 SEC wins and at least a .500 record in conference play.
“This is the first time since we’ve been in the SEC where we’re in the hunt,” Jamieson said. “If you look at the history of the SEC, if you finish at .500 in the league it’s almost a lock (to make the NCAA Tournament).”
Mizzou has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2012, but could change that, for all intents and purposes, with a victory over LSU. However, Jamieson knows it won’t come easy for his young team that has scratched away wins all season. Regardless, the Tigers cannot afford another setback.
“I think we’ve still got some work ahead of us and that has to be our mindset,” Jamieson said. “It’s going to be 11,000 on their team against us. It’s going to be fun.”
