LSU baseball (likely) punches ticket to NCAA Tournament
LSU pitcher Gage Jump delivered a phenomenal performance on short rest as the Tigers came alive at the plate to land a convincing 9-1 win Georgia in the opening game of the SEC Tournament in Hoover.
Jump, who made the start on just four days rest, tossed a season-high 105 pitches across seven innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out seven and allowing just one walk.
“I was curious how I would feel with the 5-day (turnaround), but I felt great,” Jump told the SEC Network following the win.
As for the mentality Gage entered with on short rest?
“Must-win game,” he said, adding that finding a groove and relying on his defense was key. “Getting ahead and being able to land the curveball, that helped set up the slider. Getting ahead, throwing some strikes, and the defense really saved me today.”
No. 11 seed LSU came into the matchup with No. 6 seed Georgia seemingly in good shape to land an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
With an 8-run win over the Bulldogs, LSU gets win No. 37 on the season and are all but assured a chance to defend the program’s College World Series title in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
LSU entered the day with a Top 30 RPI, and both On3.com and D1 Baseball had the Tigers in the postseason as a No. 3 seed.
D1 Baseball slotted LSU into the Stillwater Regional, hosted by the projected No. 16 overall seed Oklahoma State. Rogers projected Dallas Baptist as the No. 2 seed and Lamar as the No. 3 seed.
With at least one win at the SEC Tournament, LSU’s postseason bid feels secured, and now Tigers fans will have an eye on how far LSU can stay alive this week in Hoover.
LSU, now guaranteed at least two more games in the tournament, will face Kentucky on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. on the SEC Network.
The Tigers have won four of the program’s past five SEC series, posting a 10-5 mark over the final five weeks of the SEC slate. With a win over Georgia, LSU is 15-5 over the past 20 games played.
