LSU baseball: 2016 full preview
By Bailey Adams
With the 2016 LSU baseball season just two weeks away, we take a look at what to expect from the Tigers this year.
When the 2016 LSU Tigers take the field at Alex Box Stadium on Feb. 19, the lineup will look much different than it did when LSU last took the field, which was on Jun. 18 in Omaha, Neb.
A year ago, head coach Paul Mainieri’s team finished the year 54-12 overall while posting a 21-8 record in SEC play. The Tigers fell just short of their 12th SEC tournament championship, losing to eventual champion Florida in the semifinals. After sweeping the Baton Rouge Regional and Super Regional, LSU’s run ended in its third game of the College World Series.
Heading into 2016, the Purple and Gold had to replace seven of nine starters from their 2015 opening day lineup, including All-American shortstop Alex Bregman, who was taken by the Houston Astros with the no. 2 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.
The Tigers have made two College World Series appearances in the last three years, but they are just 1-4 in five games at TD Ameritrade Park in those two appearances. Their one win came last year, a 5-3 win over Cal State Fullerton.
LSU fans have come to expect a perennial contender, which means a young and inexperienced roster will be under heavy pressure this season.
Next: 2016 Schedule