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LSU Baseball should leave the SEC Tournament feeling better about the bullpen

ByNicholas Rome|
Tigers starting pitcher #34 Chase Shores on the mound as The LSU Tigers take on Central Connecticut State at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. Sunday, March 5, 2023. Lsu Vs Central Connecticut Baseball 5500
Tigers starting pitcher #34 Chase Shores on the mound as The LSU Tigers take on Central Connecticut State at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. Sunday, March 5, 2023. Lsu Vs Central Connecticut Baseball 5500 | SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

The LSU Baseball team saw its run in the SEC Tournament come to an end on Saturday afternoon as the Tigers were knocked off by the Ole Miss Rebels. LSU won't play in the SEC Tournament Championship which now gives the team an extended period to rest and regroup before the NCAA Tournament kicks off.

Leaving the weekend, there are some concerns with the Tigers roster heading into the NCAA Tournament. The offense hasn't clicked at the level it is capable of which makes LSU vulnerable if the cold streak continues. After the last few weeks of games, it's starting to look as if LSU's fate this Postseason will be determined by the Tigers' offense.

For most of the season, it felt as if Jay Johnson had two trusted relief pitchers and the rest of the group may not be deep enough to close out games. As of late, the Tigers bullpen has stepped up and it's now becoming a strength for the Tigers once again.

This weekend, Jay Johnson revealed a new wrinkle, using Anthony Eyanson in relief and after he gave the Tigers 3 scoreless innings, he becomes a potential interesting piece if LSU is ever looking to survive elimination.

The most impressive day for LSU's bullpen came on Saturday as the Tigers had deployed their best starters on Friday. Chase Shores was the first player out of the bullpen turning in 2.2 scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Over his last 3 relief appearances, Shores has pitched 5.1 innings without allowing a run and only a pair of hits allowed.

Jacob Mayers looked like a potential X-Factor for the Tigers out of the bullpen to close out this game. Mayers went 2.1 innings without allowing a runner to reach base. If Mayers is able to build on this performance, he quickly can become a top tier pieces for Jay Johnson.

While the Tigers have clear areas where this team needs to improve, the development of the bullpen has been exciting. The Tigers now have 2 Aces in the rotation and with another pair of ace relievers along with scary pieces in the bullpen. If the offense is going to continue to struggle, the pitching staff will need to help guide the team past the slump.

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