Men’s hoops falls against Georgia

BY HENRY HUBER @HenryHuber_

LSU had its best chance at ending its losing streak so far on Tuesday, stealing the lead from Georgia with just 11 seconds left in the game. But when it needed to make just one more stop to do so, the Bulldogs responded with a layup and Tyrell Ward’s lastsecond heave fell short.

In terms of postseason status, it wouldn’t have meant much if the Tigers had won this one. They have long since exhausted their chances at an NCAA Tournament bid (minus an improbable SEC tournament run) and a National Invitation Tournament bid was unlikely as well.

However, in terms of providing the team with momentum heading into next season and giving the fans something to be excited about, this was a heavy blow. Over the past five games, LSU has shown signs of promise and obtained small, moral victories that have indicated the team’s making improvements behind the scenes. But at the end of the day, its losing streak remains.

BY MACKAY SUIRE @macthetiger

For most young baseball players, the dream of one day playing for a Division I program is all-consuming.

They’ve probably thought about it since they were kids, daydreaming about the moment they’d finally see their name on a roster. They can so clearly picture themselves walking up to the plate at a huge college stadium, representing a team they desperately wanted to play for.

Athletes work tirelessly for years, praying that a recruiter will be at a big game or that their successes will be so huge that a college coach will hear their name. They pray that they will be the one that makes it.

But many don’t.

For some, this means that their dream is over. For others, however, the dream is just beginning. Junior college programs become the next best option, and for a select few, choosing to begin their college baseball career at a two-year program is the best decision that they can make.

With the recent rise and continued development of the transfer portal within the last few years, it has become extremely evident that these two-year programs are rich in development, turning athletes from ‘not good enoughs’ to star players on the NCAA team that they later choose to play for. However, these programs are still looked down upon, despite its ever growing potential to develop phenomenal athletes.

Simply put, those bigger programs have the funds. Power Five schools, which include those in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and the Southeastern Conference, are just given more opportunity to pour resources into their program and aid its success. Though money doesn’t necessarily make see UNLEASHED, page 10

It may have been as close as it’s been to ending it, but it’s still hard to overlook the mistakes the team made. The Tigers committed 19 turnovers on the day, which was a huge reason why they couldn’t get the job done.

Three of those 19 turnovers came in the final two minutes of the first half, a stretch they entered with a seven-point lead and left with a two-point lead heading into halftime. So instead of see HEARTBREAK, page 10

LSU baseball: Previewing the Western Michigan series

BY COLE HERNANDEZ @Ct_hernandez

The 2023 opening weekend begins this Friday at Alex Box Stadium with a three-game series against Western Michigan and undoubtedly will be an unusual one.

This will be the first meeting between LSU and Western Michigan’s baseball programs in their respective histories. On top of that anomaly, the SEC has announced changes to multiple rules specifically for SEC conference games attempting to speed up the game.

Coming into the season as the No. 1 team in every preseason poll, LSU is the clear favorite to win and most would be surprised if they didn’t sweep the series. However, Western Michigan has valuable experience in the bullpen and returned most of it’s solid hitters from last season.

LSU is expected to start with its new ace Paul Skenes on the mound and test him out as one of their Friday night starters. Western Michigan will likely start its top returning arm from last season on Friday night, senior lefthanded pitcher Dane Armbrustmacher. Armbrustmacher started 14 games for the Broncos last season and threw 65.1 innings while striking out over 24% of the bat- ters he faced.

Western Michigan also had its top three hitters from last season return. The top prospect on the team is first baseman Cade Sullivan, the best returning hitter by average is third baseman Gavin Doyle, and outfielder Dylan Nevar led the team in home runs as a redshirt freshman with 11.

There is reason for intrigue in this matchup. Everyone will be looking to see just how good the 2023 Tigers are and whether they will live up to the hype. If it turns out to be a lopsided sweep, it could be the start of a record book season for the Tigers. If LSU struggles or Western Michigan steals a game on the road, the doubters will be screaming from the top of floats in New Orleans on Tuesday.

Either way, this will be the first test for the 2023 Tigers. The outcome could add fuel to their fire or be a huge wakeup call.

Although the new SEC rules will not be enforced this weekend because Western Michigan is not in the SEC, they will be enforced when LSU travels to BryanCollege Station to take on Texas A&M on March 17.

The new rules are as follows:

• Hitters have 30 seconds from the conclusion of the previous hitter’s play to start their at- bat

• Coaches have 30 seconds to visit the pitcher when they exit the dugout

• Position players visiting the pitcher have 30 seconds from when they leave their field spot

• Relief pitchers have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to enter the game and complete their warmup

• Mandate conference games end after seven innings if one team is ahead by 10 or more runs. These changes to the rules are an effort to increase the amount of action fans see, shorten the length of games and increase the rate at which pitches are thrown, according to the SEC.

UNLEASHED, from page 9 all the magic happen, it still plays a huge role in the quality of that program.

“I’d say the biggest difference from a JUCO and a Power Five school is the access to money,” said University of New Orleans’ head baseball coach Blake Dean. “You have way more funding and access to helpers, student managers, etc. More times than not, the talent level across the board is a bit better at a Division I school as well.”

This isn’t to say, however, that raw talent isn’t hiding within the walls of these programs. Many athletes are just in need of more playtime, which is what Power Five schools aren’t always willing to give.

Take LSU’s Brayden Jobert, for example. Before beginning his career at LSU, Jobert spent a year at Delgado Community College, where he earned JUCO All-American honors. He grew into himself at Delgado Commu-

HEARTBREAK, from page 9 starting the second half with an adequate cushion, it began with the score all-but knotted up.

Still, despite giving up its lead and eventually trailing by as much as eight points in the second half, LSU entered the final nity College and is now a crucial factor in the production of runs for the Tigers. In 2022, Jobert finished at No. 9 in the SEC for homeruns, with 18 total on the season.

“Coach Scheuermann at Delgado, he’s unbelievable,” Jobert explained. “The way he runs his program is very professional, and it’s very traditional. He really made me look at baseball in a different way, from the standpoint of you know, you just got to go out there and handle your business and everything else will come. But yeah, I’m very thankful for my time at Delgado.”

Junior colleges are run similarly to any other college baseball program, just on a stripped down level. Those programs don’t have the nicest equipment, the most help or even the best field to play on, but they do have the most opportunity for development. Athletes that were never given the chance to shine on a bigger stage now have nothing to hide behind, and nothing to stretch of the game with a realistic chance to win. A 16-5 run helped by good shooting, strong defense and three missed free throws from the Bulldogs gave the Tigers a 63-62 lead with 11 seconds remaining in the game.

But almost as soon as the game turned in its favor, LSU’s lose. That bare minimum given to junior colleges has created an atmosphere that oozes grit.

Anthony Herron, who currently plays for the University of New Orleans, actually started his college career at Missouri State University. When the pandemic hit the country in full force, he decided to transfer to John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois.

“After Covid came about, I had the opportunity to go somewhere and rediscover myself and get back to what got me success from the beginning,” Herron said.

Rediscovering is exactly what he was able to do. Herron credits his time in Carterville as the reason for his success at UNO. The people he was surrounded by specifically had an impact on his personal development.

“The John. A Logan/Carterville community will forever be a place I remember, just because the people there were all grinders, and about progress across hopes at ending its losing streak swiftly came to an end. Georgia guard Justin Hill drove right into the teeth of the Tiger defense and converted a tough, contested layup over KJ Williams, which ultimately became the game-winning shot for the Bulldogs. Williams still bounced back the whole campus. I would say it was a factory,” Herron said.

That grind is indisputable, and it’s a desirable quality for baseball coaches to see in their players.

“Those guys, at some point, were told that they weren’t good enough to be at this level, to start, and so sometimes that fuels motivation, desire, competitiveness, to really get after it, and to really work. That’s a valuable quality in a person that you have.” LSU head coach Johnson said.

“Those are very humble beginnings. They don’t have all of this. It’s not what their life looks like. So I think there’s some humility that comes along with being at that level, and a work ethic. I mean, at a place like this [LSU], you’re gonna be able to attract talent, but it’s some of those other characteristics, when you talk about building a team, and building a program, that are really positive. So, there is an element of that that I really like re - from a quiet, five-point performance against Texas A&M on Saturday, tallying 18 points on 54% shooting and nine rebounds on the day. Shawn Phillips, Jalen Reed and Justice Hill combined for 22 rebounds off the bench, as LSU came a rebound short from winning the battle on the boards cruiting here.”

Despite the stigma surrounding the word “JUCO,” this experience could be exactly what an athlete needs on their journey to becoming a college baseball powerhouse. Because of these programs, athletes are finally able to prove that they were good enough after all. They’re allowed the opportunity to prove themselves, but humbled enough to know that there is always work to be done.

“I’m forever grateful for my coaches giving me that freedom and platform to showcase myself without the burden of making drastic changes,” Herron said of his time at John A. Logan College. “Some of my best in-game experiences and growth happened in junior college.” by double digits. Its next chance to end its losing streak will be its best chance yet, as it faces off against South Carolina (9-17, 2-11 SEC) on Saturday at noon The Tigers now have five more chances to pick up a win before their regular season comes to an end.

This rings true for many college athletes. Their experience in a JUCO is just what they needed to become the baseball player they always knew they could be. They just may have needed that extra push.