FSU Baseball Preview: Noles Open Up College World Series vs. LSU
By Ty Ragans
FSU baseball is set to make a twenty-second appearance in the College World Series. The Noles opening opponent is red hot LSU.
FSU baseball is entering the College World Series on a heater. The Noles late season run has been well-documented and rightfully so as they are 18-3 in their last 21 games. The Noles are hot, but their game one opponent, LSU, might be even hotter. The Tigers are 19-2 in their last 21 games and they have now won 16 in a row after disposing of Mississippi State. These two teams are on a roll, but something will have to give Saturday night in Omaha.
Opponent Preview
As I mentioned above, LSU is as hot as they can be. Their current 16 game winning streak includes a sweep of Auburn, five victories against Mississippi State, and a very impressive 10-0 whipping of Kentucky in the SEC tournament. While the run that LSU is on is remarkable, they haven’t faced a team that is playing as well as FSU baseball, who is on an impressive run of their own.
On the season, LSU carries a record of 48-17 with a conference record of 21-9 in the SEC. The Tigers cruised to an SEC tournament championship and through regional play. When FSU and LSU face off it will be a battle of two traditional powers. FSU will be looking to obtain that ever elusive first national title while LSU will be in search of their seventh national championship in program history.
More from FSU Baseball
- FSU baseball: USF transfer Daniel Cantu commits to the Noles
- FSU baseball: Noles announce Ty Megahee as Recruiting Coordinator
- FSU baseball: Wyatt Crowell selected with No. 127 pick in 2023 MLB Draft
- FSU baseball: Jackson Baumeister drafted No. 63 overall impact
- FSU baseball: Alabama transfer Jaxson West commits to the Noles
LSU is a talented team that can beat you in a number of ways. The Tigers have a balanced and aggressive lineup, two great starting pitchers, excellent defense, and a couple studs in the bullpen. This will not be an easy task for FSU, but it is the College World Series so that is to be expected.
LSU carries a team batting average of .294 on the season. The Tigers have hit 61 home runs in their 65 games of 2017. The top hitter for LSU baseball is senior infielder, Cole Freeman. Freeman is batting .327 this season with an OPS of .851.
The biggest power threat for LSU is right fielder and recent 2nd round draft pick, Greg Deichmann. The junior has a .323 batting average and has an OPS of 1.035 with 19 homers and 72 RBI. Deichmann is left handed so FSU will hope to neutralize his threat with Tyler Holton.
LSU is an elite defensive team. Both middle infielders, Kramer Robertson and Cole Freeman, were drafted in the 4th round this past week. Center fielder Jason Pearson was a 3rd round pick and catcher Michael Papierski was drafted in the 9th round. It’s safe to say LSU is solid up the middle. The Tigers have a team fielding percentage of .980 and they committed just 47 errors in 65 games.
The starting pitcher for LSU will be right hander, Alex Lange. The junior has experience pitching in the CWS in 2015 where he excelled. Lange has a good fast ball and a powerful curve ball, Lange can sometimes have control issues but he has been very sharp of late. Lange was selected 30th overall by the Chicago cubs this week. The LSU ace has impressive numbers in 2017: 9-5 with a 2.92 ERA. Lange has allowed 97 hits in 111 innings and has recorded 134 K’s to 40 BB’s.
Complete season statistics for LSU can be found here.
As you can see, LSU has a talented team, but FSU baseball does too. This should be an epic battle between two of the best programs in college baseball history. I can’t wait.
How to Watch
This one can be found on ESPN at 8:00 PM eastern time on Saturday night. The radio broadcast can be found on 106.1 FM locally and the FSU Game Day app nation-wide.