LSU baseball has one goal: College World Series

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri knows how difficult it is to reach the College World Series in a given season.

But Mainieri also knows that it’s Omaha or bust every season the Tigers take the diamond.

With the 2014 season just nine days away, Mainieri’s 2014 LSU squad is a consensus Top 5 pick in the preseason polls – even as high as No. 2 in the USA Today Preseason Poll.

But with several key departures from last season’s 57-11 squad, the coach touts that LSU has plenty of work to do before it can punch its ticket as one of the top teams in America.

“We have a lot of big shoes to fill,” Mainieri said. “Out here, people don’t want to hear excuses. They just want to see you reload and get ready to go. … I think we will be ready to go. We are ready to get after it. I think we have a team that is going to be able to make a run again.”

Pitching is one thing that has many pundits excited about the Tigers’ chances in 2014. LSU has junior ace Aaron Nola to thank for that.

The Tigers’ powerful righty returns for his third collegiate season after posting a 12-1 record with an anemic 1.57 ERA in 2013.

Nola has proven to be one of the most economical pitchers in America, routinely posting complete games last season, while throwing 100 or fewer pitches.

With another offseason to perfect his craft, Nola believes that he has a chance to again be a dominant force on Friday nights in the SEC.

“I don’t really feel more pressure,” Nola said when asked about being LSU’s unquestioned ace in 2014. “I like coming in and being able to throw a lot of innings. That is fun for me.”

With Nola likely the Tigers’ Friday night option, LSU will probably turn to Cody Glenn to fill one of the two other available weekend spots on the mound.

A junior southpaw, Glenn proved worthy of handling that responsibility last season when he posted a 7-3 record in 15 starts with a 2.68 ERA.

Mainieri said that after Nola and Glenn, the rest of the LSU rotation and bullpen will fall into place throughout the season.

Depth of arms is one concern some have throughout Baton Rouge, as the Tigers lost starter Ryan Eades and relievers Chris Cotton, Joey Bourgeois, Brent Bonvillain, Nick Rumbelow and Will LaMarche to professional baseball following last season.

But Nola touted guys like Kurt McCune and Hunter Newman as two guys capable of making huge strides this season on a pitching staff that “still has a ton of arms.”

“We have a lot of strength,” Nola said. “We lost a lot of really good guys last year, but we also had a lot of guys come back this year. They are solid. I think it is really going to come together. I don’t think I could name just one main guy right now. It is really all just starting to come together.

“The fans are going to see what we can do on opening night.”

If Nola is the No. 1 player in the SEC, teammate sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman just may be 1B.

The dominant shortstop headlines a scrappy Tigers’ offense that has players with starting experience glittered around the diamond.

But Bregman is the thumper in the middle expected to make it all tick. As a true freshman last year, the slugger hit .369 with 6 home runs and 52 RBI, while stealing 16 bases.

The multi-skilled player said after losing in the College World Series last year, he immediately flipped the switch into ‘Sophomore Mode’.

“Right after we lost that game, I was ready to get back on this mission of winning the National Championship,” Bregman said. “I think this year, it’s a business trip. Everything we do is about business. I think that’s the mentality everyone on the team is going to take.”

Joining Bregman on the infield diamond will be trusty hands like senior third baseman Christian Ibarra, and catcher Tyler Moore.

Ibarra was on the SEC’s All-Defensive team last season because of his range and elite throwing arm. Moore will fill in behind the plate for Ty Ross, who left LSU and headed to the professional ranks.

Before being the full-time catcher, Moore was primarily a pinch-hitter and utility infielder.

“I’m just trying to be a leader back there and leading this whole team,” Moore said. “I’m trying to work with the pitchers and be a rock for them.”

Newcomers like freshman first baseman Dakota Dean and junior college transfer Conner Hale are also expected to see at-bats along the Tigers’ infield.

 In the outfield, LSU will field one of the most athletic groups in the country, led by speedsters Sean McMullen and Jared Foster.

Foster and McMullen have had inconsistent bats throughout their collegiate careers – something they hope to improve upon in 2014.

But even if without the hits, the LSU outfield is valuable because of its game-changing defense.

“I honestly think so,” Foster said when asked if LSU has the best defensive outfield in America. “Is it like one big glove out there. We have been improving in practice and all of the scrimmages. We are fast. People will see it once we start playing. We are really, really fast out there. Not a lot of balls will drop.”

So while it all sounds good on paper, Mainieri and his Tigers know that their results will have to speak loudest in the new season.

The Tigers open 2014 against UNO – a huge series because it marks longtime coach Ron Maestri’s return to the dugout for the Privateers.

After a slew of non-conference tests, the Tigers will begin always-tough SEC play.

If it all goes the way LSU would like, the next step after that would be the postseason and then Omaha.

In Tiger Land, there really isn’t any other option, is there?

Our goal every year is to roll out of bed and expect to go to Omaha to play for a national championship,” Mainieri said. “But in order to do that, you have to compete very favorable in the SEC. I think we have a team that can do that. I am looking forward to it. We still have a way to go to put the team in that position, but it will be a great journey.”

“We realize how hard it is to get there and we also realize what it takes,” McMullen added. “We are going to go through a lot of games this season where it is going to be really emotional whether it is good or bad. … I am just looking forward to making those memories this year and getting the ball rolling.”