LSU long on Determination, Arkansas short on pitching
WWL/Jeff Plamero Reporting
The College World Series for the LSU Tigers has gone better than originally planned. The Bayou Bengals won their first two games with clutch hitting, fantastic fielding, and strong pitching. LSU is just one win away from reaching the championship series and they didn't have to play Cal State Fullerton, the other favorite to win the CWS on their side of the bracket. And now they get an Arkansas team which is coming off a 12 inning contest where they used their best starting pitcher for four innings out of the bullpen.
Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn is thrilled his team came from behind to beat Virginia 4-3 in 12 innings on Wednesday, but his reward is to face a focused and determined LSU team that's fired up to play after three days off. The most anxious to play is Tigers starting pitcher Anthony Ranaudo. The sophomore right-hander had his shortest outing of the season last Saturday, and is ready to make amends for his sub par performance. Some LSU fans say Coach Paul Mainieri should save Ranaudo for Game 1 of the championship series, but the Tigers ace would be the first to tell you he needs to pitch, to get that bad feeling out of his stomach.
Van Horn wishes he had Mainieri's problems. The Arkansas skipper is so short on pitching that he may start either his closer, Stephen Richards, or his starting third baseman Zack Cox. LSU might also get to face Brett Eibner and TJ Forrest, which allowed a combined seven runs to the Tigers on Monday. Forrest pitched for one season in Baton Rouge, and Mainieri told reporters in Omaha he wasn't happy that the Benton, Louisiana, native left the program.
The Hogs will also be without their second leading hitter today.Shortstop Ben Tschepikow is out with a broken ring finger. He was hit by pitch on Wednesday.
LSU should not feel sorry for Arkansas and don't expect them too. The Tigers seem to be on a mission, and anything less than a national championship at this point would be a disappointment. The Tigers are just three wins from their goal, and it seems like nothing will get in their way.
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