Mainieri to eye pitchers as short relievers
e_SDLqI want to have a veteran presence to hopefully get us off to a good start. Joe Broussard has really made big strides. ” Paul Mainieri, LSU baseball coach
LSU’s weekend rotation of Kevin Gausman, Ryan Eades and Kurt McCune gave the Tigers six, five and six innings, respectively, in their season debuts last weekend.
The game against McNeese State at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Alex Box Stadium is an opportunity to look at a series of relievers in much shorter stints.
Right-hander Joe Broussard, who threw two scoreless innings in relief against Alcorn State on Saturday, will start but isn’t expected to throw more than three innings so he’ll be available out of the bullpen against Appalachian State over the weekend. Several other relievers — Cody Glenn, Joey Bourgeois, Brent Bonvillain, Nick Goody and Nick Rumbelow — could all get into the game.
“I want to have a veteran presence to hopefully get us off to a good start,” Tigers coach Paul Mainieri said. “Joe Broussard has really made big strides. He has always had a good arm, and now he’s getting the ball down in the strike zone. When he’s down in the strike zone and throwing 91 miles per hour, that’s a tough pitch.”
Mainieri said first-year pitching coach Alan Dunn has helped Broussard get his fastball down, tighten his curveball so he throws it harder and improve his change-up.
Broussard was 0-1 with a 5.19 earned run average as a freshman last season. He pitched 26 innings, making one start in his 14 appearances. He started against Tulane and gave up three earned runs and struck out three in 3.1 innings of a 7-5 LSU victory.
His longest stint of the season came against Nicholls State when he entered the game in the first inning after the Colonels had scored six runs. He pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits, walking one and striking out seven as the Tigers rallied for a 12-8 victory.
“I’m real excited to get this chance to throw for my team,” Broussard said. “I just want to keep the runs down and give our offense a chance. Our defense is really good this year. All I have to do is flood the strike zone and give our defense a chance.”
Broussard gave up three hits against Alcorn State but also had three strikeouts.
“I felt good,” Broussard said. “I got a couple of pitches a little up, but it was my first time out, and I was a little excited and gassed it up. I’m ready to go. I just have to stay inside my game and not go outside of what I have to do.”
Maineiri said Glenn, a freshman left-hander, will follow Broussard to the mound. If Glenn, who will start against Grambling next Tuesday, lives up to Mainieri’s expectations, he’ll likely become the regular midweek starter by mid-March.
Freshman right-hander Aaron Nola is scheduled to start at McNeese next week and at Tulane the following week to get experience pitching on the road before Southeastern Conference play.
Rumbelow, who pitched a scoreless ninth in the victory against Alcorn State on Saturday and another in a victory against Air Force on Sunday, has assumed the closer’s role and will likely finish the game Wednesday.
Mainieri said he wants to see how Rumbelow’s arm bounces back after regular short stints.
“He’s the one that has pitched the best of all the candidates all the way up until this first weekend,” Mainieri said. “I think he’s probably going to get that shot at (closing). I thought Nick Goody was really outstanding the other day.”
Goody pitched a perfect ninth in a victory against Air Force on Friday.
“If Goody can pitch like he pitched and Nola can pitch like he’s pitched and Joe Broussard can pitch the way he has been, we’re going to have pretty good group of set-up men,” Mainieri said.
Any of those three could close if Rumbelow is extended or works on consecutive days.
Freshman Tyler Moore will catch for the second straight game Wednesday as Ty Ross rests a slightly sore throwing shoulder.
Ross should be ready for the weekend.
Backup catcher Jordy Snikeris should be available after missing Sunday because of the flu. Infielder Alex Edward is still sidelined by a hamstring strain he suffered in batting practice Friday.