West Virginia has advanced to their second straight Super Regional, where they will face the Louisiana State Tigers. The Mountaineers’ bats came alive in the regional, leading them to a 3-0 sweep in Clemson.
The Mountaineers rely on their hitting as much as any team, but it may very well be the pitching on both sides that carries the winning team to the next round. Read more: A Pitcher’s Duel: How WVU Stacks Up to LSU
LSU’s Aces Continue Their Dominance
LSU boasts one of the premier pitching staffs in the nation. They have relied on that throughout the regular season, and to make it to the Super Regionals.
The Tigers are led by two of the best starters in not only the SEC but the whole nation.
Anthony Eyanson is a leader of the pitching staff and one of the best in the nation. The junior hurler started in Game 1 of the regional, where he led the Tigers to a 7-0 shutout against Little Rock.
Eyanson went 7 2/3 innings while only allowing five hits. He added seven strikeouts to his overall total of 135 for the season, ranking No. 3 in the nation in that category.
Related: Unlikely Heroes: Mountaineers Who Stepped Up When It Mattered Most
His weekend wasn’t done, though. Eyanson earned a save in Game 4 to once again help the Tigers get past Little Rock.
Kade Anderson, the Tigers’ other ace, also showcased his dominance in the regional. He started Game Two for LSU, and—just like his counterpart—he led the Tigers to a commanding 12-0 shutout.
Anderson surrendered just four hits in seven innings. He struck out 11 Dallas Baptist hitters to increase his nation’s best total of 156 for the season.
At the Top of the Mountain
While the Tigers can lean on their two aces, the entirety of their pitching staff is nothing short of excellence.
As a team, LSU sits near the top in several important categories. The Tigers are one of the best at not allowing the opposing team to cross home plate. Their team ERA of 3.70 sits at No. 6 in the nation.
The Tigers have also proved they are one of the best at striking out opposing batters at a high rate. They are No. 3 in the nation with an impressive 11.8 K/9.
Related: West Virginia Baseball Will Travel to LSU for Super Regionals
Casan Evans, Zac Cowan and Jaden Noot are three other key contributors who help to round out the Tigers’ pitching staff. All three of them bring elite-level strikeout numbers to the bullpen.
What This Means for WVU
As West Virginia prepares for their series against LSU, they are certainly doing their due diligence to overcome the Tigers’ elite pitching staff.
While the Mountaineers are usually led by their hitting, they also boast several pitchers who can be effective in their bout against the Tigers.
Griffin Kirn has been WVU’s most consistent and effective pitcher. He is coming off some great appearances in the Clemson regional. WVU will need another weekend like that out of Kirn if they hope to get past the Tigers.
Related: WVU clinches bid to super regional with win over Kentucky
Chase Meyer is another pitcher who will need to perform at his best to help the Mountaineers in this quest. He enters the Super Regional coming off one of his best outings of the season, in which he allowed just one run in 2 1/3 innings against Clemson.
A Look Ahead to the Future
LSU’s pitching staff will soon be put to the test by West Virginia’s elite hitting, which appears to be back to early-season form. At the same time, Kirn and the rest of the staff will soon go head-to-head against some of the best pitchers they’ve faced all season.
This series, which very well could be decided by the pitching, will start on Saturday. Game 1 of the best-of-three series is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN.
All WVU games can be heard on WVU’s radio flagship, WVST 100.9 FM, its nine affiliate WV stations and on the WVTheTorch app.
A Pitcher’s Duel: How WVU Stacks Up to LSU
