LSU baseball preview: pitchers

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LSU coach Paul Mainieri did not mince words when talking about pitcher Zack Hess.

“Zack has to be that Friday night guy,” Mainieri said. “He has to be able to match up with Zack Thompson of Kentucky and Tyler Dyson of Florida. He has to lead our pitching staff.”

Hess did not consistently throw like an ace last season for the Tigers. Transitioning from closer to starter, Hess endured a roller-coaster type season. As a result, he won just seven of his 16 starts. Hess, who suffered six defeats, finished with a 5.05 earned run average.

If LSU is going to be one of the top teams in the country, Hess must deliver like a No. 1 pitcher. Hess needs to give the Tigers at least seven effective innings in the first game of every series.

“I want to do everything I can to lead the staff,” said Hess, who opted to return to LSU for another year rather than beginning his professional career. “I am confident I can do that. When coach publicly puts faith in you, it motivates me.”

Hess will be on the mound Friday for the season-opener against Louisiana-Monroe. Hess may not go more than five innings because of a groin injury which limited his work the past few weeks.

“I have had a little bit of rust to knock off,” Hess said. “After about ten pitches, I felt more natural. It is better that this injury happened (in January) than in March. I am doing everything I can to get ready for ULM.”

Mainieri has identified the other two pitchers for the weekend rotation – redshirt sophomore Eric Walker and freshman Landon Marceaux. Walker, who missed last season due to Tommy John surgery, will be on a limited pitch count in his Sunday start against Air Force.

Marceaux was one of four freshmen who began preseason practice in a competition for a spot in the weekend rotation. Marceaux won the job ahead of Jaden Hill, Cole Henry and Chase Costello. Marceaux will start Saturday against Army.

Mainieri has already decided to move Costello to the bullpen. Now, Mainieri and pitching coach Alan Dunn must evaluate Hill and Henry. One of the two pitchers will be the No. 4 starter, while the other pitcher will head for a bullpen role.

Hill and Henry will make starts next Tuesday and Wednesday against Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State. The Tigers also have two mid-week games the following week against South Alabama and Southern.

“I am very encouraged by the way some of these young guys have looked,” Hess said. “Marceaux, Hill and Henry have all done a phenomenal job so far. From a talent standpoint, the sky is the limit. I don’t want to speak too soon. If the staff stays healthy, it can be one of the better staffs we have had at LSU.”

Five returning pitchers should provide depth for the staff – Todd Peterson, Ma’Khail Hilliard, Devin Fontenot, Matthew Beck and Caleb Gilbert. Hilliard, Beck and Gilbert all had injuries during fall practice. Peterson will be the closer, while Fontenot will be one of the top set-up men in the bullpen.

“Todd is coming into his own,” Mainieri said. “He has great stuff. Beck and Fontenot have been throwing as well as I’ve seen them throw. Hilliard is starting to come back. Gilbert is a little delayed after his injury. These veteran pitchers are extremely vital to our bullpen.”

Peterson became the Tigers’ closer at the end of last season. He led the team with six saves. Peterson was a different pitcher during the second half of the 2018 season.

“It’s different mentally for me this year,” Peterson said. “I know I’m in the closer’s role. That allows me to build off last year. Toward the end of last year, the mental part of the game clicked to me. It turned for me in the Vanderbilt game when I went 5 innings.

“I attacked the batter on each pitch. I’m really excited to see how it works out this year. We have a real good bond between all the pitchers this season. We have a good returning group and the maturity level of the newcomers is high.”

Here are the pitchers on LSU’s 2019 baseball roster.

No.         Name                                                    B-T         Ht.          Wt.         Class      Hometown

 10          Eric Walker                                         R-R         6-0          185         So.         Arlington (Tex.)

 11          Landon Marceaux                            R-R         6-0          185         Fr.          Destrehan

 18          Cole Henry                                          R-R         6-4          205         Fr.          Florence (Ala.)

20           Will Ripoll                                            R-R         6-0          185         Fr.          New Orleans

21           Nick Storz                                            R-R         6-6          255         So.         Brooklyn (N.Y.)

26           *AJ Labas                                             R-R         6-3          215         So.         Fleming Island (Fla.)

27           Matthew Beck                                   R-R         6-7          235         Jr.          Alexandria

28           Devin Fontenot                                 R-R         6-1          180         So.         The Woodlands (Tex.)

29           Chase Costello                                   R-R         6-4          210         Fr.          Pompano Beach (Fla.)

30           Trent Vietmeier                                R-R         6-3          215         So.         Pittsburgh (Pa.)

32           Aaron George                                    R-R         6-5          235         Jr.          Monroe

35           Clay Moffitt                                        R-R         6-4          240         Sr.          Baton Rouge

38           Zack Hess                                            R-R         6-6          220         Jr.          Forest (Va.)

40           Riggs Threadgill                                 R-R         6-4          215         Fr.          Fredericksburg (Tex.)

41           Caleb Gilbert                                      R-R         6-2          200         Sr.          Hoover (Ala.)

43           Todd Peterson                                  R-R         6-5          220         Jr.          Lake Mary (Fla.)

44           Jaden Hill                                             R-R         6-4          215         Fr.          Ashdown (Ark.)

46           Rye Gunter                                         R-R         6-5          210         Fr.          Coppell (Tex.)

52           Ma’Khail Hilliard                                R-R         6-0          155         So.         Central

55           Easton McMurray                            R-L          6-4          200         Fr.          Bakersfield (Cal.)

*Out for season with injury

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