Andrew Stevenson leads one of the nation's elite outfields for the Tigers. (LSU)

SHARE







Top 25 Breakdown: No. 9 LSU

2014 Record: 46-16-1. RPI: 11.

Coach (Record at school): Paul Mainieri (361-149-3, 8 years).

Postseason History: 27 regionals (active streak: 3), 16 CWS trips (last in 2013), 6 national titles (last in 2009).

LSU's Projected Lineup

Pos. Name, Yr. AVG/OBP/SLG HR RBI SB C Kade Scivicque, Sr. .304/.377/.467 7 31 0 1B Conner Hale, Sr. .306/.397/.455 4 29 0 2B Kramer Robertson, So. .200/.339/.290 1 20 3 3B Danny Zardon, So. .268/.339/.357 1 10 0 SS Alex Bregman, Jr. .316/.397/.455 6 47 12 LF Jake Fraley, So. .372/.419/.521 3 29 8 CF Andrew Stevenson, Jr. .335/.393/.419 0 32 9 RF Mark Laird, Jr. .291/.366/.354 0 27 10 DH Chris Chinea, Jr. .250/.310/.395 2 13 0

Pos. Name, Yr. W-L ERA IP SO BB SV RHP Alex Lange, Fr. HS—Lee’s Summit, Mo. LHP Jared Poche’, So. 9-3 2.45 92 52 26 0 RHP Jake Godfrey, Fr. HS—New Lenox, Ill. RP Russell Reynolds, So. DNP—injured

SEE ALSO: Five Questions With LSU’s Paul Mainieri

Hitting: 70. LSU returns five of its top six hitters from a year ago, and there is reason to expect talented sophomores Robertson, Zardon and Fraley to emerge as dangerous offensive pieces now that they will have the opportunity to assume everyday jobs. This offense should be deep, balanced aggressive and extremely athletic. The centerpiece, of course, is Bregman, whose compact stroke generates screaming line drive after screaming line drive, from pole to pole. He has a strong case as college baseball’s best player, and could be the first position player drafted in June. Likewise, Scivicque and Hale have a knack for barreling up hard liners from gap to gap, and they should rack up doubles and RBIs this spring. Stevenson, Laird and Fraley bring elite speed and surprising strength to the outfield mix, giving LSU a variety of ways to beat opponents. Robertson has simplified his swing since last year and should become another quality line-drive hitter with good bat-handling skills.

Power: 60. Expect Bregman’s home run production to jump a bit with the new balls; though his swing is flat, he is strong enough that double-digit homers are in reach. The Tigers think the similarly compact Zardon could also deliver 10-plus long balls and hit for average. The burly Chinea (one of five Tigers to earn Cape Cod League all-star honors last summer) has the most raw power on the team and looks primed for a breakout. Hale, Scivicque and Fraley all bring pop to the gaps and occasional home run power.

Speed: 75. Team speed might be LSU’s greatest strength of all. At least 10 different Tigers ran the 60-yard dash in less than 7.0 seconds at the team’s scout day this fall, led by blazers Stevenson (6.49), Fraley (6.56) and Laird (6.67), who form perhaps the nation’s fastest outfield. Robertson (6.78), Hale (6.81), Bregman (6.83) and Zardon (6.89) are all average or better runners also, while dynamic freshmen Greg Deichmann (6.63) and Grayson Byrd along with hard-nosed senior Jared Foster bring additional speed off the bench.

Alex Bregman

Defense: 70. LSU’s speed translates well to the defensive side of the game, especially in the outfield, which will be patrolled by three center fielders, led by the sensational Stevenson. Bregman is a premium defender at shortstop thanks to his sure hands, uncanny instincts, strong arm and ability to throw on the run from various angles. The Tigers think Robertson is capable of defending at a JaCoby Jones level at second base, and they compare Hale to another sneakily athletic first baseman of recent years, Mason Katz. Hale can also play second or third adeptly if necessary, which would allow Chinea to play first and help get another bat (like Deichmann) into the lineup at DH. Scivicque has a stron arm behind the plate and has improved his blocking and receiving dramatically in the past year. The major question is at third base, where Zardon faces the tall order of replacing defensive standout Christian Ibarra. Zardon has a strong arm but needs to prove he can make plays consistently.

Starting Pitching: 55. Superstar Aaron Nola, the backbone of LSU’s rotation for three years, is gone. Poche’, a poised competitor with a mid-to-upper-80s fastball and good command of two secondary pitches, had a strong freshman year in 2014, but he is more of a mid-rotation finesse pitcher than an overpowering Friday ace. The Tigers will count on their No. 1 ranked freshman class to carry much of the load in the rotation around Poche’. Lange is a potential ace with a 90-94 fastball, a power breaking ball with sharp downer action and a very good changeup. Godfrey, another big-bodied Midwesterner, can bore his lively 90-93 mph in on righthanded hitters, then put them away with a hard slider. Fr. LHP Jake Latz missed most of the fall with a stress reaction in his elbow but has recovered well; he showed 90-93 heat and a true 12-to-6 curveball early in the fall. There is no denying the tantalizing talent of this young unit, but there will be growing pains along the way.

Bullpen: 50. LSU’s other major question mark is who will replace Joe Broussard at the back of the bullpen? The leading candidate is Reynolds, who has shown the ability to throw strikes with an 88-92 fastball, an advanced changeup and a swing-and-miss slider, but he missed last year with labrum surgery and missed the fall after falling out of the back of a pickup truck and hurting his elbow. Fr. RHP Doug Norman also figures to play a key role thanks to his outstanding feel for his quality three-pitch mix, his deceptive delivery and his tenacity. So. RHP Parker Bugg is a strike-thrower with good downward angle on his 87-90 fastball and an emerging splitter. Zac Person and Hunter Devall give the bullpen a pair of seasoned lefties with good breaking balls to help LSU play matchups.

Experience/Intangibles: 55. The Tigers have outstanding experience in their lineup, but very little experience on the mound. Bregman’s magnetic personality makes him a perfect leader for LSU’s clubhouse, and coach Paul Mainieri has a knack for pulling the right levers at the right time. But whether LSU can reach Omaha and compete for a national title will depend on the maturation of the freshmen on the mound. The Tigers will certainly be one of the nation’s most talented, exciting teams.