The bad news LSU fans were dreading became a reality Tuesday.
Junior right-hander Gavin Guidry is officially out for the season. Coach Jay Johnson announced Guidry will undergo season-ending back surgery Friday and spend the next three to four months recovering.
“He’s a terrific human being, and he has handled this better than anybody I would have ever expected to handle this,” junior Jared Jones said. “He’s the best competitor on our team, even though he’s not pitching. And I know this is hard for him, and I’m going to try and be there and support him as best I can.”
LSU hasn’t had Guidry at its disposal since he suffered the injury during the first week of the season. Since he hasn’t pitched this season, it won’t change how Johnson utilizes his bullpen.
“There’s really no change,” Johnson said, “because we’ve been operating without (him) … the whole season.”
Johnson will need other relievers to step forward as LSU gears up for a postseason push.
That charge begins Thursday when the Tigers kick off the second half of their Southeastern Conference schedule against Alabama at Alex Box Stadium (7 p.m., ESPNU).
“Super excited about the future of our pitching staff,” Johnson said. “For the rest of this year and for the years to come.”
Junior right-hander Zac Cowan and freshman right-hander Casan Evans have been staples in the bullpen all season without Guidry.
Cowan has a 0.79 ERA in 34 innings, and his walk rate is at 4.7%. Evans holds a 0.73 ERA and leads the team in strikeout rate among pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings this season (39.4%).
Evans and Cowan becoming two of the better relievers in the sport has created a higher floor for the bullpen. Whether Johnson can get the rest of his relievers on a similar track will determine the unit’s fate.
Last weekend against Auburn and Tuesday night vs. McNeese State were steps in the right direction. In LSU’s last four games, relievers not named Cowan and Evans have a 1.46 ERA in 12â…“ innings.
“I think we’re expanding that window of guys that we really can go to in any situation,” Johnson said.
Those relievers also walked only four batters. For the bullpen, commanding the baseball has been a problem for much of this season.
Junior left-hander Conner Ware, junior right-hander Connor Benge, redshirt sophomore left-hander DJ Primeaux and freshman right-hander Mavrick Rizy have been called upon in some big spots in SEC play, but they’ve had a tendency of handing out free passes. Benge and Ware have walked at least six batters per nine innings. Rizy has hit three batters and walked eight others in 16â…” innings. Primeaux has hit five batters and walked six in nine innings.
“Some days you don’t have it,” Rizy said, “but on those days, it’s like, ‘Can you bring it with your best stuff that you have for that day?’ “
Benge allowed an earned run on Tuesday but got LSU out of a jam in the fourth inning. Primeaux and Ware threw a combined 2â…“ scoreless frames across LSU’s last four contests. Rizy had 40-plus pitch outings Friday and Tuesday. He was especially good against McNeese State, striking out six batters and not walking anyone in 2â…” innings.
“That was electric last night from the sixth inning on of guys being able to get anyone out,” Johnson said. “(It’s) another layer of what we’ve done so far to win games.”
Freshman left-hander Cooper Williams and redshirt sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot haven’t thrown as often as Benge, Rizy, Primeaux or Ware have against SEC competition, but they have the potential to help LSU on weekends moving forward.
Williams and Noot have had some trouble commanding the ball. Williams holds a 19% walk rate despite his ERA sitting at 0.00. Noot walked two batters in his last outing against Nicholls State.
But Williams emerged against Auburn and McNeese State, not allowing an earned run and striking out three batters in 1â…” innings. Noot also has the potential to help out in a long relief role, throwing multiple innings in four of his last five outings.
“(Cooper’s) competed. He hadn’t been on the mound for 10 days or so,” Johnson said last Friday. “I thought his arm looked live.”
Perhaps LSU’s biggest wild card out of the bullpen is junior right-hander Jacob Mayers. Despite having one of the best fastballs on the team, command issues have prevented him from earning more time against SEC competition. He has more walks (12) than innings pitched (eight) this season.
But like the rest of the bullpen, Mayers’ last two outings have been promising. He struck out four batters and didn’t issue a walk in shutout innings against Auburn and McNeese State.
It’s hard to understate Guidry’s value out of the bullpen. As a freshman, he threw the final pitch of LSU’s national championship-clinching victory and posted a 3.77 ERA. Last season, he lowered his ERA to 2.59 and struck out 34 batters in 26â…“ innings.
But the Tigers have gotten used to life without him this season, and this bullpen slowly has improved.
“They are getting better,” Johnson said.
