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LSU baseball freshman pitcher is an x-factor heading into Omaha

Freshman pitcher Gavin Guidry has ice in his veins.

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LSU baseball freshman pitcher, Gavin Guidry, Men's College World Series, pitcher
Credit: @LSUbaseball on Twitter

LSU baseball likely has the most talented roster in all of college baseball this year. That isn’t necessarily up for debate. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have an easy route to a national title. If the Tigers want to win the Men’s College World Series, they’ll need their depth to shine, particularly at the pitcher position. That’s precisely where freshman pitcher Gavin Guidry comes into play.

LSU baseball freshman pitcher Gavin Guidry is always ready for the big moment

When you think about LSU baseball pitching, who do you think of? Generally, the answer is Paul Skenes, and deservingly so. He’s likely the best pitcher in the country and could go No. 1 overall in the upcoming MLB draft.

Still, he might not even be the most important pitcher on the roster. All year, the pitching bullpen has been the downfall of this team. It’s essentially a guaranteed win each time Paul Skenes steps up to the mound.

Up to this point, it’s not quite as guaranteed with the rest of the LSU baseball pitching rotation. However, that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of confidence in the team.

Freshman pitcher Gavin Guidry might be the most confident player on the roster. It isn’t blind confidence, either. He’s elite and could even turn into an All-American pitcher down the line for the Tigers.

Not to mention, he’s definitely not afraid to show off said confidence. Immediately following the Tigers’ regional victory over Oregon State, it was announced that LSU baseball pitching coach Wes Johnson had accepted the head coaching position at the University of Georgia.

Unsurprisingly, Guidry was unphased. In an interview on the “Mik’d Up” podcast, coach Jay Johnson revealed a unique interaction he had with the freshman pitcher following the news.

As a reminder, this is a freshman in the middle of his first collegiate postseason. To be in that position and have the confidence to say, “I’m striking everybody out anyways,” takes a different level of mental fortitude.

Guidry could be an x-factor for the Tigers in the Men’s College World Series

As much as coach Jay Johnson and LSU baseball might want to, they can’t have Paul Skenes 140 pitches per game. It simply isn’t sustainable, so there needs to be trust between the coaching staff and the rest of the pitching rotation.

While some of that trust might have gone away towards the end of the regular season, it appears to be back. The Tigers are officially 5-0 in the NCAA baseball tournament, and it doesn’t look like they’re ready to slow down.

While the offense has obviously been the star of the show, pitching has been excellent in its own right. In the last five games, LSU baseball has outscored its opponents 48-17.

First off, wow. Pure domination is the only proper way to describe a run like that. It’s especially notable that in Guidry’s three appearances in those five games, he’s recorded seven strikeouts compared to just one run allowed.

If Guidry can keep up that level of play, the Tigers will be hard to compete against. Skenes will likely play most of LSU baseball’s first game versus Tennessee, but keep an eye out for Guidry. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep him off the field.

LSU baseball faces off against the Tennessee Volunteers tomorrow, Saturday, June 17, at 6:00 p.m. CST.



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Tyler serves as the Managing Editor of LSU Glory. First being introduced in 2023, LSU Glory is one of the fastest-rising media outlets dedicated to comprehensive coverage of LSU sports. Tyler has covered college athletics since 2019, with his work being featured in top publications like Bleacher Report, BVM Sports, Verbal Commits and Yardbarker.

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