Josh Pearson, Tommy 'Tanks' White star in No. 1 LSU baseball's series win over Texas A&M
No. 1 LSU baseball had a successful opening SEC series against Texas A&M, defeating the Aggies twice in a three-game set from College Station.
The Tigers (18-2, 2-1 SEC) scored a 9-0 victory on Friday and a 12-7 win on Saturday before blowing a two-run lead in the eighth inning to lose Game 3 on Sunday, 8-6.
Here are five takeaways from the weekend series with the Aggies (14-6, 1-2).
Josh Pearson takes advantage of his opportunity
During the second half of last season, Josh Pearson was one of LSU's best hitters. So it was surprising seeing Pearson relegated to the bench at the start of 2023.
But when he finally got his opportunity this weekend to start SEC play, Pearson lived up to last year's billing. Against the Aggies, he hit two singles and had two RBIs on Friday, a double and two walks on Saturday and two RBIs on Sunday.
Expect Pearson to earn more starting time after this weekend's performance, over the likes of Brayden Jobert and Cade Beloso.
Tommy 'Tanks' tears up his first SEC series
Tommy White didn't need any time to acclimate to the rigors of SEC pitching.
The NC State transfer had seven hits and seven RBIs over the weekend series, showcasing his elite bat-to-ball skills and approach at the plate.
He didn't hit any home runs, but one could argue he was LSU's most valuable player over the weekend.
The bullpen hierarchy becomes clearer
Despite the final score, LSU was in a tight ballgame Friday. The Tigers led just 4-0 up until they exploded for five runs in the ninth inning.
As a result, coach Jay Johnson was able to deploy his top arms out of the bullpen. The first man he went to was Nate Ackenhausen, who walked three batters but still didn't allow any hits or runs. Then, to close out the game, he turned to Christian Little, and the Vanderbilt transfer recorded the final out of the eighth inning before throwing the ninth.
Given how steady Ackenhausen and Little were during nonconference play, it shouldn't be a surprise that Johnson turned to them in LSU's first SEC game.
However, Little also pitched Sunday and struggled. He surrendered two earned runs and allowed two other inherited runners to score after entering the eighth inning with a two-run lead.
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Don't worry about Paxton Kling
Paxton Kling entered SEC play on fire. The freshman had gone 15-for-25 with three home runs over his last eight games entering the weekend.
But he struggled in his first SEC series, going 1-for-15 without any extra-base hits.
For LSU to maximize its potential, Kling needs to be a big factor. But one bad series shouldn't be a cause for concern. As a freshman from Pennsylvania, he may need more time to acclimate to SEC-level pitching. And one tough weekend isn't a great enough sample size to blunt out what has otherwise been a successful start to this season.
Walks become a problem on Sunday
The No. 1 reason behind LSU's demise Sunday was the free passes it handed the Aggies.
The Tigers walked seven batters, including two in the eighth inning when LSU held a two-run lead. The mistakes cost LSU a win, as the Aggies scored four runs in the frame to take an 8-6 lead into the ninth.
Texas A&M only had two extra-base hits Sunday despite scoring eight runs. The Tigers likely would have won the game if they had just thrown more strikes.
Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball wins series vs Texas A&M: Josh Pearson, Tommy White star
