If there is one thing LSU baseball has proven this year, a weak spot on their roster is hard to come by.
Tennessee (43-20) will open up their College World Series play against LSU (48-15) on Saturday (7 pm, ESPN) at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. The Tigers, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, have been a force this season. of the harder teams to beat in the second bracket.
Here are three Tigers the Vols must contain in Game 1 of the 2023 MCWS:
1. Paul Skenes
Right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes might be the nation’s most dominant pitcher this season.
Skenes is currently No. 2 in the nation in ERA with a 1.77 across 107 innings pitched and No. 1 in strikeouts across the NCAA with 188.
With the remarkable season he has proven on the mound for the Tigers, he has climbed up to No. 2 on the MLB Prospect list — the same ranking that right-hander Volunteer Chase Dollander held earlier this year.
In Skenes’ last meeting with Tennessee, he threw seven innings and allowed one earned run, one walk and struck out 12 out of 26 batters. He’s expected to take the mound in Game 1 on Saturday.
No need for an introduction for the expected No. 1 MLB draft prospect, a distinction he’s held since his rookie season in 2021.
With a .434 batting average (No. 3 in the NCAA), 64 RBIs and 17 home runs, outfielder Dylan Crews is an elite force in the LSU batting order.
Crews has the ability to see the ball well and tends to barrel the majority of his hits. Against the Vols during the regular season, he went 6-for-11 with three RBIs, one double and only struck out once.
With him hitting in the cleanup area of the order, he could start some drama at any moment for Tennessee, especially if Tommy White is lurking right behind him.
3. Tommy White
Third baseman Tommy White — also known as “Tommy Tanks” — began his home run hitting career back at NC State, where he hit 27 home runs in his freshman season.
After landing in Baton Rouge as one of the nation’s top transfers, White is tied at No. 22 in the NCAA with 22 homers. With a .427 average, he is usually seen hiding behind Crews in the order, which explains his whopping 97 RBIs (tied for No. 2 in the NCAA).
However, he didn’t show that home run threat in the last series against Tennessee. In three games against the Vols, he went 3-for-12 with three RBIs, one strikeout and no homers.
That doesn’t mean UT has White figured out, however. White slammed two homers during the first game of the Baton Rouge Super Regional en route to the CWS.
UT would do well to avoid the same fate.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Tennessee baseball can send LSU to College World Series losers bracket