LSU pitcher Christian Little out for Chapel Hill Regional

LSU pitcher Christian Little will be out for the entire Chapel Hill Regional, a team spokesman confirmed to The Advocate’s Koki Riley.

Little was injured in the SEC Tournament championship game against Tennessee over the weekend, experiencing discomfort following a pitch and exiting the contest as a result. Coach Jay Johnson called it a lat injury.

While Little isn’t the most statistically efficient player, he had turned into a pretty decent option out of the bullpen for the Tigers.

The senior right-hander boasts a 6.37 ERA in 29.2 innings of work, having given up 21 runs and 35 hits. He has struck out 38 batters while walking 16.

LSU was involved in first-round action against Wofford early on Friday afternoon, with the game beginning at 12 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The Tigers trailed 1-0 in the top of the second at the time of this writing.

Predicting the Chapel Hill Regional

LSU enters the Chapel Hill Regional as the No. 2 seed, trailing host North Carolina as the top seed. Wofford is the No. 3 seed, while Long Island is the No. 4 seed.

On3’s Jonathan Wagner took a stab at projecting out of the regional, and while he has LSU competitive, he ultimately has North Carolina advancing to the super regionals.

Here’s what Wagner had to say:

“Wofford has some impressive offensive numbers, but they got a tough draw going up against a red hot LSU team in the opener in Chapel Hill. With the way LSU is playing right now, they are going to be a tough out for anyone. But, North Carolina is a top four seed for a reason. The Tar Heels have a deep pitching staff and a loaded lineup, and the depth to their bullpen gives them the edge over the Tigers. Still, it should be a very entertaining regional.

“Prediction: North Carolina over LSU.”