Thatcher Hurd reflects on the highs, lows he endured through 2023 season at LSU

LSU pitcher Thatcher Hurd has had an interesting season for the Tigers. It’s the UCLA transfer’s first year on the team and he’s played every role from starting pitcher, to relief pitcher, to not even being part of the bullpen.

His season had some ups and downs, but had a lot more ups especially when it has mattered most in the postseason. And in a conversation with Mikie Mahtook, Hurd revealed how he’s been able to stay the course.

“Like you said, there’s a lot of ups and downs and I just tried to stay level,” Hurd said. “I knew if I sticked to my plan every single day I was going to get on the other side of it, so it was tough. But a lot of talk with Paul (Skenes), we talked a lot about mindset stuff, I talked to Wes and Coach Jay a lot obviously.”

Hurd elaborated on how pitching coach Wes Johnson has helped him in his process, streamlining the game in a way that’s allowed him to get back to the basics and deliver at the highest level possible.

“With Coach Wes it was just a lot about simplifying, it all starts over the white as stupid as that may sound. But until we find a better way thank strike one, that’s the best way to do it,” Hurd explained. “So really focused on that and that process, now I know I’m gonna be back in the zone and then start to execute a plan, execute my strengths more. It was a process, it was tough at times, but just stuck with it every day.”

Hatcher made seven starts on the mound at the beginning of the season, but was downgraded to more of a reliever role throughout the season. He was asked if his struggles pitching were more physical or mental, breaking down how the two sides of the game coexist for himself.

“I think there was a little sequencing where I would kind of open up, lose some deception, and then the direction would get a little off. We cleaned that up. So it was a little bit of both but at the end of the day it’s just about being competitive, getting ahead of counts,” Hurd said.

Hurd reappeared on the mound for a start in the SEC Tournament versus South Carolina, where he helped lead the team to a 10-3 victory, allowing just four hits in 5.1 innings along with four strikeouts.

He delivered again for the Tigers in the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament, recording a season-high 12 strikeouts in five innings in LSU’s 6-5 win over Oregon State, extending his record to 6-2 on the year.

It’s safe to say that Hurd is feeling like himself again at the perfect time, as the Tigers are slatted to take on Tennessee in their first game of this year’s College World Series this Saturday at 7 p.m. ET airing on ESPN.