LSU pitchers share key to bullpen's success

During LSU’s run in the College World Series, the Tigers have often relied on their bullpen to help them win games. Time and time again, that bullpen has come up huge for LSU.

Pitchers Griffin Herring and Riley Cooper broke down why the bullpen has been so good after LSU beat Wake Forest to force a win or go home game against the Demon Deacons.

“I think everybody’s just playing for each other,” Herring said. “I mean, nobody wants to see that last game, I know for a fact nobody on this staff, nobody in the dugout. And we’re all just playing for each other doing everything we can. And the bullpen was always talented. So none of us were ever worried about it.”

Herring pitched 4.2 innings against Wake Forest on Wednesday night, only giving up three hits on no runs. He gave the ball to Gavin Guidry before the ball was turned over to Riley Cooper to finish the job. It was his third time taking the ball in Omaha, where Cooper has yet to give up a run.

For his part, Cooper says that they’re only a small part of LSU’s success.

“We just want to win,” Cooper explained. “So we’re just doing our part because we always know the hitter’s got our back. We thought we should get even with them and win some games.”

Jay Johnson praised the LSU bullpen for stepping up

Amid LSU’s run in Omaha, head coach Jay Johnson praised the bullpen for stepping up and getting the job done.

“Yeah, I think following the SEC tournament, the regional, the super regional, the last regular season weekend at Georgia, those guys have been outstanding. I think there’s a number of guys that have made a positive contribution to the point where I really don’t want to leave anybody out,” Jay Johnson said.

“We had a lightning delay in Game 2 or the winner’s bracket game of the regional, and Thatcher [Hurd] came in and gave us five innings from the fourth to the eighth. You don’t necessarily look at him as a bullpen guy, but he closed out a couple of really big SEC wins and that five innings, 13-strike-out performance against Oregon State is as good as you can do.”