By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

HOOVER, Ala. – Last Thursday after LSU starting pitcher Gage Jump breezed through six innings on 83 pitches in a Game 1 win to light the fuse on an SEC series sweep over Ole Miss, he was asked if he could be available on four days rest to start in the Tigers’ league tournament opener.

“Yeah, I’ll be ready,” he said.

Well, yes, he was.

Emphatically. Undeniably. Completely.

The sophomore redshirt lefty threw a season-best 71.4 percent of his pitches for strikes, holding Georgia’s potent bats to five hits and a run in seven innings in a dominating 9-1 first-round victory Tuesday morning in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Knowing every win for the Tigers (37-20), especially a 14th win against a conference opponent in the toughest league in college baseball, Gage was equal to the task in the tourney’s opening game which was LSU’s earliest starting time of the season.

“Just having the opportunity to pitch this game in a must-win situation, it’s kind of what you dream of and what you love to do,” said Jump, who had 7 strikeouts, issued 1 walk and threw 75 of 105 pitches for strikes.

“I was super excited even though it was a 9:30 game. Once we (LSU) got two (runs) in the first (inning), I was like `Okay, just preserve this lead as long as I can.’ I felt I got better as the game went on.”

And why not?

His teammates peppered five Georgia pitchers for 14 hits, including 12 singles. The Tigers committed no errors, backing Jump with several spectacular plays and helping reliever Griffin Herring escape eighth and ninth-inning jams with a pair of inning-ending double plays.

The victory, LSU’s fifth straight tying its second-longest win streak of the season, provided more evidence that the defending national champs deserve a spot in the NCAA tourney after losing their first five SEC series.

“That’s our 19th win against the top 45 RPI teams in the country,” said LSU head coach Jay Johnson, who advanced to Wednesday’s 9:30 a.m. double-elimination round matchup vs. No. 2 and SEC regular-season co-champion Kentucky. “Less than five teams have (done) that.

“I really believe we’re one of the best teams in the country, we’re just playing all the other ones. Of our 10 league series, eight of those teams are going to be in the NCAA Tournament along with us. Nobody else does that.”

Georgia (39-15), ranked No. 8 nationally and No. 5 in RPI, entered Tuesday’s game ranked second in the SEC in hitting (.307) and in home runs (140). Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon led the nation in hitting  (.451) and in home runs (35).

Condon, second in the Bulldogs’ batting order, went 0 for 4. Georgia’s first four hitters (three of which hit .345 or better) in its lineup were a combined 2 for 15 with 4 strikeouts.

While Gage dazzled most of the 26 batters he faced – “He (Gage) was really good at filling up the zone,” Bulldogs’ catcher Fernando Gonzales said – LSU’s batters wore the patience of Georgia’s pitchers down to the nub.

The Tigers drew 7 walks and blew Georgia’s pitch count to 192 (just 53.4 percent for strikes) including 51 in the first two innings.

“We walked too many guys,” said first-year Georgia head coach Wes Johnson, who served as LSU’s pitching coach last season. “There’s no manual to overcome a starter going a third of an inning. You’ve just got to try to minimize damage.”

Seven Tigers had hits with three batters – left fielder Josh Pearson (3 RBI), second baseman Steven Milam and catcher Alex Milazzo (2 RBI each – knocking in multiple runs.

“We were putting it together today, putting in good swings and not chasing outside of the zone and just swinging at pitches that we can crush,” said Pearson, who was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI including a first-inning single that plated a pair of runs. “We were getting the leadoff guy on, getting him over and getting him in, things we do every day at practice.”

LSU’s challenge grows bigger today against Kentucky (39-12, 22-8), which shared the SEC regular season championship with Tennessee.

The Tigers didn’t play UK this year in the regular season schedule but were 4-1 (all games in Baton Rouge) against the 2023 Wildcats. It included a Super Regional sweep with wins of 14-0 and 8-3 advancing LSU to the College World Series.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com